M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology

A master’s or doctoral degree opens you up to all kinds of opportunities in the world of psychology. You will be able to conduct personal counseling and open a private office, specialize in forensic psychology, or work as a staff psychologist for the largest and best-known companies. You will also have the opportunity to write scholarly papers and conduct your own research. Each such specialist receives a narrower education. Roughly speaking, the more one studies, the more one specializes.

To begin your career as a full-time psychology major, a master’s degree from a U.S. university or one of the top schools will suffice. An institute teaches more theory, while a school teaches more practice.

With a master’s degree, you will be able to provide psychological help and counseling, but you will not be considered a credentialed professional. It will not be enough for you to graduate from a psychology university in the United States. You must have a doctorate in psychology. If you only want to work as a practicing psychologist, you will not need a doctorate. If you want to devote your life to science, research, and teaching, you cannot do without this degree.

The path to becoming a professional psychologist in America is not an easy one and it is a long one. After you get your doctoral degree, you have to intern for about a year as a researcher. Then you will get a subspecialty, such as a clinical psychologist.

Getting into psychology universities in the United States
If you are thinking about becoming a psychologist in the United States, you should know that the selection process for universities in this country is stricter. The further you study, the higher the requirements will be for you. However, the admissions and requirements for psychology universities in the United States are about the same, which makes the application process easier.