Best Concentrations In Psychology
The study of the human or animal mind and behavior, Psychology branches out into various more focused studies or subfields as an academic discipline. Many students thriving for higher education take an interest in the workings of the mind can further specialize in a more specific concentration. Psychology aims to better humanity in the personal, work, and social settings by promoting constant interpersonal development while stumping individual roadblocks.
If youre interested in this field, first its important to know the concentration youll be focusing on in your career. These are the best concentrations in Psychology:
While each area is different, all are equally interesting and beneficial. Lets get to know the core specialties.
Associate Degree In Psychology
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An associate degree in psychology is an undergraduate-level degree that usually takes two years to complete. The associate degree option is often offered at community colleges, and many students then transfer to a state university to complete a bachelor’s degree.
To be blunt, there aren’t many jobs available at the associate level. Most entry-level psychology professions require a bachelor’s degree at the very minimum. An associate degree is commonly used as a stepping stone toward earning a bachelor’s and is a great way to gain a solid background in psychology before moving on to more advanced studies.
One possible job option with an associate degree in psychology is to work as a psychiatric technician in a state mental hospital. In some states, you may also qualify for certain social work jobs, such as a casework aide or an addictions counselor assistant.
Apa Office Of Ethnic Minority Affairs
The APA is a central resource clearinghouse for students of color interested in pursuing careers in psychology. OEMA offers information and materials for students who are at any stage in the psychology education pipeline. For example, students of color in community college might be interested in any one of the Psychology Education and Careers guidebooks, a series which includes a guidebook for high school students of color interested in a career in psychology. Undergraduate students of color may find the links to potential funding sources, honor societies in psychologyespecially Psi Alpha Omegaand OEMAs internship program useful. Graduate students of color and postdoctorates could benefit from information about the Jeffrey S. Tanaka Memorial Dissertation Award in Psychology the CEMRRAT Richard M. Suinn Graduate Minority Achievement Award, which honors graduate psychology programs that demonstrate excellence in the recruitment, retention and graduation of students of color and other career and professional development opportunities. Links to the four major ethnic minority psychological associations can also be found.
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Components Of A Successful Psychologist Career: Skills Credentials Tools And Technology
Psychologists must demonstrate excellent analytical, communication, interpersonal, and observational skills. Professionals master these skills during their time at school. Learners develop other important skills, including patience and problem-solving, either while working or during an internship. Because psychology depends on practical experience, students should strongly consider completing an internship.
Aside from skills, psychologists must earn professional credentials, including degrees and certifications. Specific requirements vary depending on field and position, but students anticipate completing at least a master’s degree and earning one or more professional certifications. In many instances, psychology positions require certification to obtain a license and work.
The psychology field constantly grows and changes, so successful psychologists must continue to learn throughout their careers. Psychology journals, professional conferences, and e-learning all help psychologists stay current in the field.
Typical Psychology Career Path
- Earn a degree in Psychology Depending on what field of psychology you want to go into, you may need a higher level degree.
- Get your psychology license Each state has different standards for getting a practice license. Do some research in your state to figure out how many hours of experience you need to get approved. These hours may include internships, supervised learning or postdoctoral work
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It Requires A Passion For The Subject
People often stress the importance of pursuing a career that is best for the current situation or economy. You might feel pressured to pursue a college major or a job path simply because it appears to be the most practical or financially rewarding option. But you should feel excited and passionate about the field you are pursuing.
If you don’t love the subject and the profession itself, you probably shouldn’t be majoring in psychology. It is never too late to switch gears and change direction. If you suddenly realize that chemistry or microbiology is more in line with your interests and goals, don’t hesitate to pursue your dreams.
If you do decide to make a change, the first thing you need to do is go talk to your academic advisor right away. Your advisor can help you devise a plan of action, figure out which courses will fill core requirements for your new major, and help you determine an academic plan that will allow you to accomplish your goals.
The Benefits Of A Psychology Degree
There are many good reasons to get a psychology degree. First of all, its required to practice psychology. Its also one of the most popular undergraduate degrees in the country.
Not everyone who studies psychology ends up working as a psychologist, but a psychology degree can open up many doors and pave the way for any number of careers in companies and organizations across the U.S.
However, the main benefit of a psychology degree is that it will allow you to either do the kind of research youre interested in or directly help people lead happier, more satisfying lives.
In your practice, youll learn new things every day, challenge your beliefs, and get to exercise your problem-solving skills to help others. What could be more rewarding than that?
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Different Types Of Therapists And Counselors
- Clinical Psychologists are trained in psychological theories and treatment methods.
- Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors with a specialty in psychiatry. Their emphasis is on the biological causes of mental disorders, and they treat patients by prescribing medication.
- School Psychologists are trained in psychology with an emphasis on education and child development.
- Psychoanalysts delve into the unconscious mind and may have any number of theoretical orientations: cognitive, behaviorist, existential, and more. Psychoanalysis is commonly used to treat depression and anxiety disorders.
- Licensed Social Workers help people gain access to the support they need, and they have supervised internship requirements similar to psychologists.
- study psychology, therapy, counseling or social work, and they help couples, families, and parents and children improve their relationships, find strategies to overcome problems, and work together for the good of the family.
Bachelor’s Degree In Psychology
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A bachelor’s degree in psychology is an undergraduate-level degree that typically takes four years to complete. At many universities, students can choose between a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. Generally speaking, B.A. degrees tend to require more liberal arts general education courses, while B.S. degrees require more science general education courses.
In most cases, there is a much wider range of job opportunities in psychology for those with a graduate degree. However, a bachelor’s degree serves as a solid basis for further graduate study in psychology and does offer a limited selection of entry-level career options.
According to one survey, only about 27% of people with a bachelor’s in psychology end up working in a field closely related to their degree. A few common job titles for people with this type of degree include case managers, psychiatric technicians, career counselors, and rehabilitation specialists. Bachelor’s degree holders often find work in other areas, including sales, management, and teaching.
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Psychologists Promote Physical And Mental Health
Psychologists as health providers span a large and diverse spectrum of subfields. Some psychologists work alone, with patients and clients coming to the psychologists office. Others are involved in health care teams and typically work in hospitals, medical schools, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, pain clinics, rehabilitation facilities, and community health and mental health centers.
Increasingly, psychologists in independent practice are contracting on either a part-time or a full-time basis with organizations to provide a wide range of services. For example, a psychologist can join a health practice and work with a team of other health care providers, such as physicians, nutritionists, physiotherapists and social workers, to prevent or treat illness. This team approach, which is likely to become more common in the future, frequently includes efforts to change unhealthy behaviors and ensure that patients follow the recommended treatment. The team also helps patients cope with stress.
Psychologists also instruct students who are training to become health care professionals, such as physicians and nurses, about the psychological factors involved in illness. And they advise health care providers already in practice so that illnesses with symptoms that have a psychological component can be better diagnosed and treated.
Dr. Daniel AbrahamsonClinical psychologist, administrator and advocate
Dr. Dorothy W. CantorClinical psychologist in independent practice
Apa Minority Fellowship Program
The APA provides financial support, professional development activities and guidance to promising doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees, with the goal of moving them toward high achievement in areas related to ethnic minority behavioral health services.
The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Fellowship provides fellows with financial support professional development mentoring potential support for tuition, health insurance and the dissertation internship application assistance and lifetime access to the MFP network. Predoctoral fellowships support training for doctoral students in clinical, counseling, school or related psychology programs that prepare them to provide behavioral health services or develop policy for ethnic minority populations. Postdoctoral fellowships support the training of early career doctoral recipients who have primary interests in the delivery of behavioral health services or policy related to the psychological wellbeing of ethnic minorities.
The MFP also sponsors the Psychology Summer Institute, a week-long intensive training for advanced doctoral students and early career psychologists that provides mentoring and career development to assist participants in developing projects on ethnic minority issues.
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If You Need Financial Aid
You may be able to get financial aid to attend both undergraduate and graduate school. Assistance comes in different forms: fellowships, scholarships, grants or subsidies, work study programs, federal loans and teaching or research assistantships. Graduate assistantships and work study require part-time work.
In many PhD programs, financial aid packages that include tuition, some benefits and a stipend are available. Students applying to PhD programs will want to check on the availability of such packages and their eligibility for them. For those accredited programs in professional psychology , the program must provide information on its website about cost, financial aid, time to degree, attrition and so forth.
Students seeking financial aid for a graduate degree should get advice as early as possible. Consult with both the psychology office and the office of financial aid on your own campus and also with the office of financial aid at the school to which you are applying. Students of ethnic minority background should also contact the .
What Can You Do With A Psychology Degree
There are various degree options for psychology majors at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. To become a practicing psychologist who works with patients, you will generally need to earn a doctoral degree and obtain a license in your state, though some states allow individuals with masters degrees to provide limited psychological services. This is only one of the many career options available to individuals with psychology degrees, however. Some psychology graduates work in other types of positions within the field, such as research or teaching, while some are employed in other sectors where psychological knowledge is applicable. One of the many reasons why psychology is a popular undergraduate degree is because it produces well-rounded, analytical students who are able to work in a variety of fields that require a comprehensive understanding of human behavior like social services, management, administration, marketing, sales, social work, and more.
