Posted on April 9 2011 by John Grant

Get Psyched with Psychology Degree Programs

If you have a knack for helping people cope with stress, anxiety, relationships and similar issues, consider enrolling in one of the psychology degree programs. A psychology degree can prepare you for a rewarding career helping others cope with their problems and live a happier life!

This is one field where earning an associate’s degree will just not do. Even a bachelor’s degree won’t get you much. You generally need to get a master’s degree to practice as a social worker in order to provide therapy to private patients. A doctorate is required to be a licensed psychologist.

Which Psychology Degree Programs to Pick?

Psychology is a mixture of medicine, research, and theory. This means that you need a very solid foundation before you can work with the public. Not everyone wants to be a researcher or diagnose and treat patients. So, there are different psychology degree programs for different career goals. Here’s a quick look.

Bachelor’s Degree – This degree provides the basic foundation. You get to learn about cognitive, social, sports, forensic, child, clinical, and industrial psychology. Don’t expect to walk out of college and start seeing patients. Nope, this degree is merely a stepping stone to that career goal. Earning a bachelor’s degree helps you land jobs like research assistant or market researcher.

Master’s Degree – Narrow down the psychology field you want to focus on. Want to research behavior patterns of depressed or schizophrenic patients? Focus your studies on clinical psychology. Once you earn your master’s, you can also find work as a researcher for a medical company, college professor, or workplace consultant. Enrolling in one of these programs will net you stiff competition!

Doctoral Degree – Most people go into psychology thinking they will become a psychologist. If that’s your dream, then you must earn either a Ph.D or Psy.D. What’s the difference? Researchers tend to earn a Ph.D. because with that you can do a lot more in either research, teaching or clinical practice

You’re Not Done Yet!

You may have earned top marks in all your psychology degree programs. But that won’t be enough to hang up your shingle and start practicing. You have to earn a license, just like any other doctor. There isn’t a national psychology licensing board either. Each state has its own requirements. Prepare on taking a standardized exam and maybe even answering questions before an oral board.

If learning about the human mind and applying that knowledge in helping others sounds like a dream job, you might want to take a closer look at what’s out there. My College Guide will be covering psychology degree programs in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned!

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