Weddingbee boards

i have a BA in psych and government - i work for the government in a position that allows me also to use the psych degree.

it really depends on where you see yourself after you graduate - what is your end goal.

if you want to be a psychiatrist or psychologist, you have to go full monty to make money or have folks take you seriously.

however, psych is so versatile  - you use the skills you learn in a psych degree in pretty much any job you have as long as you deal with people. it helps IMMENSELY.

I got my BA in Psychology and worked in a behavioral neuroscience lab at a major research university for three years after graduation. Research can definitely be a great way to boost your resume. It doesn't pay a ton, but it usually comes with a salary and good benefits. There's a lot of clinical research at universities too! It's a great post-college job before you decide what kind of further education you want. I decided to become a doctor (perhaps a psychiatrist? undecided at this point) and applied to medical school after my 2nd post-college year.

I have a BA in psych and in criminology.  I decided to get a masters in criminology first because I really want to do forensic psychology and use both fields.  Like others have said, PhD programs usually offer more funding and are the first to get jobs over PsyD's.  If you don't know 100% what you want specifically or you want some back ups to getting into a Clinical PhD program, I'd suggest you apply to a few masters programs.  There are schools that offer masters degrees in Clinical psych, I applied to one at the University of Tulsa.  Good luck!

I have a BA in psychology and an MA in counseling. I do not really use either degree in my current job, where I am an editor of psychological scholarly research (I had an English background as well). It's nice to work with psychology, and I don't think I'll do this forever, but for now it is a good fit.

My advice would be to try to get at least 1 year of real-world experience before continuing on to postgraduate degrees. If you intend to be a clinician you will need to get another degree eventually, but work experience will allow you to make sure the field you have chosen is really the best fit for you and it will make your applications to schools really strong. A friend of mine is currently getting her PhD in psychology and the feedback she received from schools was that they expressly didn't want students straight out of undergrad, especially if they were from the same university as the grad program.

I went for my MA straight out of undergrad and ultimately it was a mistake, as the field I chose was not a good fit for my personality, and the interpersonal drama and politics at the school itself made for a hostile experience. I was also talked out of applying to any PsyD programs as people told me that those in the field regarded the degree as second rate compared to a PhD. Even though a PhD has a research emphasis that is not necessarily relevant to clinical work, you will probably get funded (whereas a PsyD you have to pay for) and have an easier time getting a job with one once you're done, so in the long-term it is a better financial decision.

Psychology is a great field and there are lots of opportunties in it; however, it is the most popular major at most universities, so it is not a surprise that many people who major in it do not go onto jobs in the field, though who can say if that is by choice. I think psychology prepares you to work well with people no matter what context you're in. Don't tie yourself to things that are explicitly "psychology"--- just find something you enjoy, and then get the credentials necessary to do that thing, ideally without having to pay too much for them. Good luck :)