How to Become a Psychologist

If you have just started considering a career as a psychologist, you might want to take an introductory course in psychology or speak with one or more people in the profession to determine if it is the right choice for you. Once you have done this and are committed to becoming a psychologist, you'll need to do the following:

Step 1: Earn a bachelor's degree

Most psychologists begin their focused study of psychology as undergraduates. This enables them to get a broad base of knowledge within the field and become familiar with different specialties. If you are only deciding on a career in psychology at the conclusion of your college years or after you have finished, however, you might not need to start over. Instead, look for master's programs willing to accept undergraduate degrees in other fields and be willing to make up any deficiencies you might have.

Step 2: Pursue a graduate education in psychology

The graduate degree or degrees you need to earn will depend upon what kind of psychology you want to practice. If you want to be a school psychologist, for instance, you may only need a master's degree rather than a master's and a doctorate - and you might find a degree in educational psychology as advantageous as a more general one. If you are strongly inclined toward clinical practice, you might want to consider a Doctor of Psychology degree rather than the more traditional Ph.D. since this degree will enable you to do less research and focus more on developing your clinical skills.

Many people choose to earn both a master's and Ph.D. in psychology. These degrees can be applied to many different jobs in psychology, including private practice, researcher, academia, and more.

Step 3: Gain experience

Psychologists generally need to gain some amount of supervised work experience before they can practice independently. This might be in the form of an internship during graduate school, a hospital residency after graduate school, or some kind of post-doctoral work. Regardless of the specific situation, though, you'll need to clock a certain number of hours working alongside a senior member of the profession.

Step 4: Get a license

In order to practice psychology, you will most likely need to obtain a license from the state in which you plan to work. This usually requires three things: (1) the required graduate degree(s) for your intended career path, (2) hours of supervised experience (varies from state to state), and (3) an exam. Once you have a license, you may be qualified to fill any number of positions or, if you so choose, open your own practice. In some states, you may need to retake the exam every few years and complete continuing education requirements in order to maintain your licensure.

Step 5: Earn extra credentials

As your career moves forward, you'll undoubtedly want to demonstrate your professional growth and achievement with additional certifications. Various organizations in the field provide these. They often require you to complete some sort of continuing education such as a seminar or workshop in your area of specialization.

Visit GradSchools to find a graduate psychology program that is right for you!

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