Do I Need To Get a Master's After Earning a Psychology Degree?

While you can start a career in psychology with just a bachelor's degree, most psychologists have at least a master's degree.

With a master's degree, you can work as a licensed clinical psychologist in many states (some require a doctorate).

A master's degree also opens the door to greater and more rewarding career opportunities than you'd have with just a bachelor's.

Benefits of Getting a Master's Degree

While you don't necessarily need a master's degree to work in the psychology field, graduate work has its benefits.

Ability to Earn a Doctorate

A doctorate is a terminal degree in psychology. But if you want to go all the way in this discipline, you need to get a master's first.

Some universities have dual programs that allow you to earn a master's and a doctorate at the same time.

You might also do an accelerated bachelor's program and graduate with both a bachelor's and a master's in just five years.

Keep in mind that these accelerated psychology programs are very competitive, but if you get in, they'll save you time and money.

Qualification for Licensure

Most states require some post-graduate education in addition to a bachelor's degree to qualify for state licensure.

A shorter post-graduate certificate program might qualify in some states, but a master's degree is generally more versatile.

With a master's degree, you can be assured that you'll qualify for licensure in most states.

You'll also get a jumpstart on required supervised clinical hours through your internship, which is a requirement in most states.

More Career Options

A master's degree opens the door to many more career options than you'd have with just a bachelor's degree.

If you want to practice on your own as a clinical psychologist, for example, you need at least a master's degree.

In practice, most employers require at least a master's degree anyway, so you're seriously limiting yourself if you just get a bachelor's degree.

A master's degree also gives you more flexibility if you decide you want to transition to a new area mid-career.

Specialization

A bachelor's degree in psychology gives you an overview of this broad discipline, but a master's degree allows you to dig deeper.

With a master's program, you have the opportunity to choose a specialization and become an expert in that area.

Focusing on a specialty can lead to a much more fulfilling and rewarding career than you'd have if you stuck to general psychology.

Specialization also allows you to help people and communities to a much greater extent than you could with simply a bachelor's degree.

Choosing Your Area of Specialization

When you're considering psychology graduate programs, make sure the area of specialization you want is available there.

If you're unsure what your specialty should be, consider some of these common specialties for graduate students in psychology.

Clinical Psychology

When you specialize in clinical psychology, you open the door to work as a psychologist in independent practice.

Clinical psychologists are similar to therapists or counselors. This is what most people think of when they think of a psychologist.

You might develop an even narrower specialty within clinical psychology, such as marriage and family psychology or child psychology.

Clinical psychologists often work in private practice, but may also work for public agencies or nonprofit organizations.

Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychologists study how people grow and change throughout their lifetime.

They might also work with disorders that are specifically related to a particular developmental stage, such as childhood or old age.

Developmental psychologists typically also need a doctoral degree. Their work environment depends on the ages of the people they work with.

For example, a developmental psychologist focused on childhood disorders would likely work in the school system.

Forensic Psychology

If you enjoy studying mysteries and the mindset of people who commit crimes, forensic psychology might be the specialization for you.

Forensic psychologists typically work in law enforcement agencies and provide insight on active cases.

They might also do mental health assessments and evaluations of suspects or convicted criminals in prisons and rehab centers.

This field is fascinating and exciting, but it can also be quite stressful and might involve long hours when there's a serious case going on.

Health Psychology

Health psychology is the specialty for you if you're interested in the intersection between physical and mental health.

Health psychologists are primarily researchers, so if conducting research and writing reports is exciting to you, you'll enjoy this specialty.

By conducting new research, you get the opportunity to be on the cutting edge and contribute to the development of the field of psychology.

Many health psychologists also work for public agencies and community health organizations to impact the well-being of their communities.

Industrial Organizational Psychology

Industrial-organizational psychology is one of the newest specialties in psychology and is very much in demand.

This specialty focuses on how people interact professionally and at workplaces and how those interactions shape the organization.

Within this specialty, you might choose to focus on leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, or decision-making.

Many psychologists in this specialty work as consultants for private companies, but some also work for government agencies.

Becoming Licensed

All states require practicing psychologists to be licensed, and each state has slightly different requirements for licensure.

Make sure you check the requirements of the state where you want to practice so you aren't caught by surprise.

Getting Your Doctorate

While state requirements vary, many states require you to have a doctorate before you can become a licensed psychologist.

If you do have to get your doctorate, it will typically take at least another four years of study. Make sure your doctoral program is accredited.

Passing the Required Exams

There's a multiple-choice test that's required in all states. Some states have additional exams that you'll have to take to qualify for licensure.

Some states have an oral exam, while others have an additional competency-based test or a test on law and ethics.

Gaining Supervised Experience Hours

Most states require several hundred supervised experience hours, with some requiring as many as 3,500.

In some states, your internship counts. In others, you must earn these hours after you've earned your degree.

Applying for Licensure

If your state requires you to get supervised experience after you've earned your degree, you'll apply first for a provisional license.

Once you have all the documentation and other requirements, you can apply for full licensure with your state's board.

Learn More About Psychology Degrees

If you're interested in a career in psychology, find out how a master's degree can open doors to exciting opportunities in the field.