In today’s stressful society, it is not uncommon for students and professionals to develop psychological issues. In fact, 56% of adults aged 18 to 34 and 48% of people aged 35 to 44 are utterly overwhelmed by stress (American Psychological Association, 2022). Students planning to take up psychology can help address this problem and advocate for ways to reduce stress. However, they might be confronted with one question: How long does it take to get a psychology degree?
It takes a tremendous amount of compassion and years of effort to pursue psychology. Though for students who wish to nurture a mentally safe environment, all that hard work will yield beneficial results. At a time when various troubles bombard the world, it is relevant to consider just how much psychology degrees matter.
In this guide, our team dissects how long it takes to become a psychologist. We also tackle pertinent details, such as psychology degree requirements, costs, and job outlook to help students gain the best source of information.
Mental health awareness and wellness have long been hot topics for debate. However, as Millennials and Gen Zers populate the workforce, there is more space to talk freely about psychological issues. While Millennials are open to talking about mental health, eliminating the stigma, and also getting the psychological help they need, their generational successors talk about and regard it more organically. A study shows that 87% of Gen Zers are more open to talking about mental health (Harmony Healthcare IT, 2022), and other reports demonstrate similar results.
Furthermore, the current state of the world exacerbates the mental well-being of the younger workforce. In fact, 46% of Gen Zers and 45% of Millennials felt burnt out because of immense workloads (Deloitte, 2022). Therefore, it is important for soon-to-be psychology degree takers to realize just how much they can contribute to society.
Similar to any degree in health services, getting a degree in psychology entails rigorous studying, researching, and training. On average, students may spend time on their education for 12 to 14 years before becoming licensed clinical psychologists (Cherry, 2022). While it may seem daunting, students who have a passion for helping others can benefit most from getting this degree.
In 2020, a total of 183,794 students were awarded degrees in psychology (Data USA, n.d.). Students who take this program learn about human behavior, social psychology, and child development. They are also exposed to internships or practicums that help them analyze how theories in psychology are applied in real-world situations. In addition, online learning during the pandemic has pushed educators to further improve learning psychology up to post-graduate programs with online psychology masters and a doctorate degree in psychology online.
For instance, a study by Bell et al. (2020) called “Health Service Psychology Education and Training in the Time of COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities,” states that “Multisite online learning collaboratives could provide an efficient way for trainees to attain discipline-specific knowledge or receive specialized training not available at their home programs. Indeed, considering opportunities for engagement with students in colleagues in other institutions, and even other countries, would expand access to diversity of thought and experience in ways previously unseen in HSP (Health Service Psychology) education and training.”
Furthermore, their work in American Psychologist suggests that “the COVID-19 pandemic also brings the opportunity to advance and even transform HSP education and training. The discipline can choose to embrace and extend the benefits of incremental change hastened by necessity, and to capitalize upon the opportunity to critically examine and redesign long-standing education and training practices.”
With these in mind, students who wish to take up psychology might find that the skills and knowledge they will pick up in their studies will be more than useful and even adaptable in a post-pandemic scenario and perhaps can even be used in different fields other than psychology.
In this section, we detail key psychology requirements that affect how long it takes to become a psychologist. The data we gathered consist of the types of degrees, time to completion, number of units needed to graduate, estimated tuition cost per year, and a brief description of the degree. This information was compiled from College Tuition Compare and various university databases.
Associate degrees are usually offered to students who wish to get a job right out of high school. An associate degree in psychology concentrates on the absolute basics and foundations of the discipline, such as developmental, transformational, behavioral, and relational psychologies. In addition, courses in general education will also have to be taken. Moreover, students with this degree can start off as youth counselors, human service assistants, or case technicians.
Bachelor’s degrees in psychology generally prepare students to become licensed psychologists. Topics tackle more lessons both in psychology and general education. Some courses that students might encounter are statistics, biology, applied psychology, counseling psychology, therapy dynamics, and the core theories in psychology. Graduates with this degree can be teachers, human resources specialists, social workers, or correction officers. Furthermore, the average bachelor’s degree years are four.
Source: College Tuition Compare, 2022
Getting a master’s degree can also aid students in becoming licensed or certified psychologists. Learners can hone their skills by choosing a field of specialization. They will encounter topics about research design, personality theories, advanced statistics, and affective neuroscience, and they will also undergo an internship program. Graduates can be program coordinators or trainers, mental health therapists, and guidance counselors.
