Learn What it Takes for a Career in Psychology

More people struggle with mental illnesses than most would realize — whether it's depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD, or any other mental health disorder. These conditions are not always visible to the naked eye, and some can be difficult to diagnose.

It is a psychologist's job to understand and assess a patient's behaviors/ailments, and provide diagnosis, treatment, and counseling to improve their patient's lives.

What Psychologists Do

Psychologists examine human mental processes and how they affect behavior. You will use observation, assessment, and experimentation to develop theories about the beliefs and feelings influencing your patient’s actions.

Psychologists often gather information and evaluate behavior through controlled testing, psychoanalysis, or psychotherapy. Tests you may administer are personality, performance, aptitude, or intelligence-based.

Many psychologists work alone in a private practice, conducting independent research or patient counseling, Others collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators in schools, other psychologists, physicians, social workers, and related industry professionals to carry out their work.

How to Become a Psychologist

A bachelor's degree in psychology prepares you for career opportunities in counseling and closely related fields. You can apply your knowledge and skill in areas like human services, healthcare, education, management, sports, and law, though most individuals choose to focus on a specialization.

A master’s degree is sufficient for some positions. However, clinical, counseling, and research psychologists need a doctoral degree. If you want a private practice, or to provide services directly to patients, you must also fulfill specific licensing and certification requirements as dictated by your state.

Find a psychology program near you or online.

The Path to a Career in Psychology

The basic track necessary to becoming a psychologist:

1. Graduate high school
2. Get a bachelor’s degree in psychology, which takes 4 years if you go to school full time
3. Get a master’s degree in psychology, which takes 2-3 years and prepares you for your doctorate program
4. Get your doctorate in psychology. You can get a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD). This can take between 4-7 years:
   1. The Doctor of Psychology degree focuses on clinical and practical work
   2. The Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology focuses on experimental methods and research
5. Complete your internship
6. Work 1-2 years under the supervision of an experienced psychologist
7. Get your license so you can practice independently

List of Careers in Psychology

There are many different, yet related, careers in psychology. Some psychology professionals work directly in research, while others choose to treat patients.

A few careers in the field of psychology are:

• Clinical psychologist: When most people think of a psychologist, the private practice/clinical psychologist is probably who comes to mind. As one, you will assess and treat patients for emotional and behavioral issues, and various mental illnesses.
• School psychologist: A school psychologist is an important professional working in school districts. You will provide testing for special needs placement, provide counseling for students (both individually and in groups), conduct assessments, and address certain issues within the school. You’ll need to get a master’s degree or an Education Specialist degree. You need 1,200 hours of internships with 600 of those hours in a school setting.
• Marriage and family therapist: You will help couples and families with necessary counseling by providing therapy. Using your skills, you will try to help them handle and break out of any negative cycles your patients struggle with interpersonally. You’ll need a master’s degree, 2 years of supervised experience, and a state license in order to practice.
• Industrial-organizational psychologist: The IO psychologist usually works solo and studies the psychological aspects of workspaces to help solve workplace problems. You’ll look at all the moving pieces within that work environment — productivity, management, employee dynamics, and more —to help improve the quality of work life. Depending on your end goal, you will either need a master’s degree or doctorate, and you’ll need to be licensed through your state.
• Neuropsychologist: Neuropsychologists often work in clinical settings or in research. You will study the relationship between behavior and the brain. When a patient has a nervous system disorder, you’ll assess symptoms and conduct in order to help make a diagnosis for treatment. You’ll need your doctorate, state license, a few years of experience, and to become board certified.
• Geropsychologist: Also called a geriatric psychologist, a geropsychologist works with patients over 60 years old who have emotional, medical, and physical issues due to aging, loss of a loved one, and other obstacles that come with aging. Essentially, your main goal is to aid your patients in improving their emotional and functional states as they age. You’ll need to get your doctorate, complete your clinical experience, and get your state license in order to practice.
• Social psychologist: You will be researching social interactions and all the factors that could impact them, such as group behavior, social proof, leadership, and attitudes. You may work for the government, colleges, or other institutions in marketing research, system design, and organizational consulting. The minimum educational requirement is a master’s degree, but if you want to teach, then you’ll need a doctorate. You will need your state license too.
• Health psychologist: The specialty area of health psychology focuses on the factors that affect health and illness. You will take into account biological, psychological, and social elements to determine the proper medical/psychological care for patients. You’ll need your doctorate and a state license.
• Forensic psychologist: This specialty field is a mix of psychology and the legal system. You will be focused on criminals and understanding the motive behind the crimes they commit, along with what kind of person they are, and how to prevent similar offenses in the future. After you get your master’s degree in psychology, you may want to turn your attention to criminal law before going on for your doctorate in psychology. You’ll need your state license, and to become board certified.

License and Certifications

No matter what state you live in, if you want to be a practicing psychologist, then you must be licensed. However, the laws vary by state and the type of psychology you practice. To be eligible for licensing, you must have a doctorate in one of the 15 areas of psychology, complete an internship, and have 1-2 years of work experience under an experienced licensed psychologist.

Salary and Job Outlook

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychologists made an average salary of $110,300 in 2023, with the top 10 percent earning $157,420 or more. Many psychologists have their own practice, are part of a larger practice, or work independently on a part-time basis.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that the demand for psychologists is expected to increase 6 percent by 2032, which is slightly faster growth than that of the national average. For clinical, counseling, or school psychology positions, if you have an educational specialist degree and doctorate or post-doctoral work experience, then you may have greater job opportunities available.

Psychology Degree Online

In the past few years, there has been enormous growth in online education, in both university offerings and student enrollment. It’s no secret one of the primary draws to online education is the flexibility that it offers. Most public universities charge in-state tuition to their online students, making online learning more cost-effective.

Find an online psychology program now.

It is important that psychology degree programs be APA-accredited. No matter what methods of instruction used, APA accredited programs are required to meet eligibility, curriculum/training plans, program resources, diversity requirements, student-faculty relations, self-assessments, public disclosures, and relationships with accrediting bodies.

At this time, there are no programs accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) that only use online methods of instruction alone. There are hybrid degree programs available, however, where courses meet in person and online.

Most master’s degree programs — even those with online classes — also require a thesis project, field work, or an internship before graduation.