Psychology unit 8 discussion responses

1. After doing my undergraduate in clinical psychology, you have to go for 2 years of master's course and internship work to become a practicing clinical psychologist.

Here are some of the topics you will learn and research here:

The base of psychology, various research methods, personal development, critical thinking skills, ethical behavior, and cultural awareness.

Type of careers that these degrees lead to are:

A counselor or therapist

A forensic psychologist

Rehabilitation Counselor

School and Career Counselor

2. A degree that psychologist often pursue is a PsyD (doctor of psychology).This degree is ideal for all individuals who are interested on hands on and the practice of psychology directly .With a PsyD you can look into several careers within the field of psychology.This degree helps individuals pursue a career in social work, counselor,clinical,forensic, and school psychologist. This degree helps individuals prepare for all these fields listed above because it focuses on clinical and allows students to practice in a large clinical area directly with patients which is what will be done within all these fields in reference to direct contact.These professions of psychologist in comparison to a regular Phd require less time.

3. Psychology majors pursue Master’s degrees mainly because there are many things that a Master’s degree can do over a doctoral degree. For example, some master’s programs offer terminal degrees. Terminal degrees are considered for those pursuing a PhD or doctorate, but also considered for masters programs if the field of specialty does not offer a degree beyond the masters. One must be mindful of how long it actually takes to get a their degree of choice as a doctoral degree not only takes longer but is more expensive than a Master’s degree. For example, things one should consider is if they are willing to put their families on the back burner while they pursue their dreams. This can be particularly difficult when you have children. A Master’s Degree consists either a Master’s of Art (M.A.), which focuses more on liberal arts or Master’s of Science (M.S.), which focuses more on research and science. Social work, mental health counseling, and forensic psychology are a few career paths some psychologist pursue. A Master’s degree would prepare people in the aforementioned above by allowing one to select the population they want to work with. For example, mental health counselors can be task specific, which will allow them to determine if they would like to work with adults or children.  

4. A degree that I would pursue after getting a bachelor’s degree would be my master’s degree.  There are five different areas that people can be eligible to do with a master’s degree in psychology which are teaching, management, leadership and consulting positions, counseling, school psychology and data management and analysis positions (Kuther, 2016).  To obtain a master’s degree will only typically require another two years of schooling and is less financially wise than those going to get their doctoral degree.  The master’s degree that I would personally be going for would be counseling which on top of the 2 years of schooling also includes 600 hours of clinical experience during your education (Kuther, 2016). With this degree I may also be required to gain licensing and certification also.   With a counseling master’s degree, you can work with patients in schools, colleges, rehabilitation programs, private practice, etc. (Kuther, 2016).  With this degree I personally will be looking to work in a practice that specializes in drug and alcohol addiction and become a drug counselor/therapist.  

5. One specific type of graduate degree that psychology majors often pursue is either an MA (Master of Arts focusing on psychological theories and applications) or an MS (Master of Science focusing on coursework focusing on collections of data and analysis) in Psychology.  Although I would prefer to get a MS due to my interest of data and analysis, either of these types of degrees can prepare someone in this field for a career in Developmental Services Worker, Family Services Worker, Guidance Counselor, Mental Health Care Coordinator, Rehab Officer or a Research Coordinator to name a few.  This degree helps prepare you for and show that you have specialized knowledge, dedication and expertise in the field and it makes you more competitive than others.