Does becoming a psychologist require grreat math and science skills?

Question

i want to become a psychology major, (working with mainly children) but I would like to know what you have to study in psychology.. like (the brian?, human development? or what?)
more detailed the better! thank you soo much!

i pretty lousy at math soo. ^^;;

i mean i can do it, it's just not my best if ya know what i mean

Answer 1

I have a degree in Psychology and can tell you this much:

- If you want to be a Psychologist, meaning a Ph.D., then yes you will need mathematical skills - mainly statistics. Your graduate coursework will require a lot of research, hence the statistics.

- You will need to know about anatomy and physiology as well, as you will encounter Neuropsychology and Cognitive Psychology, and they dive heavily into those types of topics. You won't need to know as much as a doctor, but you will learn about the brain, how it works, how hormones work and how they affect the body.

You should know that pursuing a Ph.D degree means a lot of research. If you pursue the PsyD degree (which is still a doctorate), you will have a little more clinical experience. Many times, young students get this notion that becoming a Psychologist just means you are observing children all day behind a 2-way mirror and making "diagnoses" or what not. It is not that fun by any means. I have worked with grad students and it can become very tedious work. And don't expect to be rich either. Psychologists don't necessarily make a lot of money.

So plan for a tough road ahead of you. And one last piece of advice - if you major in Psychology, in order to get a decent career out of it, you HAVE to go further in school, meaning get a Master's or a Ph.D. Having just a Bachelor's in the field is about as good as having just a High School diploma. That is a truth your college counselors will never tell you.

Answer 2

your bachelor in psychology is going to cover a wide range of courses (including the ones you mentioned) as well as statistics and scientific research skills. if you go to any university's web site and check their psychology department you can probably find a sample curriculum. mine included basic psych, personality, human development, statistics, research, social psychology, health psychology, biological psychology, an internship, among others. if you're interested in working as a clinician you can get a master's degree in psychology or counseling. i did mine in counseling which prepped me to become a marriage and family therapist. as far as being a psychologist, you'll need a Ph.D. and you can go straight into a program following undergrad or get a Master's first. from personal experience and observation, having a Master's (and the experience that comes with it) helps a lot. i'm currently working on getting a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology (versus Clinical Psychology) and plan to license as a psychologist. hope this helps. good luck!

Answer 3

I've recently been through a doctoral program in social work which is similar and you would not believe how much statistics you will need. I had doctoral level statistics classes which included parametric and non parametric statistics, regression (multiple and logistical), factor analysis, hierarchical linear modeling, longitudinal data analysis methodology, testing and measurement theory, etc etc. If you don't like math you won't make it. You might want to look into a marriage and famiy counseling masters program which will have much less math stuff.

Answer 4

There'll probably be some statistics involved, and maybe some familiarization with the scientific method, but it won't be as rigorous as someone in the engineering field would encounter, and even if you're lousy at math, you can get tutored past that hurdle.

Answer 5

Listen to everything Pooty Booty just said. I have a degree in psychology and am currently in graduate school and everything they just said is 100% true. It's a difficult road, but if you are up to the challenge I say go for it and try your best. There are always ways to get help with areas of study you are not the best at.

Answer 6

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