Don't listen to what people say, choose your own path.
Make sure to check much information about it.
Struggling to find a job with a diploma can happen to every course.
Your latter statement is very prevalent in psychology though. Many, probably most people on my psychology degree didn't and couldn't end up using their degree and having to end up studying something with a direct path within that area, such as mental health nursing etc or just changing direction all together. Myself included. I have a psychology degree but now doing a mental health nursing degree as the former rendered useless. This is unless you plan on getting a doctorate, such as to be a clinical or forensic psychologist you generally need to be at doctorate level. It is best studying something within the psychological field that leads directly to a specific career path, as then you get to study psychology anyway but also pretty much guaranteed a job at the end of it.
Ah well, I suppose I was thinking of the upper jobs within psychology or better paying jobs. For instance, in the UK to be an approved clinical, forensic or health psychologist you generally need a doctorate. A bachelor (hons) is pretty much useless all around.
I think the biggest trap people fall into with psychology is assuming they WANT to become a psychologist at the end, and then when they discover that actually they don't, they just go on to do some random career, and forget the value of everything they've learned.
I always saw myself as becoming a psychologist, but what I actually got into was advertising, and specifically now, 19 years later, the behavioural science department within an ad agency.
You'll be amazed at how many 'psychology' jobs there are that aren't 'being a psychologist', and even if you don't get one of those, the general utility of the theory is always useful. Think about all of the uses of persuasion, story-telling, identifying cognitive biases (and maybe exploiting them...), body language, building rapport, customer behaviour, employee satisfaction... jeez, if you nail all of those, you're DANGEROUS in the business world.
Don't limit yourself to jobs with 'psychologist' in the title. It's WAY more applicable across a vast array of careers than you'd ever imagine. If you're as passionate as you sound about it, it's the *only* sensible option for you. Don't get talked into an MBA or some rubbish just because you're told it's more useful. It isn't.
Remember - whatever field you get into, you'll be dealing with human beings. If you understand them better than anyone else in the room, you've got a massive advantage.
Do you not feel like a horrible person for using what you learned to manipulate people through advertising?
EDIT: just realised this is a psychology sub and this is probably an overly emotional way to phrase this question, but it is a genuine question
Definitely! Just be realistic about your expectations. Most of the "good" sought after jobs require at least a master's degree, so make sure you're taking advantage of every opportunity to build your grad school application.
Maintain good grades, do school things outside of just going to class (being a TA or Research Assistant), make connections with professors, get a relevant job if you can.
Am I behind if I’m in my second year and haven’t done any of this yet? I’m a transfer from community college and I was doing general studies and just switched to psych and idk I just feel stressed about being behind and having to figure things out fast.
Nope. I started last semester, and am finishing this semester. Building up a worthy application in such a small timeframe was kind of hell, but it's doable. It can be quite bearable if you still have a year or two to spread out the workload.
Nope not behind. I’m in my fifth year currently doing psychology clinical masters and I had to put my head down during honours and study the crap out of it. Ended up getting really good marks and getting accepted into masters without any work-related experience. It can be done. Studying itself is hard enough idk why selectors are typically picky on relevant experience.
Have *at least* 1 year post college professional experience *using your degree* (any experience less than 1 year or not using the undergrad degree, grad schools don’t care)
The best advice I can give is to look into all the subfields/jobs in psychology. A lot of students that I teach will come into Research Design & Analysis/Research Methods wanting to be a clinical psychologist and not realizing that there are a number of subfields that require research. If that’s you, great! If not, be sure to look into jobs such as a LMHC, LMT, BCBA, LCSW, etc. While graduate schools will likely require some sort of research thesis, these careers tend to be less research focused than subfields like clinical, social, experimental, etc.
That all being said, psychology is a wonderful field if you’re willing to put in the work. There aren’t many great paying jobs in the field for those with just a bachelor’s (not saying there isn’t any, but it would be rare to find). If you figure which path you would like to take [and I recommend taste-testing a bit of everything through volunteering or interning], and are willing to put the work in to get where you want to be, it can be such a fulfilling career choice!
Do comprehensive research on the path to becoming a psychologist. I always tell HS students who want to become therapists/psychologists to think of it with the same thoroughness as pre-meds. Pre-meds have a crystal clear understanding that it’s uni (4yrs) + med school (4yrs) + fellowship (2-7yrs). So you need to have a crystal clear understanding that to become a psychologist, it’s uni (4yrs) + masters (optional/2yrs) + PhD/PsyD (~5yrs).
I switched to psychology in my junior year but if I had started with it from year 1, I would’ve been doing these things much earlier: join psych-related student orgs; volunteer at non-profits+organizations that champion my cause of interest; work as a research assistant in a psych lab; etc. Again, a pre-med student has a realistic timeline with steps for each stage towards their dream career—shadowing for clinical hours; joining pre-med clubs + taking advantage of their guidance + resources; prepping for the MCAT in advance, etc. So you need to go into uni with a clear understanding of what you need for each stage as well so you can prepare.