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Is Psychology A Flexible Career
Many of the subfields allow psychologists to set their own work schedules. If they have their own practice, they can set the hours they want to work and offer client appointment times within those hours. If they spend most of their time conducting research, psychologists may be able to do that with a flexible schedule as well. Psychologists who work for other organizations, such as hospitals, clinics or schools, may not have as much flexibility in the day-to-day operations of their practice.
Psychologists Support Community And Individual Well
Community psychologists focus on changing community settings to increase opportunities for individuals and families to successfully participate in community life. While they may work in different locations , they collaborate with professionals and community activists from different disciplines and with the people who are being served. They use their psychological training to address community issues and use community-based participatory research to guide community decision making.
Dr. Meg A. Bond, PhDCommunity psychologist, professor of psychology, researcher and activist
Through a career in community psychology I have been able to live my passion for promoting social justice. As a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, I teach in our community social psychology program conduct applied research addressing gender, racial and ethnic differences and direct a Center for Women and Work. I am also a resident scholar at the Brandeis University Womens Studies Research Center. But I did not start out knowing that this is what I wanted to do.
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Psychologists Study Social Development
Developmental psychologists study the many behavioral and psychological changes that occur throughout the life span.
Dr. Pamela Trotman ReidDevelopmental psychologist, researcher, professor and college president
Developmental psychologists look at the changes that occur across an entire lifetime. It is a fantastic area because you can do so many different things. You can focus on language development, for example, and study why childrens speech may not reflect their thinking. You can look at adolescents and the problems they have in establishing identity. Or you can examine families, from how they use discipline to how they develop attitudes.
There is also a growing interest in adult development and aging, partly because of the graying of America and partly because we are beginning to realize that we dont stop growing when we reach puberty. Instead, we continue to change and develop in many areas all our lives. Developmental psychologists can investigate adult learning issues at the workplace or the effects of aging on cognition.
In some of my past studies, I investigated why girls act in certain ways and why boys behave in different ways. One small body of research had suggested that women and girls are typically more interested in babies than men and boys are. But all this research had been conducted on White children and adults.
Dr. Miguel YbarraCounseling psychologist and director of a VA substance abuse treatment program
Discover Your Program In Minutes
From helping patients who suffer from various problems to testifying against criminals in court, psychologists perform many tasks. Because psychologists work to understand the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of people, these sought-after professionals must complete a high degree of education, with most psychologists earning at least a master’s degree. However, many psychologists earn a Ph.D.
Psychologists enjoy high levels of employment and excellent wages. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , psychologists earned a median annual salary of $80,370 in 2019. Projections show a 14% increase in psychologist positions between 2018 and 2028, much faster growth than the average job.
This guide explores how to become a psychologist, including career expectations, psychologist duties, and the different types of psychology careers. This page also highlights common psychology courses, how to find the best psychology schools, and potential salary for those with a psychologist degree.
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Online Therapy Is There For You
Therapy is no longer thought of as something which should be reserved for persons with serious mental illness. Instead, more and more persons have come to acknowledge that looking after your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. Attitudes are changing for the better. Many people now seek out the services of psychologists or mental health professionals for help with understanding themselves and others better coping with the routines and of daily life, and as a way to improve their overall well-being.
Organizations like BetterHelp can assist you with reaching whatever kind of psychologist you feel best matches the mental health conditions you are facing. So, whether you are simply looking for a listening ear or have a deeper mental health concern, don’t hesitate to get in touch with them today. It can be an adjustment to start seeing a therapist, but it’s likely to provide valuable context to your life. Plus, it’s easier than visiting mental health clinics for support. You can conduct research with BetterHelp’s FAQs here.
â Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 4 types of psychology?
Psychology is the study of the intricacies of the mind and its mechanism as it applies to human behavior. The four main types include:
Clinical Psychology is primarily centered around providing quality health care to patients experiencing mental illness.
What are the 7 types of psychology?
Other types of psychologists include:
Where Can Psychology Take Me Share This Page:
Psychology majors develop a broad understanding of human behavior as well as the skills to understand and interpret research findings concerning human behavior. The psychology curriculum includes courses in cognitive, developmental, behavioral and neural studies, learning, personality, social and clinical psychology. The coursework emphasizes the fundamental concepts and scientific methods of this basic behavioral science discipline. Psychology students are encouraged to expand their learning experience outside the classroom by conducting and analyzing laboratory and field research as well as participating in internships.
Psychological Skills
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