Best Jobs For Psychology Associate Degree Majors
| Job Title |
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- Job Outlook: 17 percent
A social assistant provides assistance to families and recommends the best course of action for children and dependants during difficult situations. They work in human services, usually for social service agencies.
Psychiatric Technician
- Job Outlook: 11 percent
Psychiatric technicians work in healthcare facilities, psychiatric hospitals, and even prisons. They administer medications, change bedding, and help patients with life skills. In some settings, they are also known as orderlies.Teacher Assistant
- Job Outlook: 9 percent
Teacher assistants help licensed teachers prepare their classrooms, look after students, and can give one-on-one help to students to make sure theyre understanding the teachers lesson. They generally work in schools or daycare centers and can sometimes work with special education students. Youll need a good understanding of child development.
Jobs For A Master’s Degree In Psychology
A master’s degree in psychology is a great option for students who want to continue their education in graduate school but are not sure if they want to earn a doctorate. Fortunately, there are plenty of job options available at this degree level.
Best Jobs For Psychology Bachelors Degree Graduates
A bachelors degree in psychology is often the minimum educational requirement for many employers in the psychology and social work fields, making it a good option if youre still trying to figure out what job you can get with a psychology degree. Becoming a psychologist or counselor is one of the most popular psychology degree jobs, there are many career paths you can pursue with a bachelors degree in psychology. In fact, the wide variety of options open to psychology degree holders may surprise youonly about one quarter of psychology undergraduates end up working in psychology or a closely-related field.
Other common psychology degree jobs for those with a BA or BS include roles in human and social services and education. If youre wondering what to do with a psychology degree at the bachelor level, check out these ten popular careers.
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Preparing For A Master’s Program
If you’re interested in pursuing a master’s degree in psychology, it pays to start planning early. Check the requirements of a few programs you’re considering, and then be sure to schedule all of the prerequisite courses during your years of undergraduate study. Statistics, experimental methods, and developmental psychology are just a few of the common courses required by psychology graduate programs.
Before you apply to a master’s program, you may also be required to take the Graduate Record Examination or GRE. In addition to taking the main test, you might also need to take the GRE psychology subject test.
Once you’ve been admitted to a master’s program, take note of the required courses, and check out your school’s class offering schedule. Some classes are only offered every other semester or every other year, so plan carefully to ensure that you are able to take all the classes you need during your two- to three-year program.
Best Jobs For Psychology Master’s Degree Graduates
Graduates with a masters degree in psychology can work in a wide variety of sectors, including research, clinical therapy, business school systems, law enforcement, and public health agencies.
The number of available psychology degree jobs are much larger for those with a masters degree versus a bachelors, though to practice as a clinical psychologist, youll still need to continue for your doctorate. However, a terminal masters program that focuses on a designated specialty area offers a path to jobs in fields such as forensic psychology and mental health counseling.
So, what job can you get with a psychology degree at the masters level? Here are some of your options.
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Can You Be A Psychologist With A Master’s Degree
It’s a valuable step toward becoming a psychologist, but if this career is your goal, dont stop there. Masters degree programs by themselves do not necessarily lead to licensing as a professional therapist or counselor, MacCarty said. Many states require you to pursue a terminal degree, such as a PhD or PsyD, in the field. Becoming a licensed psychologist will involve additional requirements such as supervised fieldwork.
Understanding brain function and behavior is an essential aspect of being a psychologist. This career field covers multiple specialties, including clinical, developmental, forensic and industrial-organizational psychologists. Psychologists in different specialties focus on diagnosing and treating mental illnesses and behavioral disorders, tracking stages of development in children and adolescents, working within the criminal justice system and improving quality of life at their job site.
There are some psychologist careers where you won’t necessarily need a doctoral degree, including industrial-organizational psychology . In fact, you may choose to focus on this career path with a psychology degree with a concentration in I-O psychology.
If this role and its earning potential interests you, learn more about what industrial-organizational psychology is.
How Many Years Does It Take To Get A Master’s In Psychology Anyway
It entirely depends on the program at the institution you choose and your pacing. Whereas most bachelor’s in psychology programs are considered “four-year degrees,” master’s degrees can vary in length, be sure to see how many classes you’ll need to earn your diploma. At SNHU, for example, a master’s in psychology is 36 credits about 12 classes. You could take up to 10 courses each year in the online graduate program, putting you just over one year to complete.
If you have any previously earned credits, transfer-friendly universities may accept them, so you don’t have to start your degree again.
You can speak with an admission counselor or advisor if you want to explore your path, based on your situation and goals.
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Learning And Growing With A Masters In Psychology
When SNHU alum Weston Corbitt ’15G chose to earn his masters in psychology, he said hed always enjoyed science and wanted to be a part of a career field where he could help people.
