Psychologists

High School

Because you will need to continue your education beyond high school in order to become a psychologist, you should enroll in college preparatory courses. Your class schedule should concentrate on English courses, computer science, mathematics, and sciences. Algebra, geometry, and calculus are important to take, as are biology, chemistry, and physics. You should take social science courses, such as psychology and sociology. You should also take a modern foreign language, such as French or German, because reading comprehension of these languages is one of the usual requirements for obtaining the doctorate degree.

Postsecondary Training

A doctorate in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) is recommended. While most new doctorates in the psychology field received a Ph.D., the number of Psy.D. recipients has increased over the past decade. Some positions are available to people with a master's degree, but they are jobs of lesser responsibility and lower salaries than those open to people with a doctorate.

Psychology is an obvious choice for your college major, but not all graduate programs require entering students to have a psychology bachelor's degree. Nevertheless, your college studies should include a number of psychology courses, such as experimental psychology, developmental psychology, and abnormal psychology. You should also take classes in statistics as well as such classes as English, foreign language, and history to complete a strong liberal arts education.

Course work at the master's degree level usually involves statistics, ethics, and industrial and organizational content. If you want to work as a school psychologist, you will need to complete a supervised, year-long internship at a school after receiving your degree.

Some doctoral programs accept students with master's degrees; in other cases, students enter a doctoral program with only a bachelor's degree. Because entrance requirements vary, you will need to research the programs you are interested in to find out their specific requirements. The doctorate degree typically takes between four and seven years to complete for those who begin their studies with only the bachelor's degree. Course work will include studies in various areas of psychology and research (including work in quantitative research methods). Those who focus on research often complete a yearlong postdoctoral fellowship. Those who want to work as clinical, counseling, or school psychologists must complete a one-year supervised internship. Frequently those who are interested in clinical, counseling, or school psychology will get the Psy.D., because this degree emphasizes clinical rather than research work. Most states, however, require school psychologists to have the specialist degree Ed.S. in school psychology, which requires completion of two years of full-time graduate study and one year in a full-time internship. Those interested in clinical, counseling, or school psychology should attend a program accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Unlike psychiatrists, psychologists do not need to attend medical school.

Other Education or Training

In order to maintain their licensing, psychologists must complete continuing education (CE) seminars, webinars, and other learning opportunities that are provided by professional associations at the national, state, and local levels. The American Psychological Association, for example, offers online courses, classes, and workshops on topics ranging from ethics and legal issues to practice specialties and mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. The National Association of School Psychologists, Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology, and the American College of Forensic Psychology also provide CE opportunities. Contact these organizations for more information.