Clinical psychologists are highly trained individuals who have extensive education. A bachelors degree is not enough to qualify for entry into the field. Candidates must have at least a masters degree and preferably a doctoral degree. Competition to get into the best graduate programs is quite stiff, and many have high rejection rates.
Available Degrees
A masters degree is the lowest-level degree that qualifies someone to work in a clinical psychology setting. Many U.S. schools offer graduate programs specifically in clinical psychology that result in a Master of Science or Master of Arts degree. Most of these programs take about three years to complete and require between 48 and 84 credit hours.
Students in a masters program do not usually emphasize research and instead focus on theory and treatment of psychological issues. Many schools require students to undergo personal psychotherapy. They must also complete a supervised internship in the field.
A typical curriculum for a masters degree requires multiple courses in counseling and therapy. Courses in diversity, personality theory, testing and psychopathology are also required. The number and type of required courses varies from school to school and state to state. Each state has laws that specify what courses a psychologist must have taken to qualify for licensure.
Completing a degree qualifies one to enter the clinical psychology field as a counselor. Graduates are also qualified to enter a doctoral program.
Two doctoral degrees are available in the clinical psychology field. One is a doctor of philosophy, or PhD, and the other is a doctor of psychology, or PsyD. About half of all clinical psychologists hold the PhD and the other half have a PsyD.
It usually takes between five and seven years to complete a doctoral program. Programs that lead to the PhD tend to focus more on research while those that lead to a PsyD emphasize practice. The number of credit hours required ranges from 90-120.
Students are required to take more coursework in psychology and to participate in a research program with a faculty advisor. Many schools require students to undergo personal psychotherapy. A one year internship is also required.
Students must pass a set of comprehensive exams at the end of the program. They must also write and successfully defend a dissertation on their research topic. Many states require a psychologist to complete up to 3,000 hours of additional supervised training after completion of the doctoral degree before he or she can obtain a license to practice.
Program Requirements
Masters program candidates must have a bachelors degree with a suitable undergraduate GPA. They must have taken at least one course in psychology, preferably more. They are often required to have taken a course in statistics. Most students planning careers in clinical psychology major in psychology as an undergraduate, but this is not required. Candidates must also take and receive a suitable score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) before they will be admitted.
Doctoral programs, on the other hand, are extremely competitive. Acceptance rates can be as low as two percent. Some programs require candidates to hold a masters degree, while others will accept students who have only completed a bachelors. Requirements vary by program, but most require extremely high grades and good test scores.
Students who wish to apply for a doctoral program must complete an extensive application process. They have to submit numerous forms, including the application itself, transcripts from every university they have attended, GRE scores, a curriculum vitae, letters of recommendation and one or more personal essays. Many schools require candidates to undergo one or more interviews.
Statistics
Job openings in the field of clinical psychology are expected to increase by about 12% between 2011 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are more openings for those who hold a doctoral degree than a masters, and this is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Those who hold a masters degree can expect to face stiff competition in the job market.
The majority of clinical psychology students have to borrow money to attend school. The mean debt for those enrolled in a doctoral program now tops $80,000, though almost half owe more than $100,000.
Clinical psychologists work in a variety of settings. Almost one-quarter are self-employed in private practice. A full one-third are employed at colleges or universities, and the remainder work for government, industry, school systems and non-profits.
In 2009, the mean salary for a clinical psychologist ranged from $50,210 to $85,270, but could top out above $170,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those with doctoral degrees who worked in industry or private practice made more than those who worked for non-profits or school systems. They also made much more than those who only had a masters degree.