Bachelor’s Degrees

When someone generally mentions “a college degree,” they are often referring to the bachelor’s degree, or baccalaureate degree. Because it takes four years of full-time attendance to complete a bachelor’s degree, this degree is also referred to as a “four-year degree.” To enter a bachelor’s degree program a student must have completed a high school diploma or its equivalent. Both associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees are considered undergraduate degrees, thus students working toward these degrees are often called undergraduates. A student with an associate’s degree may transfer that degree to meet some (usually half) of the requirements of a bachelor’s degree; however, completion of an associate’s degree is not necessary for entry into a bachelor’s degree program.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) are the most popular degree titles at this level and differ primarily in their focus on exploring a broader range of subject areas. At CSU Pueblo, a BA requires more courses related to languages, while a BS requires more courses focused on science and math. Regardless of whether a student is pursuing a BA or BS, each of these programs requires a balance of credits or courses in different subject areas (CSU Pueblo, n.d.). In upcoming chapters, we will go more in depth on the typical requirements for a Bachelor’s degree – both in general and for psychology majors specifically.

Graduate Degrees

Graduate degrees in psychology can be divided into two categories – Master’s degrees and doctoral degrees. While earning a doctoral degree in psychology is a lengthy process, usually taking between 5–7 years of graduate study (Lin et al., 2017), there are a number of careers that can be attained with a master’s degree in psychology, which takes 2-3 years of graduate study.

Master’s Degree

A master’s degree is an excellent option for people who wish to provide psychotherapy, as it can lead to being licensed to serve as various types of professional counselors (Hoffman, 2012). Master’s degrees are also good for individuals seeking careers as school psychologists (National Association of School Psychologists, n.d.), in some capacities related to sport psychology (American Psychological Association, 2014), or as consultants in various industrial settings (Landers, 2011).

Doctorate Degrees

Literally, PhD refers to a doctor of philosophy degree, but here, philosophy does not refer to the field of philosophy per se. Rather, philosophy in this context refers to many different disciplinary perspectives that would be housed in a traditional college of liberal arts and sciences.

The PhD in psychology is a research-focused degree with specializations in all areas of psychology. For practice-based fields, such as clinical or counseling psychology, a PhD combines training in research with training in the professional practice of clinical/counseling psychology.

Individuals who wish to become practicing clinical psychologists have another option for earning a doctoral degree, which is known as a PsyD. A PsyD is a Doctor of Psychology degree that is increasingly popular among individuals interested in pursuing careers in clinical psychology. PsyD programs generally place less emphasis on research-oriented skills and focus more on application of psychological principles in the clinical context (Norcross & Castle, 2002). We will cover more information on graduate programs and how to apply in the last chapter of this text.