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 will be learning a
tremendous amount of valuable information, meeting interesting
people, and getting clinical experience. But getting a graduate
degree in psychology also takes serious commitments 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 decide 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 already have 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 a professional in this field is, the upper levels of
psychology are incredibly limited for someone without an advanced
degree.
Because psychologists directly treat and 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 to teach, you'll generally need at least a
master's in psychology, and maybe even a doctorate or Psy.D., to
teach at a two-year college. To teach or do research at a
four-year college, university, or graduate programs, you'll
definitely need a doctorate.
Making Your Investment Pay
Off
Any graduate degree requires 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 total $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 typically 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!