I decided to earn my masters in psychology because it was a field I was always interested in, he said. I felt like I could reach people and make a big impact. At first, a psychology degree wasnt on Corbitts radar, but as he learned more about the subject, he realized he had found the right degree path for him.
In the years after graduating with a master’s degree, Corbitt worked as a quality behavioral health professional at a small applied behavioral analysis clinic. Its like being an understudy to a board-certified behavior analyst, he said. You have to have a good deal of supervision and additional coursework to qualify, along with a masters in a social science.
Corbitt said he helped manage the clinic, provided therapy to patients and helped parents understand and plan to help their children succeed. “Having a masters in psychology made that all possible. I would have never made it into this field or have the position I have now without it.
My long-term career goals are to open my own clinic one day, Corbitt said. I would love for it to have a daycare, outpatient center and an clinic. I want to be able to provide total care for families in the area, as well as provide the best environment for my employees.”
Jobs In Local State And Federal Government
Another option is to look for a job with the local, state, or federal government. Various government offices frequently hire individuals with a master’s degree in psychology to perform research or provide psychological services.
How do you find out about these job opportunities? One way to look for such jobs is to go to your state’s Department of Labor website and search through the available job listings.
Some different government positions that you might qualify for include:
- Vocational rehabilitation provider
- Store manager
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What Job Settings Do Masters Degree In Psychology Holders Work In
Masters in psychology programs give students a wide, valuable skill set, making them ideal candidates for careers in various industries. Psychologists often work in independent practices, schools, government facilities, and hospitals.
According to the BLS, California, New York, and Texas employ the most clinical, counseling, and school psychologists. These professionals earn the highest average wages in California, Oregon, and New Jersey. They most frequently work in elementary and secondary schools, and within the offices of other healthcare providers.
For industrial psychology, Virginia and Massachusetts employ the most professionals and offer the highest average salary. These psychologists most commonly work in scientific research and other development services.
All other psychologists, and those practicing more generally, earn the most in California, Maryland, and Kansas. General psychologists most often work for the government, in the offices of other providers, and at colleges and universities.
What Can I Do With A Masters In Psychology
A Masters in Psychology is a versatile, open-ended qualification that can allow you to embark on a career as a psychologist or a similar profession, as well as a broad range of business sectors. Often taken as a postgraduate conversion course by people who studied a different subject at Bachelors level, a Psychology Masters can also be suitable for Psychology graduates wishing to specialise in a particular aspect of the discipline.
This page will give you an introduction to skills and jobs you could get with a Masters in Psychology. Weve also used official data to work out what difference a postgraduate Psychology qualification could make to your earning potential.
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Best Jobs For Psychology Majors: What Can You Do With A Psychology Degree
There are many types of jobs you can pursue with a psychology degree. These opportunities are not limited to the mental health industry. The education you get will determine which of these jobs you qualify for, so check out the tables below for more details. You can get an entry-level job with an associate degree, but with a higher degree comes better pay.
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What Skills Will I Gain With A Masters In Psychology
A Masters in Psychology will give you plenty of transferrable skills, as well as the specialist knowledge to pursue a career in psychological practice or academic research.
Psychology Masters are somewhat unique among postgraduate qualifications in that they can be either a Master of Arts or a Master of Science , depending on the focus of the programme. An MA in Psychology is more likely to take a Humanities-led approach to the subject, while an MSc will place more emphasis on scientific methodologies.
If you study a Masters in Psychology, you can expect to gain experience of the following areas:
- Different research methodologies
- Various psychological theories and approaches
- Critical reasoning and thinking skills
Depending on your interests, you may also want to specialise in a particular branch of Psychology, such as:
By the time youve finished your Masters in Psychology, youll have completed an extended research project and dissertation, which will show prospective employers that you can work independently on a substantial piece of work.
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What Is A Master’s In Forensic Psychology
A master’s degree in forensic psychology is a graduate-level degree that gives students the tools and experience they need to offer a psychological perspective on the justice system. This degree is good for individuals who want to pursue a career in law enforcement while remaining in the psychology field. Students learn the legal, forensic and clinical analysis skills useful in assisting court cases and criminal investigations. A Master of Arts in forensic psychology focuses on counseling and psychological evaluations, while a Master of Science in forensic psychology emphasizes consulting, research and analysis.
In order to qualify for a master’s in forensic psychology program, you must have a bachelor’s degree in a field related to general psychology, criminal justice or human services. After you’ve obtained a bachelor’s degree, most master’s in forensic psychology programs take one to three years to complete.
