Decide on a Career & Degree
Tough questions to ask yourself: Are you thinking about graduate school because you don't know what else to do? Is it because you think that everyone else is going? Is it because your professors or your family think you should go? None of these reasons are good. Graduate school is not a period of time during which you can take more classes while you decide what you want to do. If you aren't clear about your career goal then don't go directly to graduate school. Try out a career or two. Embrace your inner indecision and go to graduate school if and when inspiration hits.
What is graduate school? Graduate programs train you to do a particular type of job: clinical psychology, neuroscience, psychological scientist, lawyer, social worker.... Therefore, the only good reasons to go to graduate school are because you have a true interest and commitment to a chosen career field and because you must to go to graduate school to be employed in that field. Your undergraduate classes alone will not enable you to decide whether to go to graduate school. You will need to get engage in active career exploration.
Test your commitment to your career goal: Read everything you can about the field. Conduct informational interviews to find out what the career is really like -- pros and cons. Arrange to job shadow. Of course, the best way to find out if you will really love that job is to do it – volunteer, get a part-time job or internship in the field in which you are interested. (Click on the "get active outside the classroom" link in the menu on the left to learn more). You should figure that the decision will take about a year to make, so ask for a lot of advice over a long period. Get advice from everyone you consider either knowledgeable or wise, but particularly from people who are in the career field in which you are interested.
Which degree do you need if you want to be a psychologist? If you decide to go to graduate school to become a psychologist, your graduate degree might be an MS, MSW, PhD, PsyD, EdD or something else. To determine what kind of graduate degree you should pursue, you must determine your specific career goal and then do some research to find out which degrees will allow you to enter that career field.
Research-oriented versus applied graduate programs: As you read about psychology graduate degrees and programs, keep in mind the following distinction:
- Research-oriented graduate programs train psychological scientists and neuroscientists in a specific research area: clinical, cognitive, developmental, personality, sensation and perception, social psychology and so forth. Such programs are for people who love research, scholarship, and teaching for their own sake and for the difference they can sometimes make in the world. The eventual goal of students in these academic psychology programs earn a PhD and to get a job as a college professor, or perhaps in industrial or government research. Common research-oriented graduate degrees: PhD, EdD.
- Applied psychology graduate programs train students in a specific set of psychology skills/techniques: clinical or counseling, forensic, health, school, sport, organizational.... The eventual goal of students in such programs is to earn a Master's or a Doctoral degree and to work with people to help solve personal problems; solve crimes; improve health and fitness; improve school performance; or help groups of people work well together. Common applied psychology degrees: MS, MSW, PsyD.
Read about degree options:
- MA, MS, MEd, MSW, PhD, PsyD, EdD: What Does It All Mean?
- Master's and Myth: Little-Known Information About a Popular Degree
- Appreciating the PsyD: The Facts
- Psychology Today: Degrees and Licenses
Keep in mind that all of the information above is general in nature. You have to research particular graduate programs to decide which degree is right for you. One Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology may train their students for a career that includes research, teaching, and psychotherapy. Another Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology may train their students for careers that may focus exclusively on seeing clients and doing psychotherapy. Your job is to explore various graduate programs until you find one that fits your career goals. Click on the "select" link at the top of this page to get started!
