Graduate School
In general, opportunities for Psychology majors can be split into three different paths when it comes to graduate degrees.
Psychology majors may opt to get a master’s degree, this is usually in a field such as Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Social Work. Psychology majors can also go on to get a doctoral degree in a psychology subdiscipline like Clinical Psychology or Social Psychology. Finally, Psychology majors can also go on to pursue graduate education in fields other than Psychology such as other social sciences, law, higher education administration, and many more.
Masters-Level Education
At the master’s-level, most Psychology majors go into fields related to the discipline of psychology such as counseling or social work. Students interested in pursuing a master’s degree are encouraged to research programs and speak with academic or faculty advisors regularly throughout their search. Unlike doctoral degrees, master’s degrees tend not to be funded and can be very expensive, however, many schools offer Graduate Assistantships which usually allow masters students to take on jobs at the university in exchange for tuition coverage and a stipend.
We encourage you to look at the links below but please note that, although we vet the websites featured on this page, they are tools and the information from them is meant to help students explore potential options, not serve as guides.
- What Masters Degree Can I Get with a Bachelors in Psychology?
- Psychology Jobs (this website is primarily doctoral degree-level jobs but some masters-level and allows you to search career types and learn about the typical responsibilities, pay, degree-required etc.)
- What do people wish they knew before earning their Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling?
- What I Wish I Knew in Grad School: Current and Former Students Share 16 Tips
- What do Expect from a Master’s in Counseling Program
- 5 Things I wish I knew before becoming a social worker
- Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing FAQ – APNA
Doctoral Degrees
There are several doctoral degree paths in psychology. For students interested in the treatment of mental health disorders, there is a Clinical and/or Counseling Ph.D. or Psy.D. There are also experimental or “psych sciences” subdisciplines which include social psychology, health psychology, industrial-organizational psychology and more, and some students pursue medical degrees to become psychiatrists or other medical doctors.
Students interested in pursuing a doctoral degree are encouraged to research programs and speak with academic or faculty advisors regularly throughout their search. Additionally, students interested in medicine are encouraged to speak with a pre-med advisor and learn more about the Pre-Medicine Committee.
Please note that, although we vet the websites featured on this page, they are tools and the information from them is meant to help students explore potential options, not serve as guides.
- Psychology Jobs
- Applying to Graduate School – APA
- Graduate and Postgraduate Education – APA
- Are you on the right path? – APA
- Psychology Subfields – APA
- Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
- Choosing a Career in Psychiatry
- Applying to psychology Ph.D. programs
- 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before applying For a PhD
- 8 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Psychology Graduate Program
- Getting a Ph.D. in Psychology (also includes information on Psy.D.s)
- Search for Accredited Programs – APA
- Association for Psychological Science
- Social Psychology Network
Non-Psychology Graduate Degrees
Psychology majors can also pursue graduate education in a number of non-Psychology fields like nursing, law, business, and more.
We encourage you to look at the links below but please note that, although we vet the websites featured on this page, they are tools and the information from them is meant to help students explore potential options, not serve as guides.
- Applying to Law School – LSAC
- What is a PA – AAPA
- 6 Steps to Become a PA
- 10 things I Wish I Knew Before Starting an MBA
- How to Become an Occupational Therapist
- How to Become a Higher Education Administrator (and the different careers in higher education administration)