Ask the instructor of any psychology classes at your school about the differences in clinical social work, counseling psychology, psychiatry, and clinical psychology, so you can begin deciding which branch of the mental health profession is the right fit for you. If your high school has a psychology club, this will also help with college applications as well as continuing to familiarize you with the discipline. While you can still get into many colleges with a lower GPA, you’re likely to have more prestigious options, which in turn will help with graduate school programs.
As an undergraduate psychology student, you can expect to study introductory courses, as well as courses heavy of statistical data and research methods. From there, you will additionally choose from upper-division courses that give you overviews of social, developmental, abnormal, and comparative psychology, which will help you in choosing a specific focus for graduate school. [1] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source If your university offers any type of honors courses track in the psychology department, consider taking those as they’ll help distinguish your graduate school applications. Your school may offer either a BA or a BS in psychology for undergraduates. Neither is more advantageous than the other when it comes to graduate school. [2] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source The important thing is simply to do well.
You may choose to stay at the same school or find another one with a program you like better. Check all the admissions requirements and make sure you will meet them once you graduate. You should start your search about a year before you graduate with your undergraduate psychology degree. Don’t fret if you decide to pursue a graduate program in clinical psychology after nearly completing (or even fully completing) an undergraduate degree in another field. Though all programs require an undergraduate degree, many only require one or possibly two semesters of introductory, research, and statistical courses in psychology. [4] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source Though, a degree in psychology obviously doesn’t hurt to prove you’re serious about the discipline. Apply to any programs that appeal to you. Since the programs are so competitive, you should apply to several to help your odds of being accepted to one. Submit everything that the school asks for by the deadline. You may have to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) before you can submit your application. Studies have shown that students applying to doctoral programs who have already completed master’s degrees are more likely to finish, so many doctoral programs will consider you a more qualified candidate if you complete a master’s degree before applying. [5] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source
For those who may be considering the jobs outlook for a master’s degree in psychology alone, be aware that American Psychological Association (APA) policy and all state licensing laws reserve the classification of “psychologist” for those who have completed a doctoral program. [6] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source There are niches for master’s graduates in psychology. For instance, a Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, but this niche mostly relates to HR departments for large companies rather than work as a clinical or research psychologist. [7] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source
Whereas a Ph. D. will place an equal emphasis on research work as well as clinical work, a Psy. D. will place an increased emphasis on clinical work and less on research. [11] X Research source Due to this, you should mostly consider a Psy. D. if your intention is to go into clinical practice such as counseling, designing treatment programs for institutions, etc. where you will work hands on to treat patients. A Ph. D. is still better suited to someone who wants to pursue research and academic work in the field of clinical psychology. [12] X Research source [13] X Expert Source George Sachs, PsyDLicensed Psychologist Expert Interview. 5 March 2021. As a side note, those graduating with a Psy. D. tend to score lower on the national licensing test, the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology, than do those with a Ph. D. [14] X Research source Your doctoral program will consist of even more specialized training depending on your focus. Based on your interest and specialization, you may work exhaustively in learning to treat specific conditions ranging from phobias to schizophrenia. You may specialize in post-traumatic stress disorders. You may also focus on the best methods for treating specific populations whether it be youths, couples or families, ethnic minority groups, or members of the LGBTQ community. [15] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source Some programs may not transfer master’s-level coursework from any institution other than their own, so keep this in mind when deciding where to apply since certain programs may require repeating similar courses. [16] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source
Doctoral candidates in the field of clinical psychology must usually write and defend a dissertation before completing their studies; however, select institutions that offer a Psy. D. may require a full-scale project such as designing a treatment program. [18] X Research source Your program will also likely require a one-year internship in your specialization. APA-accredited institutions are required to provide student-to-internship placement information, so keep this in mind as well. [19] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source
A review board will go over your application at length before granting you a license. The specific requirements are determined on a state-by-state basis, and you can find more information regarding your specific state here: Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards
