psychology major???

Question

i have always thought about being a psychology major, but i have some questions. is it hard to get your degree? how long does it take? when you have your degree, how do you get a job? do you have to intern? do you work on you own? how much money do you make? i would like to be a counseling theripest and/or a marrige and family therepist. what should i do? my most important question is what is the best universtiy for me to go to? i prefer california but mostly southern california. please help me.

Answer 1

Let’s be honest here. The study of psychology is not for everyone; if it were, it would be a video game, not a profession. And so, in a society in which many high school graduates cannot even spell the word psychology, the requirements to become a psychologist can seem almost impossible. But the discipline, dedication, and academic requirements are no more difficult than those of any other profession.

In addition to recommending that you use the advice and resources of your school’s guidance counselor in regard to planning your junior high school and high school courses, I can offer five other suggestions.

FIRST, in regard to general academics, I suggest that you prepare for a career in psychology by some basic high school science courses: chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics—and, of course, psychology, if your school offers it. Science courses teach you to think logically, and they give you important insight into how the physical world “works.” Moreover, biology and chemistry courses prepare you for later studies in the biological aspects of brain functioning. Mathematics teaches you analytical thought, and it prepares you for the statistics courses that are necessary to understand all the research that is fundamental to the field of psychology.

SECOND, to be a really good mental health professional, you must develop an early interest in what motivates people; courses in the humanities, such as history, sociology, art, literature, and religion, will be helpful. Language courses will also be helpful. You should also become very good at writing and should develop excellent grammar, spelling, and punctuation as well as keen analytic thought. And, if you’re especially ambitious, begin reading Sigmund Freud’s Psychopathology of Everyday Life, a small but classic work on the nature of the unconscious.

To improve your grammar and writing skills, pay attention in English classes and study Strunk and White’s timeless classic, The Elements of Style.



THIRD, keep your grades up; you will be competing for entrance into college with other students who have perfect 4.0 GPAs.

Your high school grades will be important primarily for your being accepted into college. Once you get into college, your undergraduate grades will be important for your being accepted into graduate school.

So, if you want to become a psychologist and your high school grades are not that good, all is not lost. Through hard work and discipline you can improve your study skills and earn better grades in college. And, if your current grades are not good enough for you to get accepted into a university, you can apply to a junior college (AKA community college) to prove yourself and then transfer to a university.

HOW TO GET GOOD GRADES?

On the behavioral side, take your assigned readings seriously, pay attention in class, and complete your assignments carefully. If you need to learn how to concentrate and focus your mind, start Autogenics Training. On the psychological side, DESIRE to get good grades more than you desire any human desire. More than dating, partying, or having fun. Period. Because your future depends on it.



FOURTH, I suggest you interview a local psychologist. Look in your local Yellow Pages and call up a few psychologists. You will probably get an answering machine or service, so leave a message explaining that you are a student and ask to be granted some time for an office interview (without charge). At the end of the message, give some good times during the day and evening to call you back. (And make certain that you’re available at those times every day to take any calls.) Don’t be surprised if not everyone calls you back—just tell yourself that when you get to have a practice you will be more courteous. If you don’t hear anything within a week, call back and leave another message—politely. Be persistent. Call a third time, if necessary. If you get really desperate, offer to pay for the interview. If anyone does return your call and offers you some time, you can make an appointment to ask some direct questions about the day-to-day experiences of the profession so that you might be able to decide whether it really suits you. Don’t try to do this the easy way by asking e-mail questions over the Internet; psychology is all about face-to-face interactions, so you had better get used to this early on.

FIFTH, around your junior year of high school you should begin to think about which undergraduate universities you might want to attend. Look at their admissions requirements and begin to work toward satisfying them. Ask your guidance counselor for help with this. You might also visit the APA Resources for Students page.


College

Your college track should have a heavy load in psychology courses as well. In fact, many graduate programs in psychology require an undergraduate major in psychology as a prerequisite for graduate study in psychology. So even in your first year it wouldn’t be too early to identify some graduate programs you might be interested in attending and contact them to find out what exactly they require for admission. Ask about majors and minors, required courses, minimum GPA, and any other issues specific to you. It’s also time to begin to grapple with courses in statistics.

Since psychology is heavily involved with research (hence the reason for studying statistics), it can help you to get to know a professor who conducts psychological research; offer to work as an assistant. This experience will be looked at favorably when you apply for graduate school later; if you apply to a university graduate program, this experience will be essential.

This process of finding a mentor really depends on your own resourcefulness. One approach would be to identify a professor who conducts research on a subject that interests you; another approach would be to find a professor who is simply a decent person, regardless of his or her field of research. You can begin by taking as many courses as possible from that professor; then you can arrange for some office visits for additional discussions; and then you can offer to do some volunteer work on research. Like all relationships, it has to start slow and cautiously and then grow through unfailing proof of your humility, reliability, and dependability. You can ruin everything by making excuses, breaking promises, or acting with conceit or arrogance.



Finally, you might need to take some specialized graduate school entrance exams, such as the GRE. A well-rounded education can help to prepare for such exams, so, as in high school, take as many humanities courses, especially literature (for the writing skills), as you can.

Answer 2

Hi, I am a Psychology major as well. Right now I am working on my AA degree and then I will transfer to a University to pursue my Bachelor's in Psychology and my Master's in School Psychology. A Bachelor's degree takes 4 years and with a BA degree in Psychology, you can work just about anywhere. However, in order to actually be able to work in the Psychology field and make good money, you will need a Master's Degree (6 years). As a School Psychologist, I will be going to school for 6 years plus 1 year as an intern (so all together for me: 7years; but the last year I will be getting paid). You to will need a Master's degree to become a counseling theripest and/or a marrige and family therepist at the least, if not a Ph.D which will take 8 years. Good Luck!

Answer 3

I am appalled by the statements that you have been receiving - as I am a psychology major. In my opinion, it is a waste of time to major in something that you truly have no interest in - in order to sellout. So, if you have a genuine interest in psychology, then you should definitely go for it. It's more admiriable than following the crowd. Psychology is not always an easy major. Actually, when I tell people my major, I have heard alot of people say, "That's a hard major isn't it?" And while it was never real hard for me, the upper level classes do get challenging. It is alot of reading. And some people just plain old hate reading. It is true that you will probably need to go on to get a masters or doctorate with psychology, but if it's your passion you truly won't mind it. Ignore what those people have been telling you. They are either jealous or bitter or ignorant about what psychology truly entails. And I just wanted to add, there are a number of majors that do require you to pursue more schooling even after college. As the job market is becoming more competitive.

Answer 4

To get a Bachelor's degree in psychology, it generally takes 4 full-time years. Some schools will issue a Bachelor of Arts, while others will issue a Bachelor of Science. In order to become a therapist, a Bachelor's will not be enough; you will need to get a Master's degree, at least. A Master's degree typically takes 2-3 full-time years after your Bachelor's, depending on the school and your chosen field.

Psychology is a popular major; most colleges and universities in the U.S. have some sort of undergraduate psychology program. I would recommend that you purchase a guidebook to colleges; there are several out there, but choose one that lists schools, admission requirements, programs of studies, and degrees. Compare and contrast the programs to find one that is suitable for you.

A General Guide: The Big Book of Colleges 2007 by College Prowler, Joey Rahimi, Kelly Carey, and Meghan Dowdell

Specific to California: California Colleges (College Prowler: California Colleges)

Then call or log on to the websites for all the schools you are interested in. The schools will be more than willing to send you their application, course catalog, etc. Look through the course catalogs so you get an idea of what exact courses you will need to take. Some schools may have more research-based coursework, while it seems you would prefer more clinical/counseling coursework. (You will still have to take some research-based coursework, but some schools will have more than others.) Also make sure you are aware of whether the degree is a BA or a BS. The different schools and programs will also differ as far as internships. Some do not require any internship or other outside work on the undergraduate level.

Once you finish your Bachelor's degree, you may or may not want to go directly to graduate school. If not, that's okay! We all need a break - and school is expensive. Although you will not be able to work as a therapist with just a Bachelor's, you can still hold a job in social services, research, case management, etc. You can then continue onto graduate school part-time while you're working, if you so choose. Or you can stop working and go to school full-time. Or perhaps you'd be satisfied with your career and decided against graduate school altogether. (Although you would be making significantly less income than if you were to become a therapist after pursuing a Master's degree.)

It's hard work, I admit. But if you really enjoy it, then you will push yourself to get through it all. And then you will be very satisfied. Best of luck to you.

Answer 5

Psychology is a wonderful major, but remember that you CANNOT work as a therapist with only an undergraduate degree in psychology.

To work as a therapist, you have to have AT LEAST a masters degree in psychology (preferrably in clinical psychology). This involves 2 years of study after graduating from college. However, not all states allow someone with just a masters degree in psychology to become licensed as a therapist, so in those areas you may need even more education or a degree in social work. With a masters degree in social work (MSW - also a 2 year program) you can be licensed to work as a therapist (LCSW - licensed clinical social worker). To be a psychologist, you would have to get a doctoral degree in psychology. This is involves clinical training and research and takes about 4-6 years to complete after college.

Salaries depend on what type of degree you have. Psychologists make more than social workers, and social workers typically make a little more than those with a masters degree in psychology.

The university that you attend for undergrad isn't really that important, but you should try to go to one with an active psychology department with labs. If you ever do decide that you'd like to pursue a doctoral degree in psychology, it's important that you've had substantial research experience -- it's harder to get into clinical psych. doctoral programs than it is to get into medical school, so the more experience you have, the better chance you have of being able to get into one of these programs.

Answer 6

Getting a degree in psychology is like a degree in anything else; some classes are hard, are easy, you have to work at it. Usually you have to do an internship.

As far as your questions about working on your own and becoming a therapist, you need a least a masters to have a provate practice and usually to provide any type of therapy. In order to become a licensed psychologist, you need a doctorate.

With a bachelors in psychology, you can work for not for profit
agencies and in business, usually the pay is not all that great when you are just starting out. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Well you're off to a good start as psychologists ask a ton of questions. Let's see if I can be any assistance.
- Psychology is typically considered a less than difficult degree to earn. Some academic snobs look down on those who earn psychology degrees. So I say...screw them.
- How hard is it to earn depends on the effort,time and the difficulty of the classes and professors you elect.
- Typically a college degree takes 4 years to complete and some 5 years. But a psyc degree should take only 4 years...less if you take your internship during the summer session(s).
- Most psycholgists either set up their own practice or join a practice as a junior member.
- With the divorice rate currently at 52% business should be pretty good.
- As for how much money you'll make will depend on your training, reputation and client base.
-Being a marrige & family therepist...that's your call.
Research the best schools but don't lock youself into SoCal. My friend graduated from SDSU, spent 2 years in the army's US Medical Corp and now has a successful practice.

Of course he also completed is Masters & Ph.D...a requirement for patient treatment. Perhaps I am biased...I completed my BS and MBA at SDSU.

Answer 8

I would only major in psychology if you know you are going to get your doctorate or at the very least your masters degree. you will not find a job in your field with just a bachelors degree and you won't make much money.