A Master's Degree in Psychology
Within the broad field of psychology, various types of specialties exist. If you're interested in pursuing a career in this field, the first step is to identify your area of interest or the specialty that best suits you.
Here, we'll explore some of the most common areas of specialization within the field of psychology, along with details on master's programs and information about earning a degree in psychology.
Areas of Specialty: Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychology comprises the largest specialty area within the field of psychology. Psychologists in this area work with mentally or emotionally disturbed patients in a number of possible settings. Clinical psychologists may choose to concentrate on a specific population or subject matter within their field, such as:
- geropsychology,which focuses on the treatment of elderly patients
- health psychology,which studies factors that affect health such as biology and psychology
- neuropsychology,which studies the link between our brains and our behavior.
Since clinical psychologists cannot prescribe medication to their patients, they often work with medical doctors or psychiatrists to whom they will refer patients with more serious psychiatric disorders.
Other Areas of Specialty
Aside from clinical psychology, other fields of psychology include:
- counseling psychology: Counseling psychologists help people cope with the problems of every day life rather than serious mental or emotional issues.
- developmental psychology: Developmental psychologists conduct research and study the process of human development from infancy through adolescence.
- school psychology: School psychologists work at schools offering support for students and sometimes suggesting classroom management strategies, parenting techniques and evaluating both gifted students and those with disabilities.
- industrial organizational psychology: Industrial organizational psychologists provide support within a workplace and often research ways to improve quality of work life and productivity. They can also be brought in by managers to consult on a specific problem.
- research psychology: Research psychologists conduct experiments on mice (or other animals) or study human behavior in a research setting such as a university, government organization or private center.
Advantages of Earning a Master's in Psychology
To enter the field of psychology, you will need to earn a master's degree or a doctorate degree. Although many jobs require a doctorate, earning just a master's degree does have its advantages.
A master's degree, not a doctorate degree, is the required qualification to become a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). Depending on where you obtain your master's degree, you may also need two years of supervised post-masters clinical work before you can sit for the licensure exam. However, if you graduate from a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP) and pass the national counselor exam, you do not need to complete the additional two years.
Industrial organizational psychologists only need a master's degree as well, and these types of psychologists are in high demand – employment in this area is expected to grow from 1,900 jobs in 2006 to 2,400 by the year 2016.
A master's degree also allows you to work in some research and teaching positions. Those with a master's in psychology can also work as psychological assistants under the supervision of a doctoral-level psychologist.
If you do decide to earn a doctoral degree, a master's degree can improve your chances of getting into the most competitive doctoral degree programs.
Master's Programs in Psychology
Unlike the five to seven years required for a doctorate degree, master's programs in psychology only last two years. The program usually involves getting practical experience in an applied setting and completing a thesis based on an original research project.
Take time to research different programs before deciding where to earn your degree. Some institutions may have faculty members who specialize in the field that most interests you.
Many master's degree programs include the following courses:
- Assessment
- Ethics
- Industrial Organizational Content
- Program Evaluation
- Research Design
- Statistics.
While many doctorate programs will accept credits from master's programs, some do not. Before choosing a school, consider your goals and research credit-transfer options. Keep in mind that that some doctorate programs want their students to get a master's within that same school and won’t accept any others.
Online Master's in Psychology
In recent years an increasing number of people have chosen to pursue their master's in psychology through an online program, rather than through a traditional university setting. Why? Lower costs, the convenience of being able to attend school from home, increased flexibility in class schedules and not having to relocate to attend a distant program are all extremely convenient features.