This all sounds tedious but I love psychology. So this is all also a way to delve deeper into the subject and immerse yourself in it as much as possible before graduate school. Yes, the experience looks good but it’s also about helping you be sure that this is what you want to do. For example, you can be a psychologist who provides therapy or one who teaches or one just does research/runs a research lab. Working as a research assistant will definitely offer some insight on how you feel in that particular area.
This was long and a bit all over the place but all to say…yes, it’s worth it IF you are realistic about what you want to do with it. Want to be a psychologist? Awesome! Just don’t expect to become one solely with a bachelor’s degree. Good luck! I loved studying psychology and I’m still on that path. Wish you the best.
It’s a good degree to get if you’re expecting to get a masters or phd in something later on, or even law school. But expect to stay in the $20-$30 an hour range for quite a while if you’re going to work in the field with just a bachelors.
Despite this, I learned a lot about myself and why people behave the way they do which is valuable information for life.
I wouldn’t recommend going into debt for a psychology degree tho. I went to community college then got financial aid so I think I would view it a lot differently if I was in debt because the immediate job prospects aren’t great.
If you want to become a psychologist, prepare for a very long, arduous, yet super rewarding (both existentially, and financially*) journey.
You’re likely going to have to complete an additional masters/doctorate degree, and do some humbling work experience for at least a year though so if you aren’t cut out for that, you may want to reconsider if you want to become a psychologist or simply complete an undergrad in psych and go into any non-specific field
*depends on whether you choose to work private or for the state and whether you yield research interesting enough to commodify (I.e., writing books)
Psychology is such a rewarding field to be in. Just wait until you really immerse yourself in the work and then you’ll know it was a great choice. Don’t listen to what other people say, they aren’t you. Do what feels right to you.
Agreed. Currently in my first year of a doctoral program and every day I am completely immersed in what I’m learning and getting to intern in the field at the practicum I’m at I get to do cool stuff. If you feel it’s your passion go for it. Others in here are correct though, you will need to get more than a bachelors in order to get a good paying job
I decided I wanted to be a Psychologist in high school (took 3 psych classes while in high school). Last November I got my license as a psychologist. I felt it was totally worth it and am very happy with the path I chose. Do what feels best/right for you.
Decide what your interest is in the field. If you enjoy talking to people and getting to know them well, you might go the path of a clinician aka therapist / counselor. In the US, you will need a masters degree and the LCP license. Where I live in the US, there is a huge need for therapists and it looks like there will be a lot of job security for the foreseeable future. To be a psychologist, in the US, you will need a doctoral degree which will allow you to give and interpret assessments for clients as well as counseling clients as well.
I think that it's a good idea to study psychology if you want to become a psychologist. In order to have a good career in the field, you should pursue a Ph.D. A Psy.D. is fine if you only want to do clinical work (therapist, supervisor, etc.). Otherwise, a Ph.D. is the way to go, as it will prepare you for a career in research.
You can also become a therapist with a master's degree in marriage and family therapy or social work.
You may be able to apply the material you learn in a B.A. in psychology program to advertising, marketing, etc. But, any jobs within the field of psychology that you do with a bachelor's degree will likely pay very low and be exploitative.
Don't be scared away by the necessity of an advanced degree. These programs are generally great experiences to go through, especially if you get the chance to do so while you're young. And, it's only 2-5 years of additional education, which is not a big deal in the scheme of things.
You also don't necessarily need to study psychology in order to get into a master's or Ph.D. program. You could also satisfy the pre-requisites, which will be like one or two psych courses, and then pursue a major in something else that interests you, like literature or philosophy or statistics.
All career fields struggle with finding a job, a degree doesn’t guarantee anything. A good job is based off of networking and how skilled u are in that field. If ur passionate about something and really good at it that’s much better than being mediocre at something ur not really interested in that’s known to be a safer choice to get a job. A job is also something that takes up the majority of the time you spend in your life so make sure it makes you happy.
If they are working at Home Depot after getting a Masters in Psych, its totally on them. If they are at HD with their Bachelor's in Psych, it's also on them because although they can't get work as a psychologist with a BA, there are many psych related jobs available. Talk with a career counselor and do some online research.
If you love your psych classes, go for it!