Job Opportunities For Psychology Postgraduates In Canada
Post MS in Psychology only 27% of the students apply for admission into the Ph.D. program. The remaining, on the other hand, seek employment. They are recruited across institutions like universities or colleges, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, psychotherapy centers, research organizations, etc.
Students are usually employed across the following institutions for jobs in Canada after MS in Psychology:
| Government Agencies in Canada Recruiting Psychology Postgraduates |
|---|
| CLINWest Research Inc. |
- Clinical Psychologist: 73,770 USD
- Educational Psychologist: 87,100 USD
The University of British Columbia the #1 ranked university in Canada for Masters in Psychology. The 2018 admissions recorded that the number of applications received for MS in Psychology went up to 7.25% from 2017. Also, the application acceptance has increased to 9.5% for the 2018 admission session in comparison to 2017 intake. Thus, this positive increase in the application acceptance points to the fact that MS in Psychology will see an increase in the admissions for the upcoming session as well.
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Typical Degree & Career Paths
Though most psychology professionals pursue advanced education, the usual path begins with a 4-year bachelors degree. Starting with a 2-year associates degree can also save you time and money if you transfer those credits into a bachelors program.
Following completion of your studies at the bachelors level, you can then begin your masters. Some schools may even offer dual degrees that let you work on your masters at the same time as your bachelors. A masters program typically takes 24 years to complete, though this can be shorter with a dual degree.
If youre planning to pursue a doctorate, you may be able to find a school thats lets you enter a PhD, PsyD, or EdD program with just your bachelors if youve met the prerequisites. By skipping over your masters, you can save yourself years of time and money.
No matter the path you take, continuing on to earn your doctorate might be required to gain a license for your chosen career. Depending on your concentration and degree type, this may take anywhere from 48 years to complete. While this could mean spending more than a decade of time in school, those who hold these degrees have the potential to find the highest-level, highest-paying jobs.
The Path To Licensure: Psyd Vs Phd Vs Masters
Before diving into potential careers, its important to understand that to work as a psychologist, many states have specific guidelines set forth by their appropriate licensing boards. In some cases, states require that applicants must have a doctoral degree in order to receive full licensure.
Thats not to say that a masters in clinical psychology by itself limits job opportunities. For example, in the state of West Virginia, applicants can achieve masters level licensure to become a psychologist, school psychologist, or school psychologist at an independent practice.
But to become some kind of clinical psychologist in many states, students should know that one of the doctorate degrees below will be necessary down the line:
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Master’s Degree Before A Doctorate
One of the biggest questions facing students interested in earning a graduate degree in psychology is whether or not they should earn a master’s degree before applying to a doctoral program. Many Ph.D. and Psy.D. programs do not require a master’s degree, and students are able to begin these doctoral programs immediately after completing their bachelor’s degrees.
If you’re unsure if doctoral study is right for you, a master’s degree can be a good option. Spend some time talking to your college advisor and faculty members to determine which option is the best choice based on your educational interests and career goals.
What Is A Masters In Psychology
A masters degree deepens your understanding of human behavior. It includes courses like developmental psychology, personality theory, learning, biological basis of behavior, psychopharmacology, research design and methods, testing and assessment, clinical and counseling psychology, and applied social psychology. Masters programs in psychology tend to take about two years in total to complete.
Some masters programs in psychology are aimed at training counselors, and may offer you a specific focus, like drug rehabilitation or family support. These types of programs also often help students amass clinical hours. Other programs focus on research design and analysis in this field.
These programs may also include thesis and nonthesis components. Masters psychology programs that are aimed at research will often train students in advanced research methodology. Research programs may require you to take courses in experimental and applied psychology, data analysis, family mental health, and ethics.
Each school and program will have different admissions requirements, so its important to review these fully to decide which are a good fit for you. That said, its common for programs to require a bachelors degree, transcripts, GRE scores, a minimum GPA of about 3.0 in your undergrad courses, and undergraduate work relating to the field.
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How Much Can You Make With A Masters In Psychology
How much does a masters in psychology make? The median income in this overall job category was $79,010. in 2018 according to USBLS. But professional psychologists work in many, many different settings in healthcare, criminal justice, marketing, business management, government and education. Below are some of the most popular careers and salaries open to you with a masters in psychology.
Salary ranking estimates are based on information from many different sources. Most jobs have wide pay ranges that depend to a large extent on whether you are working in a private company setting for a government agency, what part of the country you are working in and how long you have been practicing in the specialty. These are all new estimates in 2020.
Estimated Salary Range: $28,500 $144,000Average: $105,116Forensic psychology is a unique specialty for professionals who have a background in both psychology and criminal justice. The forensic psychologist is often called on to help a judge determine whether or not a defendant is insane. He or she may also work on everything from design of correctional facilities to helping the police improve their methods of interrogation.