What education and training is required to become a psychologist?

Answer

A psychologist is a PHD, having a doctorate in the field. This is a scientific approach to medical behavior. This profession differs from being a psychiatrist in that a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe medicines.

This answer is coming from a Child Studies/Psychology dual major student of U.S. citizenship:

As far as I can tell from my personal research on this subject:

To be a "psychologist" requires a doctorate degree in one of the many fields of psychology. Degree types could include a:

PhD (traditional, research based doctoral degree in psychology),

PsyD (newer doctorate degree considered a better option for people who have less interest in research than in clinical practice), or

EdD (a doctorate in education specializing in psychology - especially of interest to aspiring school and educational psychologists).

A doctorate education usually requires from 5 - 7 years of schools AFTER completion of a BACHELORS degree in arts or science. (NOTE: It is not usually necessary to complete a separate MASTERS degree program before pursuing doctorate studies in psychology.)

For aspiring mental healthcare professionals who may not have the desire, time, or money to complete doctoral training in psychology, there are other educational options that can translate to a career related to psychology, particularly psychotherapy.

You could pursue a MSW (Masters of Social Work), which will allow you to become licensed in therapy [note: verify this on a state by state basis to be sure... licensure is not generally set at the federal level]. Someone with a MSW could fill positions such as caseworker, child and family therapist, drug abuse counsellor, or other therapy/counselling positions, often focusing on a particular issue (drug abuse, families, terminal illness, etc).

Other options might include Masters programs in psychology. You might find terminal MA or MSc programs in a particular field of psychology.. for example, a MSc in Developmental Psychology. You CANNOT, in most cases, be a licensed therapist with just a Masters degree in psychology; however, you can find positions as research assistant, medical assistant in a mental health facility, social worker (though in a more limited fashion than with a MSW), teaching up to a college level, etc etc.

With a Bachelor's degree in psychology, career options may be very limited, but a BA or BSc may lead to lucrative HR or advertising positions in the business world. Generally, graduate schools in psychology favour students who majored in psychology at the undergraduate level, however with proper recommendations, GRE scores, and an impressive cover letter, it may be possible to pursue graduate studies in psychology without a BA or BSc in psychology.

I really hope that this helps!! If anyone finds fault with my answer or has anything to add, please do so!! Best of luck to anyone pursuing a career or educational studies related to mental health or human behaviour--the field is certainly one of the most fascinating out there.

Peace to all and best wishes

When you enroll in college, you will take the normal freshman and sophomore classes--choose the basic psychology courses for your electives. After that, you would take the courses required by the university catalog for the degree.

First answer by ID3451680012. Last edit by Simplemary. Contributor trust: 1011 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 32 [recommend question]