What kind of education does it take to be an psychologist?
Thank you for reading my question what kind of education does it take to be an psychologist? and what kind of degree, how many years?and also what college would be best with a basic degree trying for a degree in psychology.
- answers
Rating 0 What an excellent question. Your were right in asking about the education and time it takes to become a psychologist, because it is a process that does take a lot of dedication.
There are no easy or quick ways for becoming a psychologist, but there are a number of online programs, which if you do not have the free time to go to a traditional college, will help you earn your degree in psychology.
So with that said, lets start at the beginning. If you have not taken any college courses let me suggest that you take small steps in the beginning, and that you start off by looking at associate's degree programs.
These are two-year programs that have been created to help individuals in developing their basic academic knowledge as well as introduces students to a specific field of study, such as associate's in psychology, through a few field-specific courses. Associate degree programs are an excellent way for individuals who are new to higher education to get there feet wet in the academic world. Also, in these tough economic times Associate's degree are an excellent way to cut costs. Most Associate programs are offered by community colleges with far cheaper tuition rates then most major academic institutions.
Once you have earned your associate's degree program, you will be able to move onto bachelor's degree. Which typically is considered to be a four-year program, but if you have earned you associate it should only take you two to three years. During which, you will take a number of focused psychology courses that will help you in developing your broad base psychological knowledge. Bachelor's in psychology degree programs also offer students the opportunity to begin focusing their education on specific areas of psychology, such as Human behavior, Human Development, Human Abnormalities, and Human Sexuality. This will aid them in developing the skills and knowledge that are needed for moving on to a graduate degree program.
Having successfully completed a bachelor's degree program, individuals will be able to move into the beginning of their graduate careers. This is a two-part deal. The first part is the graduate portion is the master's degree. Master's degrees in psychology will aid their students in building on the basic knowledge that they gained during their associate's and bachelor's degree programs. As a student in a master's degree program, individuals will learn the basics of research and methodology as well as how to apply those methods in various situations.
A master's degree in psychology will take you around 2-3 years to complete, and will more than likely include not only broad academic coursework, but will also include a type of clinical. These clinical courses are an introduction for students on how to apply the various theories and methodologies they have learned in helping individuals with a variety of psychological needs. Also, just as a side-note to complete a master's degree will also have complete master's thesis, which is around a forty-sixty page paper that is meant to support an individuals educational or professional qualifications.
Finally, once an individual has completed their master's degree program they will be prepared for moving onto the final step of the psychological education process - the PhD in Psychology. PhD programs in Psychology are a complex and lengthy, but are required if you plan on becoming a psychologist. Typically taking between 3-5 years, psychology degree programs include a number of courses in theory and practice, and will be the final step in obtaining the qualifications that are needed for working as a trained and qualified psychologist.
After an individual has competed the course work of a PhD in psychology program, they will typically take around a year or so to complete their clinical work and write their dissertation, which is a lengthy document that an individuals are required to complete that not only demonstrates their well-rounded understanding of the field, but also that they are able to add to the overall knowledge of the field as well.
Once you have completed all of the requirements, individuals will be prepared for succeeding in the field of psychology as a trained professional who has the knowledge that is needed for aiding individuals in a variety of psychological settings.
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