January 8, 2010, Newsletter Issue #152: How to Become a Psychologist

Tip of the Week

Figuring out how to become a psychologist is the simple part of the equation. The more difficult part is actually completing all of the requirements. Becoming a psychologist will require approximately 5-7 years of graduate work as well as the completion of a doctoral dissertation. Graduate school students are typically required to earn a bachelors degree as a prerequisite to graduate school but it is not always required for this undergraduate degree to be in psychology.

Once a student gains admission into graduate school they will need to earn a masters degree and a doctoral degree to become a psychologist. This will require approximately 5-7 years of fulltime coursework to achieve these degrees. Even after the student managers to earn a doctoral degree in psychology such as a PhD or a PsyD, he is not always eligible to practice as a psychologist just yet. This is because many states have additional licensing requirements which require applicants to pass one or more standardized tests. These examinations are typically not easy and often have high failure rates. Once a graduate completes all of the educational and licensure requirements of a particular state, they are eligible to practice as a psychologist in that particular state.

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