DEGREE OPTIONS

Types of advanced degrees you can obtain:

B.A. /B.S.

Masters

MSW/DSW

PsyD

PhD

Four year degree

Definition:

Undergraduate degree at a four year institution that prepares you for entry level jobs within specific fields of study.

Note the major difference between the two degrees is that with a B.S. degree one generally takes more classes in psychology as opposed to general arts classes with a B.A. B.S. degree is more specialized in the psychology field.

B.A/B.S.

A B.A stands for a Bachelor of Arts. Meaning in the humanities and social sciences. A B.S. stands for a Bachelor of Science, meaning in scientific and technical fields. There is basically no difference between the two and any job or graduate school would be satisfied with either. However, a B.S. allows you to take more psychology classes than the B.A.

• It is also important to note that most people with a Bachelors in psychology do not work directly in the field.

Jobs available with B.A. or B.S.

For more information on other available jobs with B.A./B.S. click here

Master’s Degree

***Generally takes two (2) years to complete***

Definition:An academic degree conferred by a college or university upon those who complete at least one year of prescribed study beyond the bachelor's degree.

Note: A master’s degree program can vary in depth and difficulty of what you learn, but a good master’s program can be as demanding and rewarding as a doctoral study.

Note: When participating in a Master’s program, study is focused around a specific field of psychology. For example, one would focus on school psychology, clinical psychology, or industrial/organizational psychology.

Jobs available with a Master’s Degree

For more information on jobs available with a Master’s Degree: click here

Advantages of a Master’s Degree:

M.S.W. (Master’s of Social Work)

***Average time two (2) years***

Definition:

A specific program within the Master’s Degree. Note that NOT all graduate schools have a M.S.W. program. Often specific graduate schools offer master’s program within the field of social work. This degree is known as the M.S.W. The M.S.W. offers many options that a PhD will; however, the M.S.W. does not take as long to achieve and may not guarantee the same salary level as a PhD.

Advantages of a M.S.W.:

• A M.S.W. from an accredited social work program qualifies the graduate for licensure or certification as a social worker throughout the U.S.
• Clinical social workers are trained to diagnose and treat psychological problems; however, they do not do psychological testing as a school psychologist would do.
• Psychiatric social workers provide services to individuals, families, and small groups.
• They work in mental health centers, counseling centers, sheltered workshops, hospitals, and schools.
• Note--After obtaining a M.S.W. degree, gaining field experience, and completing the procedures needed in order to become licensed, one may open his/her own private practice. One will be eligible for licensure in all 50 states with a M.S.W. degree.

For more information on the M.S.W. degree: click here

D.S.W. (Doctor's Of Social Work)

• The DSW is a Doctorate in Social Work
• Takes between 2 and 4 years to complete after the MSW
• It is earned by people looking to make a total shift from practice into teaching/academia
• Holders of a DSW often become social work professors
• Like all doctoral degrees, you must complete dissertations, which are usually extensive research projects that take more than a year to complete
• DSW programs are typically two years in length and include course work in human growth and development, social policies and programs, methods of practice, and social research.
• A DSW is basically the same as a Ph. D in many aspects and often the title you receive is determined by the school attended

Ph.D. (Doctorate of Philosophy)

***Time to complete degree differs based on amount of previous education and what specific program one decides to study***

Ph D.

• Stands for Dr. of Philosophy
• Allows you to practice psychology
• A Ph D. in Psychology often focuses on research and methodology training
• With a Ph D. in Psychology one can find employment at universities, medical centers, mental health centers and in industry and government.
• Work in Ph D. programs contains research projects and research oriented courses. So if you don’t like research, you may want to consider a different program.
• It usually takes a full time student 3-4 years to complete a thesis.
• The average acceptance rate to a Ph. D. program is 11-15 %

&

Psy.D. (Doctorate of Psychology)

***The Psy.D. degree can offer you all that a Ph.D. can; however, the focus is on clinical work as opposed to research***

Jobs available with Ph.D./Psy.D. degree:

Career opportunities are abundant and endless with a Ph.D. or Psy.D. Most people gear towards either working in a clinical environment, research lab, industrial type settings, or education at the college level.

Psy D.

• Alternative training model to the Ph. D.
• Stands for Doctor of Psychology
• If the Ph. D. leads to a career with more of a scientist role, the Psy. D. would lead to more of a practitioner role.
• The focus in these programs is directed more towards clinical practice than research.
• Because there is less emphasis on research, the Psy D. usually takes about 1-1 ½ years less than the Ph D. to earn.
• Admission to a Psy D. program is usually easier than to a Ph D. program, with an average acceptance rate of 40-41%
• Some drawbacks however, are that there are still many stereotypes about the Psy D. and many Ph. D holders in the field look down on it. Also because of the lack of research, there is also a lack of funding, so Psy D programs are often more expensive than Ph D programs.