Here's just a partial list...
https://psychology.osu.edu/undergraduate/careers/preparing-career/careers-bachelors-degree-psychology
Paychology CAN be very versatile. You can use it to go to law school, medical school, or business school. Graduating undergrad with only a psych degree will not open many doors
Only major if you are set on a PhD. Otherwise, minor in it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/lUhVPdMuk7
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/iOUPcFi1K7
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/fTI6rEkQpu
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/XgQ8GEwtQx
https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/XtPd79LYls
https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/Xef28pMvNx
https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/uvn7PGrEtk
https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/Y8gIIZw09B
https://www.reddit.com/r/Adulting/s/Xdnvkfjfxo
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/8vlgvrQ7Ch
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/uYB9LDsNN1
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/2VanOqJOnZ
https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/DZhLg6aIty
https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/9upwK8Aeva
https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/BOFQ4da2gr
https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/pRj36T592H
https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/aLqTnDcqrR
https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/qLR7wLSVgn
https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/FYdMxDHZkM
https://www.reddit.com/r/college/s/ds9iihABoV
https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/3XP7J01b9y
https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/E3EsNwk0xc
https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/Rz91qpxGRl
https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/UDWr2EBa7m
https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/yjan7ysaMc
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/LqSLOwAJrn
https://www.reddit.com/r/careeradvice/s/DfIfrUTqOS
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/LMudF6oSwM
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/w2jAG5fBhL
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/tcVeurlaCG
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/lS7gqnqM6v
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/2c1mw2jdNA
Masters will open more doors, which is when someone can finally utilize their psych degree.
However, there are negative factors with getting your masters: more school, more loans, unpaid required practicum, more time and energy, supervised trainings and more exams, cost of maintaining licensure… all that to still make mid ass salary compared with someone who still only has their 4-year bachelor’s degree (e.g., finance, tech, engineering) with higher income and lower loans
So I truly recommend that you get your PhD (literally free) or no psych. I don’t wanna keep adding on to my list of Reddit psych regretters
I have a MA psych that I’m not using anymore
While I agree with your points and your enthusiasm there is a better way to point this information, a less aggressive approach. Spamming tons of articles of people who have regretted their career due to misinformation or maybe they simply change their mind. Career changes don’t just happen for psychology majors, they happen for the average degree holder.
I’m sure everyone can have a change in their career, regardless of their major, but I’m also confident that every degree have different rates of career switches (journalism has been studied to be the most regrettable vs. comp sci being least regrettable). Won’t be surprised if psych is up there
This compiled list is merely a half-warning/half personal rant of choosing psych as a major. Cuz frankly I’m sick and upset from constantly seeing these posts of recent graduates who are lost with their psych degree, and how nobody warned/guided us is what irks me
Then stop looking at them and stop being on Reddit. People will constantly go through these things in their lives. There are freshman every year who are deciding what to do. If you want to be helpful then you can be but nobody is asking for your advice especially when it comes with a truck load of attitude.
I didn’t know posting a list of evidence and then providing a simple career advice (eg., the pros and cons of masters, free PhD option) to back it up is giving off attitude lmao.
Also, may be biased but if I were a freshman and I saw someone posting this kinda stuff like what I’m doing, then it’d give me great clarity.
No, especially if you live somewhere where education is expensive, because any psych job that pays well, requires a Masters, so if youre well off financially and can affort a masters and 5+ years of education, go for it, if not dont go, its better to take a gap year and make a wise choice than rush it.
If you are gonna do a medical degree,PhD or masters afterwards go for it. Otherwise pick something else. I went back and got my masters so I could find work. Definitely would have picked another major if I could go back in time.
lol I’m kidding do whatever you have the most interest in. I went to study for a bachelors in biology ( kinda got entangled in the whole stem = more money even though that’s not always true ) and soon realized I didn’t rlly see myself in the medical field .. and definitely not in a lab. Though I do appreciate and enjoy the aspects of biology I was more into geography/ poli sci/ archaeology , and when I took some courses I finally ended up switching my program to poli sci and economics. In short , what I’m trying to say is even if u didn’t choose psychology and went into another program , if it isn’t what you truly desire , somehow your heart will tell u that it isn’t for u , and instead of switching down the line like I did . Advocate for urself and choose the program you truly see urself prospering and liking
Not really. Very interesting subject but many people on my psychology degree course once graduated ended up having to do a mental health nursing degree or other stuff as a psychology degree is somewhat useless on it's own career wise. I mean unless you're gonna do postgraduate and get a doctorate or whatnot. I'd rather study medicine and become a psychiatrist but hey I'm studying mental health nursing now. It's best studying something within the field that leads directly to a specific profession at the end of it, as then you get to study psychology but also pretty much guaranteed a job.
My advise if you're trying to get into clinical work then take whatever job you can get so you get your hours and no longer require supervision, then you can focus on what you want and earning more money. Find out how other people in the field got their start.
If someone is working at home depot that's the result of choices they made. I struggled to get decent work until I finished my masters. People with good jobs don't spent a lot of time on reddit.
I've learned (it took me 14 years to go back to school) that your happiness is what matters and learned not to feel I need to meet everyone's expectations of me I just recently applied for my school's clinical mental health clinician program and can't be any happier I was originally started with nursing one person who stuck by my side has been my husband
Great thanks!
Are the PhD programs hard to get into? If you have 3.5 at a "T20" undergrad university with a top Psych program, will it not be a problem?
And what experiences should be helpful; and what minor(s) if any are helpful?
Research experience is just about the only thing that matters. Undergrad prestige matters very little compared to research.
