Additional Information
Licensed clinical or child psychologists need to have a doctoral degree.
Those with a PhD qualify for a wide range of teaching, research, clinical
and counseling positions. They work in universities, elementary and secondary
schools, private industry, and government.
You can find work helping kids if you only have a bachelor's or master's
degree in psychology. But a PhD is required to use the title of psychologist.
"You can certainly get a job working with kids in a mental health clinic
as long as you're supervised by a licensed person," says psychologist Robert
Naseef. "So somebody doesn't have to think that they need a PhD to work around
kids with psychological problems, but they won't be a psychotherapist until
they get a license, which for psychology is only at the doctoral level."
A bachelor's degree in psychology qualifies a person to assist psychologists
and other professionals in community mental health centers, vocational rehabilitation
offices and correctional programs. However, without additional academic training
their opportunities in psychology are very limited.
Competition for admission into graduate programs is fierce. Some universities
require an undergraduate major in psychology. Others require only basic psychology
with courses in the biological, physical and social sciences, statistics and
mathematics. The American Psychological Association (APA) accredits doctoral
training programs in psychology.
Psychologists with their own practice must meet certification or licensing
requirements. Licensing laws vary by state and position.