What Can You Do with a Psychology Degree?

Before entering the university or college, get assured that the latter ones have the proper accreditation.

That’s because accreditation plays an important role not only for the educational institutions but also for their graduates while searching for a job.

As you finish your degree and look for a job, your potential employer who will interview you will definitely pay attention to the level of accreditation of your alma-mater.

You may ask what kind of accreditation should your degree program have?

We guess that you definitely do not want to waste your money on a degree from the university without accreditation, as your future employer will doubt about your qualification.

Accreditation is a stamp of approval which is given by the accrediting agencies which are entitled by the Department of Education.

There are two kinds of accreditation to distinguish: program and institutional accreditations.

Thus, program accreditation means that the stamp of proof of its quality got the separate program or discipline.

Meanwhile, institutional accreditation is given to the whole university or college in general.

Some Regional Accrediting Agencies to Review

The accrediting organizations are separated into national and regional accrediting agencies.

As a rule, the stamp of approval given by the regional accrediting agency is considered to be the confirmation of the credibility of the educational institution.

There are some well-known regional accrediting agencies for you to be aware of:

Program Accreditation

• New England Association of Schools and Colleges
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
• The Higher Learning Commission
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges

The approval of National accrediting agencies is not always required, but some employers may ask for such approval of educational program or discipline.

Therefore, there are two big national psychology accreditors, but only for doctoral programs: The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and The American Psychological Association.

When entering into a psychology bachelor’s or master’s program, you have to find out whether your program sticks to the standards set forth by the APA or ASPPB.

There are also some reputable non-doctoral accreditors:

• Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE)
• Masters in Psychology Accreditation Council (MPAC)
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE, now merged with CACREP)
• National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

Now let’s discover some of your degree prospectives and options.

Associate Degree in Psychology

Typically, an Associate’s Degree in Psychology is supposed to be a two-year program.

Such a program is offered not only in most communities but also by online colleges.

This very associate’s degree will be a threshold to your future career and also the first step to a bachelor’s degree.

During the associate degree program, you will get the basic knowledge of psychology, get acquainted with the introduction to this study.

Getting an associate degree can be useful for your career not only as a psychologis but also in the related fields like social work, public health, counseling, and some others.

Thus, after studying for one or two years, you can get yourself in a local health institution, mental health facility or some treatment program.

During the study, you will take the courses, including :

• Introduction to Sociology
• Introduction to Psychology
• Childhood Development
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Addiction Counseling
• Family and Group Dynamics

Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology

Bachelors degree in psychology gives you the grounds for your future career, however, to become a professional you should complete a master’s degree.

Typically, the Bachelor of Psychology requires 120 credits or simply four years to complete.

And this degree is traditionally offered almost in all educational institutions: private, public and online ones.

Because of its demand among the undergraduates, the bachelor’s psychology degree at psychology faculty is one of the most popular educational destinations.

Bachelors degree program will give you a profound knowledge of most psychological arrays and issues.

You will get valuable knowledge of human behavior of individuals, communication and relationships between the individuals and community, neurological processes in human brains, the types and reasons for psychological disorders, to name but a few.

Thus, a bachelor’s degree will be a strong ground for completing our master’s degree and Ph.D. in the future.

After you finish your psychology degree and become a bachelor, you will get an opportunity to work and implement your skills in practice.

You can choose to go and start a career in education, business, social work and a broad spectrum of other professional areas.

You will learn a great variety of courses while earning your bachelor’s degree, we other some of them below for your awareness:

• Clinical Psychology
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Current Issues in the Practice of Psychology
• Sexuality and Human Behavior
• Society, Culture, and Psychology

The Difference Between a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology

There are a great variety of courses you will take while studying any of these programs, however, there is a slight difference between BA and BS programs.

On the one hand, Bachelor of Arts or BA offers the program which contains disciplines aimed at getting knowledge in humanities.

On the other hand, Bachelor of Science or BS in psychology emphasizes math and science-intensive subjects.

Master’s Degree in Psychology

Bachelors degree in psychology gives you the grounds for your future career, however, to become a professional you should complete a master’s degree.

Master’s of psychology is advanced degree and usually takes from two to three years to complete.

During the study, you will learn about the complex issues and problem that psychology as a science deals with.

You will also learn how to handle and find a solution to the problematic issues of science.

Moreover, you will enhance your knowledge obtained during the bachelor degree course.