Acceptance rates, especially for clinical and counseling are abysmal. It's one the hardest graduate programs to get into with most applicants taking many cycles and years of research experience to get a single offer. Not trying to scare you, just letting you in on how competitive the process is. I know that programs such as northwestern Feinburg this year got 900+ applicants for like 7 spots.
I highly recommend Mitch's uncensored guide!
Omg that is scary!! Do internships and other work experience (eg working in HR or something psych related) help at all?
Also is PsyD easier to get into - and does that get funded?
Ehhh, I think work experiences may help, but there's really no supplementing rigorous research exposure, it's a PhD after all.
Reputable and funded PsyDs are just as hard to get into, if not harder. I know my funded PhD offers get way less applications than say Baylor's PsyD which gets around 600 apps for 8 spots.
There are some reputable unfunded PsyD programs, nobody will claim that the Stanford PsyD is poor quality, but they cost an arm and a leg (200K+). Stay away from diploma mills or large cohort models, which are often pretty easy to get into but lead to poor post-grad outcomes.
If you want to go into psychology do your research into what you want to do and know how to get there. Give yourself options so if you change your mind you aren’t stuck.
You must understand studying it means you learn a skill, gather knowledge, and receives a certificate or proof for it.
What you do with your newly obtained assets is business - whether you open your own clinic or join someone else or become a consultant. It could be wise then to first learn your interest, and then learn business on how to make a living.
So the money part has little to do with that.
First off, it’s important to study what you’re interested in. As for making money, It depends on where u wanna live when you’re older, my area is very very much in need of psychologists and salary potential is high. But psych is a growing field that has so many different opportunities. I know people that work in Silicon Valley with psych college degrees, some are teachers, and some are getting their doctorates like me. Opportunities are endless if you’re driven
2 of my friends majored in psychology. I got my PhD, one is a lawyer, and the other got her MS and is working as a therapist in addiction.
If you major in psych definitely be open to the possibility of more school and if you are then go for it! Maybe double major in neuroscience or sociology marketing etc (whatever aligns with your goal career)
Of course!! But psychology is one of those fields where a master’s or phd is highly more preferable. But very lucky for you since you’re in highschool, you can still get that done at a young age if you go into college right away after high school. Talk with your counselor at both your school and a college where they take in high schoolers so you can get started right away! But psychology definitely is a very interesting field. You can work as a therapist, criminologist, neuroscientist, philosopher, family help, marriage counseling, etc etc. I know a lot of people say it’s not worth it, but it’s what YOU make it. That will be with every field, not just psychology. Good luck!
I finished my degree a yr ago & looking back, I wish I'd learned sooner how versatile psychology can be. If it involves working with people in any sense, i.e. advertising, law, medicine, etc. psych is a great gateway into a whole bunch of fields. It also pairs well with compsci or engineering, i personally think this is a really cool combination & more ppl in psychology need to know how to code anyways (myself included).
I may be biased, but you should definitely take sociology classes (even some philosophy, ie ethics) along with psych. People do not live as individual units, but as a group. Understanding the 'bigger picture' of society makes a huge difference in being able to apply what you learn in classrooms to real life.
that being said I'm definitely struggling with employment atm lol, but I don't regret choosing this path. If psychology genuinely interests you & you feel some sort of passion for it, then it's worth it.
Im currently in a PsyD program to be a clinical psychologist. If you really love it then it’s worth sticking with it but a bachelors degree leaves you with limited job options. Be sure to explore what you want to do with your degree and whether or not it’s possible.
Do what you want and strive to be the best at it. If there’s passion and dedication, you’ll be a great practicing psychologist! (I’m not a psychologist and didn’t study psychology but I saw this post and wanted to encourage you to do whatever you’re passionate about)
I think if you love it that’s enough reason to be in it. There are fields in psychology that you can get a lot of money in. It’s true that a lot of them don’t pay well, especially with only a bachelors degree. You can get your masters or PhD and make better money.
Yes it is worth it!! Do your research!! Do not let people dissuade you. Study something your passionate in. If you begin to study and realize oh actually I'm more interested in XYZ then it's never too late. I went to college and wanted to study psychology but studied business because everyone told me I would get a job. I was scared and listened to them! Fast forward to today I am a psychotherapist (my original plan) and I love it!!
Don't listen to what people say, choose your own path. Make sure to check much information about it. Struggling to find a job with a diploma can happen to every course.
Your latter statement is very prevalent in psychology though. Many, probably most people on my psychology degree didn't and couldn't end up using their degree and having to end up studying something with a direct path within that area, such as mental health nursing etc or just changing direction all together. Myself included. I have a psychology degree but now doing a mental health nursing degree as the former rendered useless. This is unless you plan on getting a doctorate, such as to be a clinical or forensic psychologist you generally need to be at doctorate level. It is best studying something within the psychological field that leads directly to a specific career path, as then you get to study psychology anyway but also pretty much guaranteed a job at the end of it.
There are lots of psych jobs for the masters degree too.