Obtaining a doctoral degree entails that students become competent in their chosen area of specialization by focusing on the specific skills and application of theories during their studies. They will learn about behavior, personnel psychology, clinical ethics, and neuroanatomy. In addition, a dissertation and at least 1,500 hours of practicum are also required coursework. Graduates can work as clinical psychologists, professors, psychology consultants, or therapists.
After finishing studies in psychology, students must also accomplish post-doctoral training under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. This can take one to two and a half years, and only then are they eligible to obtain licensure in specific fields. Moreover, there are other factors that could affect the time to degree or licensure.
Usually, degrees taken online are much shorter than degrees taken from brick-and-mortar institutions. This is because schools that offer online degrees enable students to transfer a sizeable amount of credits. In fact, 69% of online students wish to enroll in programs with fast time-to-degrees (Capranos, Dyers, & Magda, 2022). Moreover, institutions that offer online accelerated bachelor’s programs expedite students’ transition to acquiring a master’s degree.
You could take child psychology degrees or even forensic psychology programs, but regardless of what you choose, you will eventually take specialization courses, which then entail additional credit hours, thus affecting your time to completion.
For instance, a Ph.D. in school psychology in some schools requires at least 137 credits completed within five to six years. Meanwhile, a doctoral degree in industrial-organizational psychology needs a minimum of 70 credits that can be accomplished in two to three years. Additionally, postsecondary institutions’ curriculum designs can alter the time to degree, so it is important for students to consider which field of psychology they will pursue.
The types of degrees can also affect students’ educational timelines. Both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the arts (BA/MA) and sciences (BS/MS) take around the same number of years to complete. However, BA and MA focus more on social psychology, theories, and principles while BS and MS concentrate on clinical psychology research and statistical analysis. Furthermore, getting a degree in doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) means doing more and longer research work while a doctor of psychology (Psy.D.) entails more clinical and counseling training in less time (All Psychology Schools, n.d.). The average PhD vs PsyD salary is comparable, with both tracks leading to rewarding careers.
The requirements for licensure in psychology vary by state and area of specialization. However, the most common qualifications include getting a doctorate in psychology from a school or program that is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or by the National Association for School Psychologists (NASP), completing supervised post-doctoral training hours, and passing the licensure examination. In 2021, there was a total of 65,400 clinical and counseling psychologists and a sum of 57,900 school psychologists in the United States (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022).
Professionals may also consider becoming certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology or the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology. These award additional expertise and credibility to professionals and entail that they have met the standards required of their profession.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022
A common question of inquisitive parties is “Is a psychology degree worth it?” It sure is. After all, there are so many things you can do with a psychology degree apart from the usual counseling. Our team identifies three main reasons that explain why getting this degree will be beneficial in the long run.
Psychologists will see a steady job outlook with a projected employment increase of 6% from 2021 to 2031 (BLS, 2022). Additionally, at the height of the pandemic, there was a 25% increase in anxiety and depression prevalence globally (World Health Organization, 2022), causing the demand for psychologists and mental health services to spike. Furthermore, as younger professionals, like Gen Zers and Millennials, advocate for mental health services in schools and in the workplace, the role of psychologists will continue to serve a higher purpose in a post-pandemic setting.
Psychologists are working on advancements in treatment, research, and analytics due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the advancement in technology. For instance, telehealth is seen as a beneficial way of reaching patients. Psychologists can also use big data to potentially improve counseling and treatment by gathering and analyzing huge amounts of survey results (Spiner, 2022). This means that budding or prospective psychologists have other opportunities to explore apart from the conventional branches of psychology.
So how much does a psychologist make? The estimated total wage of psychologists is $85,581 (Glassdoor, 2022). Moreover, different types of psychologists show a salary range between $48,520 to $105,310 per year (BLS, 2022). Company benefits, private practice, and field of employment can also affect the annual wages of psychologists. While salary does not define their absolute success, this reassures potential degree takers that the financial return on investment will eventually make up for what they spent on studying and training.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022; Glassdoor, 2022
In this guide, our Research.com team answered the question, “how long does it take to get a psychology degree?” to provide potential students with a reliable source of information. We identified the estimated costs and types of degrees, as well as factors and opportunities that might make or break their decisions. As student stress and employee burnout continue to prevail among Gen Zers and Millennials, the role of psychologists in mental well-being proves to be even more significant than ever.
Becoming a psychologist does not happen overnight. In fact, it requires years of studying and training. However, their years of studying and practical experience help not only their patients but also the public. They become compassionate professionals who nurture safe spaces for conversations on psychological issues, and they develop into responsible clinicians who can help everyone understand that mental health problems are real problems.
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by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
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