Psychologists
Education & Training
Preparation
To work as a psychologist, you typically need to:
- have a high school diploma or GED;
- have a bachelor's degree;
- have at least a master's degree in psychology;
- complete an internship if you do counseling; and
- pass a licensing exam if you do counseling.
Education after high school
Most psychologists earn a doctoral degree (Ph.D.). You need this degree if you are going to do counseling. As a doctoral student, you can focus in areas such as school counseling or clinical psychology. If you want to teach at a college or university, you almost always need a Ph.D.
Some psychologists have just a master's degree. If you are an industrial-organizational psychologist this is the required degree in the field. For most other types of psychologists, a master's degree prepares you to be an assistant, but not the lead research or counselor.
A bachelor's degree in psychology is a good foundation for many occupations outside of psychology. However, within psychology your options are limited if you have only a bachelor's degree. You can be an assistant to a researcher or counselor.
On-the-job training
Clinical and counseling psychology students complete an internship while in school. As an intern, you work with clients and an experienced psychologist supervises your work. Internships last from one to two years depending on the degree you are earning. An internship is usually required to become a licensed psychologist.
Military training
The military does not provide initial training to become a psychologist. However, it can provide work experience to those who have at least a master's degree in this field.
Related Programs (Current training programs available)
- Psychology, General
- Clinical Psychology
- Counseling Psychology
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- School Psychology
- Clinical Child Psychology
- Geropsychology
- Health/Medical Psychology
- Applied Behavior Analysis.
Fields of Study (What to study to prepare for this career)
Click on any of the Fields of Study listed below to find out more about preparing for this career.
- Addiction Counseling
- Behavioral Sciences
- Biopsychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Counseling Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Genetic Counseling
- Gerontology
- Marriage and Family Counseling
- Mental Health Counseling
- Neuroscience
- Organizational Behavior
- Psychology, General
- Rehabilitation Counseling
- School Counseling
- School Psychology
- Social Work
Level of Education
The table below lists the level of education attained by a subset of workers in this occupation. The workers surveyed were between age 25 and 44.
| Education level attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation* |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0 |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0 |
| Some college, no degree | 0 |
| Associate degree | 0 |
| Bachelor's degree | 4 |
| Master's degree | 45 |
| Doctoral (Ph.D.) or professional degree | 51 |
* National data for psychologists (SOC 19-3030).
Helpful High School Courses
In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.
You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.
Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this occupation include:
- Anthropology
- Child Development
- Ethnic and Gender Studies
- Parenting
- Psychology
- Sociology
Many psychologists are self-employed. If you want to run your own business some day, you should consider taking these courses as well:
- Accounting
- Entrepreneurship
- Introduction to Business
The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.
You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.
Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career.
Source: Minnesota Department of Education.