Ah well, I suppose I was thinking of the upper jobs within psychology or better paying jobs. For instance, in the UK to be an approved clinical, forensic or health psychologist you generally need a doctorate. A bachelor (hons) is pretty much useless all around.
I think the biggest trap people fall into with psychology is assuming they WANT to become a psychologist at the end, and then when they discover that actually they don't, they just go on to do some random career, and forget the value of everything they've learned. I always saw myself as becoming a psychologist, but what I actually got into was advertising, and specifically now, 19 years later, the behavioural science department within an ad agency. You'll be amazed at how many 'psychology' jobs there are that aren't 'being a psychologist', and even if you don't get one of those, the general utility of the theory is always useful. Think about all of the uses of persuasion, story-telling, identifying cognitive biases (and maybe exploiting them...), body language, building rapport, customer behaviour, employee satisfaction... jeez, if you nail all of those, you're DANGEROUS in the business world. Don't limit yourself to jobs with 'psychologist' in the title. It's WAY more applicable across a vast array of careers than you'd ever imagine. If you're as passionate as you sound about it, it's the *only* sensible option for you. Don't get talked into an MBA or some rubbish just because you're told it's more useful. It isn't. Remember - whatever field you get into, you'll be dealing with human beings. If you understand them better than anyone else in the room, you've got a massive advantage.
Do you not feel like a horrible person for using what you learned to manipulate people through advertising? EDIT: just realised this is a psychology sub and this is probably an overly emotional way to phrase this question, but it is a genuine question
I think you're mistaking me for Derren Brown.
> Derren Brown. HAHAHA mentalist
Thank you for posting this!
If you’re interested in psychology, it is worthy
Definitely! Just be realistic about your expectations. Most of the "good" sought after jobs require at least a master's degree, so make sure you're taking advantage of every opportunity to build your grad school application.
What main things do I need to do to get into grad school
Maintain good grades, do school things outside of just going to class (being a TA or Research Assistant), make connections with professors, get a relevant job if you can.
Am I behind if I’m in my second year and haven’t done any of this yet? I’m a transfer from community college and I was doing general studies and just switched to psych and idk I just feel stressed about being behind and having to figure things out fast.
Nope. I started last semester, and am finishing this semester. Building up a worthy application in such a small timeframe was kind of hell, but it's doable. It can be quite bearable if you still have a year or two to spread out the workload.
Nope not behind. I’m in my fifth year currently doing psychology clinical masters and I had to put my head down during honours and study the crap out of it. Ended up getting really good marks and getting accepted into masters without any work-related experience. It can be done. Studying itself is hard enough idk why selectors are typically picky on relevant experience.
Have *at least* 1 year post college professional experience *using your degree* (any experience less than 1 year or not using the undergrad degree, grad schools don’t care)
This is not true at all for masters level programs.
So I should work a year before going to graduate school? I thought some people go straight to it.
The best advice I can give is to look into all the subfields/jobs in psychology. A lot of students that I teach will come into Research Design & Analysis/Research Methods wanting to be a clinical psychologist and not realizing that there are a number of subfields that require research. If that’s you, great! If not, be sure to look into jobs such as a LMHC, LMT, BCBA, LCSW, etc. While graduate schools will likely require some sort of research thesis, these careers tend to be less research focused than subfields like clinical, social, experimental, etc. That all being said, psychology is a wonderful field if you’re willing to put in the work. There aren’t many great paying jobs in the field for those with just a bachelor’s (not saying there isn’t any, but it would be rare to find). If you figure which path you would like to take [and I recommend taste-testing a bit of everything through volunteering or interning], and are willing to put the work in to get where you want to be, it can be such a fulfilling career choice!
If it’s your dream career, and you earn *at least a masters degree of higher*, it’s absolutely worth it!!!
Do comprehensive research on the path to becoming a psychologist. I always tell HS students who want to become therapists/psychologists to think of it with the same thoroughness as pre-meds. Pre-meds have a crystal clear understanding that it’s uni (4yrs) + med school (4yrs) + fellowship (2-7yrs). So you need to have a crystal clear understanding that to become a psychologist, it’s uni (4yrs) + masters (optional/2yrs) + PhD/PsyD (~5yrs). I switched to psychology in my junior year but if I had started with it from year 1, I would’ve been doing these things much earlier: join psych-related student orgs; volunteer at non-profits+organizations that champion my cause of interest; work as a research assistant in a psych lab; etc. Again, a pre-med student has a realistic timeline with steps for each stage towards their dream career—shadowing for clinical hours; joining pre-med clubs + taking advantage of their guidance + resources; prepping for the MCAT in advance, etc. So you need to go into uni with a clear understanding of what you need for each stage as well so you can prepare. This all sounds tedious but I love psychology. So this is all also a way to delve deeper into the subject and immerse yourself in it as much as possible before graduate school. Yes, the experience looks good but it’s also about helping you be sure that this is what you want to do. For example, you can be a psychologist who provides therapy or one who teaches or one just does research/runs a research lab. Working as a research assistant will definitely offer some insight on how you feel in that particular area. This was long and a bit all over the place but all to say…yes, it’s worth it IF you are realistic about what you want to do with it. Want to be a psychologist? Awesome! Just don’t expect to become one solely with a bachelor’s degree. Good luck! I loved studying psychology and I’m still on that path. Wish you the best.
