Becoming a psychologist will be a huge step in your life. The
work can be both incredibly rewarding and frustrating. The same
can be said about getting your degree. You'll be learning a
tremendous amount of valuable information, meeting interesting
people, and getting clinical experience. But getting a graduate
degree in psychology also takes a serious commitment of time and
money.
When weighing whether or not to go to psychology school, you
should realistically assess what you expect from your degree and
exactly what program will suit you best.
Why go?
Many people make the decision to return to school after working
in "the real world." Some feel that their career options are
otherwise limited. Others find that their interests and abilities
have developed over the years and no longer have anything to do
with their undergraduate education.
A psychology degree is one way to change all that. While you
might have to take qualifying courses to get into the program of
your choice, there is no specific undergraduate degree required
for you to apply. So many people look to psychology as a drastic
way to change their career.
On the other hand, if you've already got a bachelor's or even
a master's degree in psychology, you may want to go on for a
higher degree because of career advancement. Only Psy.D.s or
Ph.D.s can practice clinical psychology, and only Ph.D.s can
conduct significant research in the field. No matter how talented
or industrious they are, the upper levels of psychology are
incredibly limited for people without an advanced degree.
Because psychologists directly treat or counsel patients, they
generally need graduate education to meet national and state
licensing requirements. The proper licensing and credentials are
also essential for getting insurance reimbursement. Many
insurance carriers authorize payment only to practitioners who
meet certain educational and licensing standards.
The Lure Of Ivy Walls
If your goal is teaching, you'll generally need at least a
master's in psychology, and maybe even a doctorate or Psy.D., to
teach at two-year colleges. To teach or do research at four-year
colleges, universities, and graduate programs, you'll definitely
need a doctorate.
Making Your Investment Pay
Off
Any graduate degree is a significant investment of time, money,
and work. Most master's programs take a year or two to complete —
at a private school, tuition can easily run $20,000 a year or
more. A doctorate generally takes at least four years, and
usually more, so the financial strain is even more significant
(financial aid is generally more available at the doctoral
than at the master's level though). Even if you're willing to
take on loan debt to finance your degree, you may be looking at
twenty years of loan payments!