In other words, you will be a specialist who can analyze the matter profoundly and give your expert opinion.

A Master of Psychology can also lay the beginning of your research-orientated study as a Ph.D. in the future.

Generally, a master’s degree will be a great advantage for you as it indicates your level of expertise for your future employer.

Master’s degree includes either a stand-alone program or research-orientated program.

Thus, during a stand-alone program, you can choose to learn subjects like Clinical Psychology, Forensic or Organizational Psychology.

But you should remember that to get the license of psychologist you should complete the doctoral level program – Ph.D.

Here you can observe the courses you will take:

• Organizational Behavior
• Educational Psychology
• Principles of Neuroscience
• Group Dynamics
• Crisis Management and Response
• Diversity, Culture, and Psychology
• Clinical Psychopharmacology
• Graduate Research Methods in Psychology

The Difference Between a Master of Arts  and a Master of Science

As in any other science, the MS or master of science in psychology will be oriented on analysis, data collection, researching, and other scientific work.

While the MA or master of arts will acquaint you with all the theories in psychology, give you the chance to focus on theoretical grounds of this discipline.

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Doctor of Psychology programs are accreditated by the specific psychology associations, namely

by the American Psychological Association (APA) or The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB).

The duration of the study takes from 4 to 7 years, however, after completion, you will become a clinical psychologist.

After you get the degree of PsyD you will be competent and able to treat patients during your psychology activity.

As far as you complete this course, you should get licensure, so that you can practice treatment in a medical, social, business, or counselor institutions.

During the doctoral degree course, you will learn some of the below-mentioned disciplines:

• Cognitive-Behavioral Family Intervention
• Treatment for At-Risk Adolescents
• Psychopathology
• Advanced Psychodynamic Theory
• Independent Study in Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Medicine
• Practicum
• Cognitive/Behavioral Assessment

Main Difference Between a Psychology PsyD and Ph.D.

While a PsyD is preparing you to work tet-a-tet with patients in an array of treatment settings, a Ph.D. in psychology is targeted to hold research in a specific discipline or scientific field.

And after you or Ph.D. in psychology, you will be able to teach students in the universities and schools.

Becoming a board-certified psychologist isn’t required to practice your profession in a non-clinical setting, but it can help to bolster your credentials within the context of a particular specialty.

In fact, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), only about five percent of qualified psychology degree-holders are actually board certified.

With that said, if you plan to practice treatment as a Doctor of Psychology, you must be board certified.

Earning a PsyD is the basic threshold for becoming APA-licensed to practice treatment in a clinical setting.

Your psychology degree can be the portal to a fairly enormous array of career prospects.

Your opportunities and your eventual salary will depend very much on the level of your degree attainment.

While a bachelor’s or master’s degree may not be enough to practice clinical psychology, either can open the door to a world of opportunities in business, education, organizational leadership, and beyond.

Check out these Social Services Careers for a glimpse at your job prospects once you’ve earned a degree in psychology:

• Health Educator
• Behavioral Disorder Counselor
• Recreational Therapist
• Rehabilitation Counselor
• Social/Community Service Manager
• Mental Health Counselor
• Marriage/Family Therapist
• Probation Officer
• Substance Abuse Counselor
• Correctional Treatment Specialist
• Social/Human Services Assistant
• Social Worker

Your future salary will depend only on your desire to earn a good living and also on the chosen area of occupation.

According to the statistics, people with a psychology degree get fine wages.

So, you can pay attention to the list of jobs and the size of the average wages below.

• Mental Health/Marriage/Family Counselors— $44,170
• Industrial-Organizational Psychologists— $104,570
• Clinical, Counseling and School Psychologists— $78,690
• Psychologist— $75,230
• Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary— $84,440

If you want to keep in touch with the people of your occupation, get new professional acquaintances or represent yourself as a member of the psychological professional community, then you have to attend some Professional Psychology Societies or Associations.

Professional associations and societies usually hold lectures, seminars and other meetings, where you also can take part.

Read about the key associations of the psychologists in the next paragraph.

First, Association for Psychological Science (APS).

This society has 25 000 members who have doctoral degrees from all other the world.

Second, American Psychological Association (APA).

This association has more than 134,000 members, who have access to the spectrum of psychology scientific literature, databases and annual conventions of the Association.

Thirdly, National Alliance of Professional Psychology Providers (NAPPP).

This society emphases its activity on the development of healthcare policy usually holds courses, meetings and publish its monthly periodical.