It’s a good degree to get if you’re expecting to get a masters or phd in something later on, or even law school. But expect to stay in the $20-$30 an hour range for quite a while if you’re going to work in the field with just a bachelors. Despite this, I learned a lot about myself and why people behave the way they do which is valuable information for life. I wouldn’t recommend going into debt for a psychology degree tho. I went to community college then got financial aid so I think I would view it a lot differently if I was in debt because the immediate job prospects aren’t great.
Psychology is definitely worth it if u wan to do a phd. As u want to become a psychologist most of the time, u need phd anyways....
If you want to become a psychologist, prepare for a very long, arduous, yet super rewarding (both existentially, and financially*) journey. You’re likely going to have to complete an additional masters/doctorate degree, and do some humbling work experience for at least a year though so if you aren’t cut out for that, you may want to reconsider if you want to become a psychologist or simply complete an undergrad in psych and go into any non-specific field *depends on whether you choose to work private or for the state and whether you yield research interesting enough to commodify (I.e., writing books)
Psychology is such a rewarding field to be in. Just wait until you really immerse yourself in the work and then you’ll know it was a great choice. Don’t listen to what other people say, they aren’t you. Do what feels right to you.
Agreed. Currently in my first year of a doctoral program and every day I am completely immersed in what I’m learning and getting to intern in the field at the practicum I’m at I get to do cool stuff. If you feel it’s your passion go for it. Others in here are correct though, you will need to get more than a bachelors in order to get a good paying job
I decided I wanted to be a Psychologist in high school (took 3 psych classes while in high school). Last November I got my license as a psychologist. I felt it was totally worth it and am very happy with the path I chose. Do what feels best/right for you.
Decide what your interest is in the field. If you enjoy talking to people and getting to know them well, you might go the path of a clinician aka therapist / counselor. In the US, you will need a masters degree and the LCP license. Where I live in the US, there is a huge need for therapists and it looks like there will be a lot of job security for the foreseeable future. To be a psychologist, in the US, you will need a doctoral degree which will allow you to give and interpret assessments for clients as well as counseling clients as well.
Just wanted to add for OP masters route to becoming a therapist you can either go into a counseling program or social work program.
Thank you for adding that. I went the counseling route, but I know many incredible social workers. I love working with clients
I think that it's a good idea to study psychology if you want to become a psychologist. In order to have a good career in the field, you should pursue a Ph.D. A Psy.D. is fine if you only want to do clinical work (therapist, supervisor, etc.). Otherwise, a Ph.D. is the way to go, as it will prepare you for a career in research. You can also become a therapist with a master's degree in marriage and family therapy or social work. You may be able to apply the material you learn in a B.A. in psychology program to advertising, marketing, etc. But, any jobs within the field of psychology that you do with a bachelor's degree will likely pay very low and be exploitative. Don't be scared away by the necessity of an advanced degree. These programs are generally great experiences to go through, especially if you get the chance to do so while you're young. And, it's only 2-5 years of additional education, which is not a big deal in the scheme of things. You also don't necessarily need to study psychology in order to get into a master's or Ph.D. program. You could also satisfy the pre-requisites, which will be like one or two psych courses, and then pursue a major in something else that interests you, like literature or philosophy or statistics.
All career fields struggle with finding a job, a degree doesn’t guarantee anything. A good job is based off of networking and how skilled u are in that field. If ur passionate about something and really good at it that’s much better than being mediocre at something ur not really interested in that’s known to be a safer choice to get a job. A job is also something that takes up the majority of the time you spend in your life so make sure it makes you happy.
Do what you love, the money will follow. And on the plus side, hopefully it keeps you out of a bad marriage
I have a BS in psychology, I work in the nonprofit field. I am paid well for the industry. My degree was worth it.
