Psychology Degrees

Those who want to make the field of psychology their focus in a career have a number of paths they can take. Along this path they will find that there are many psychology degrees available, starting with a bachelor's degree. This first step in entering the psychology career involves a liberal arts education with an emphasis on psychology courses in the clinical, experimental, developmental and social areas, among others.

After the bachelor's degree, one may want to move forward with a master's degree. Masters level degrees include getting a MA (Master of Arts), MS (Master of Science) and MSW (Masters in Clinical Social Work). An MA usually focuses more on the theoretical aspects of psychology, while the MS focuses on empirical study.

But psychology degrees go even further. The PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in psychology offers concentrated study in many different fields like social psychology, experimental psychology or clinical psychology. Those pursuing a PhD study both the theoretical and applied aspects and the empirical research approach to psychology.

One can also get an Ed.D (Doctor of Education) to further a career in psychology. This type of degree focuses on counseling and developmental psychology, and it is useful for careers in mental health and teaching. And a newer offering is the Psy.D (Doctor of Psychology) degree which is directed toward those who want to limit their careers to the practice of psychology. Psychology degrees are offered at all levels and for all disciplines of psychology.