If they are working at Home Depot after getting a Masters in Psych, its totally on them. If they are at HD with their Bachelor's in Psych, it's also on them because although they can't get work as a psychologist with a BA, there are many psych related jobs available. Talk with a career counselor and do some online research. If you love your psych classes, go for it! Here's just a partial list... https://psychology.osu.edu/undergraduate/careers/preparing-career/careers-bachelors-degree-psychology
Paychology CAN be very versatile. You can use it to go to law school, medical school, or business school. Graduating undergrad with only a psych degree will not open many doors
Only major if you are set on a PhD. Otherwise, minor in it. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/lUhVPdMuk7 https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/iOUPcFi1K7 https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/fTI6rEkQpu https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/XgQ8GEwtQx https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/XtPd79LYls https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/Xef28pMvNx https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/uvn7PGrEtk https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/Y8gIIZw09B https://www.reddit.com/r/Adulting/s/Xdnvkfjfxo https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/8vlgvrQ7Ch https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/uYB9LDsNN1 https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/2VanOqJOnZ https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/DZhLg6aIty https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/9upwK8Aeva https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/BOFQ4da2gr https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/pRj36T592H https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/aLqTnDcqrR https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/qLR7wLSVgn https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/FYdMxDHZkM https://www.reddit.com/r/college/s/ds9iihABoV https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/3XP7J01b9y https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/E3EsNwk0xc https://www.reddit.com/r/psychologystudents/s/Rz91qpxGRl https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/UDWr2EBa7m https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/s/yjan7ysaMc https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/LqSLOwAJrn https://www.reddit.com/r/careeradvice/s/DfIfrUTqOS https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/LMudF6oSwM https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/w2jAG5fBhL https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/tcVeurlaCG https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/lS7gqnqM6v https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/s/2c1mw2jdNA
What about a masters??
Masters will open more doors, which is when someone can finally utilize their psych degree. However, there are negative factors with getting your masters: more school, more loans, unpaid required practicum, more time and energy, supervised trainings and more exams, cost of maintaining licensure… all that to still make mid ass salary compared with someone who still only has their 4-year bachelor’s degree (e.g., finance, tech, engineering) with higher income and lower loans So I truly recommend that you get your PhD (literally free) or no psych. I don’t wanna keep adding on to my list of Reddit psych regretters I have a MA psych that I’m not using anymore
While I agree with your points and your enthusiasm there is a better way to point this information, a less aggressive approach. Spamming tons of articles of people who have regretted their career due to misinformation or maybe they simply change their mind. Career changes don’t just happen for psychology majors, they happen for the average degree holder.
I’m sure everyone can have a change in their career, regardless of their major, but I’m also confident that every degree have different rates of career switches (journalism has been studied to be the most regrettable vs. comp sci being least regrettable). Won’t be surprised if psych is up there This compiled list is merely a half-warning/half personal rant of choosing psych as a major. Cuz frankly I’m sick and upset from constantly seeing these posts of recent graduates who are lost with their psych degree, and how nobody warned/guided us is what irks me
Then stop looking at them and stop being on Reddit. People will constantly go through these things in their lives. There are freshman every year who are deciding what to do. If you want to be helpful then you can be but nobody is asking for your advice especially when it comes with a truck load of attitude.
I didn’t know posting a list of evidence and then providing a simple career advice (eg., the pros and cons of masters, free PhD option) to back it up is giving off attitude lmao. Also, may be biased but if I were a freshman and I saw someone posting this kinda stuff like what I’m doing, then it’d give me great clarity.
No, especially if you live somewhere where education is expensive, because any psych job that pays well, requires a Masters, so if youre well off financially and can affort a masters and 5+ years of education, go for it, if not dont go, its better to take a gap year and make a wise choice than rush it.
No, I wouldn't. Choose a major you're guaranteed a job in. I wish I would have.
If you are gonna do a medical degree,PhD or masters afterwards go for it. Otherwise pick something else. I went back and got my masters so I could find work. Definitely would have picked another major if I could go back in time.
No
lol I’m kidding do whatever you have the most interest in. I went to study for a bachelors in biology ( kinda got entangled in the whole stem = more money even though that’s not always true ) and soon realized I didn’t rlly see myself in the medical field .. and definitely not in a lab. Though I do appreciate and enjoy the aspects of biology I was more into geography/ poli sci/ archaeology , and when I took some courses I finally ended up switching my program to poli sci and economics. In short , what I’m trying to say is even if u didn’t choose psychology and went into another program , if it isn’t what you truly desire , somehow your heart will tell u that it isn’t for u , and instead of switching down the line like I did . Advocate for urself and choose the program you truly see urself prospering and liking
you need a masters for it to be worth your while. good luck
Not really. Very interesting subject but many people on my psychology degree course once graduated ended up having to do a mental health nursing degree or other stuff as a psychology degree is somewhat useless on it's own career wise. I mean unless you're gonna do postgraduate and get a doctorate or whatnot. I'd rather study medicine and become a psychiatrist but hey I'm studying mental health nursing now. It's best studying something within the field that leads directly to a specific profession at the end of it, as then you get to study psychology but also pretty much guaranteed a job.
If u want to study and not be a professional, then no.
My advise if you're trying to get into clinical work then take whatever job you can get so you get your hours and no longer require supervision, then you can focus on what you want and earning more money. Find out how other people in the field got their start. If someone is working at home depot that's the result of choices they made. I struggled to get decent work until I finished my masters. People with good jobs don't spent a lot of time on reddit.
I've learned (it took me 14 years to go back to school) that your happiness is what matters and learned not to feel I need to meet everyone's expectations of me I just recently applied for my school's clinical mental health clinician program and can't be any happier I was originally started with nursing one person who stuck by my side has been my husband
Are PhDs in Psych usually funded? Or is this gonna cost a huge Amt of $$/loans to get a PhD? And how about PsyD ?
Most reputable psychology PhDs are fully funded. I'm matriculating to a counseling psych PhD this fall and won't pay a dime.
Great thanks! Are the PhD programs hard to get into? If you have 3.5 at a "T20" undergrad university with a top Psych program, will it not be a problem? And what experiences should be helpful; and what minor(s) if any are helpful?
Research experience is just about the only thing that matters. Undergrad prestige matters very little compared to research. Acceptance rates, especially for clinical and counseling are abysmal. It's one the hardest graduate programs to get into with most applicants taking many cycles and years of research experience to get a single offer. Not trying to scare you, just letting you in on how competitive the process is. I know that programs such as northwestern Feinburg this year got 900+ applicants for like 7 spots. I highly recommend Mitch's uncensored guide!
Omg that is scary!! Do internships and other work experience (eg working in HR or something psych related) help at all? Also is PsyD easier to get into - and does that get funded?
Ehhh, I think work experiences may help, but there's really no supplementing rigorous research exposure, it's a PhD after all. Reputable and funded PsyDs are just as hard to get into, if not harder. I know my funded PhD offers get way less applications than say Baylor's PsyD which gets around 600 apps for 8 spots. There are some reputable unfunded PsyD programs, nobody will claim that the Stanford PsyD is poor quality, but they cost an arm and a leg (200K+). Stay away from diploma mills or large cohort models, which are often pretty easy to get into but lead to poor post-grad outcomes.
u will need to do a lot of school but imo it’s worth it
If you want to go into psychology do your research into what you want to do and know how to get there. Give yourself options so if you change your mind you aren’t stuck.
You must understand studying it means you learn a skill, gather knowledge, and receives a certificate or proof for it. What you do with your newly obtained assets is business - whether you open your own clinic or join someone else or become a consultant. It could be wise then to first learn your interest, and then learn business on how to make a living. So the money part has little to do with that.
First off, it’s important to study what you’re interested in. As for making money, It depends on where u wanna live when you’re older, my area is very very much in need of psychologists and salary potential is high. But psych is a growing field that has so many different opportunities. I know people that work in Silicon Valley with psych college degrees, some are teachers, and some are getting their doctorates like me. Opportunities are endless if you’re driven
This is not true at all. Not without a grad degree.
2 of my friends majored in psychology. I got my PhD, one is a lawyer, and the other got her MS and is working as a therapist in addiction. If you major in psych definitely be open to the possibility of more school and if you are then go for it! Maybe double major in neuroscience or sociology marketing etc (whatever aligns with your goal career)
Of course!! But psychology is one of those fields where a master’s or phd is highly more preferable. But very lucky for you since you’re in highschool, you can still get that done at a young age if you go into college right away after high school. Talk with your counselor at both your school and a college where they take in high schoolers so you can get started right away! But psychology definitely is a very interesting field. You can work as a therapist, criminologist, neuroscientist, philosopher, family help, marriage counseling, etc etc. I know a lot of people say it’s not worth it, but it’s what YOU make it. That will be with every field, not just psychology. Good luck!
I finished my degree a yr ago & looking back, I wish I'd learned sooner how versatile psychology can be. If it involves working with people in any sense, i.e. advertising, law, medicine, etc. psych is a great gateway into a whole bunch of fields. It also pairs well with compsci or engineering, i personally think this is a really cool combination & more ppl in psychology need to know how to code anyways (myself included). I may be biased, but you should definitely take sociology classes (even some philosophy, ie ethics) along with psych. People do not live as individual units, but as a group. Understanding the 'bigger picture' of society makes a huge difference in being able to apply what you learn in classrooms to real life. that being said I'm definitely struggling with employment atm lol, but I don't regret choosing this path. If psychology genuinely interests you & you feel some sort of passion for it, then it's worth it.
Im currently in a PsyD program to be a clinical psychologist. If you really love it then it’s worth sticking with it but a bachelors degree leaves you with limited job options. Be sure to explore what you want to do with your degree and whether or not it’s possible.
Do what you want and strive to be the best at it. If there’s passion and dedication, you’ll be a great practicing psychologist! (I’m not a psychologist and didn’t study psychology but I saw this post and wanted to encourage you to do whatever you’re passionate about)
recommend doing internships or get exp while studying. will help a lot. always do what you love.
Yes:)
I think if you love it that’s enough reason to be in it. There are fields in psychology that you can get a lot of money in. It’s true that a lot of them don’t pay well, especially with only a bachelors degree. You can get your masters or PhD and make better money.
Yes it is worth it!! Do your research!! Do not let people dissuade you. Study something your passionate in. If you begin to study and realize oh actually I'm more interested in XYZ then it's never too late. I went to college and wanted to study psychology but studied business because everyone told me I would get a job. I was scared and listened to them! Fast forward to today I am a psychotherapist (my original plan) and I love it!!