The terminal degree of Psychology is a Ph.D. or Psy.D., which means if you want to become a licensed clinical psychologist, you almost always need a doctorate. However, you do not need to wait until then to start work!
With an Associate’s Degree in Psychology, graduates can gain employment and experience in the following careers, according to psychologydegree411.com. In these entry-level, “stepping-stone” positions, you work for those with higher degrees: administrative assistant, family advocate, crisis intervention counselor, child development worker, police officer, psychology aide or assistant, psychology technician, research associate, social work assistant, staff clinician, youth counselor.
For more sustainable employment, most people move on to a Bachelor’s Degree, which greatly expands career choices. Sample positions include career advisors, human resources generalists, clinical data managers, counselors (mental health, vocational, veteran services, child and family, outpatient assessment), health educators, research specialists, or psychiatric technicians.
Armed with a Bachelor’s Degree, some people move into the world of business to become sales representatives, marketers, or analysts for companies that depend on how people react to their products. Knowledge of human psychology is crucial for advertisers and product developers.
For professional credentials and licensure, you will need more education, and you assume supervision of those with less education.
With a Master’s Degree, you expand your field of choices to include many career paths. These include social services (hospital services, family services, developmental services, mental health care coordination, addiction services), criminal justice (police administrators, rehabilitation officers, prison advocates), industrial or occupational psychology, research (marketing, investing, web/app development, neurological, behavioral), research laboratory administration, or education (counselor, school psychologist, administrator, teacher).
When you reach the point of PsyD or PhD, your career is built upon the specialization you have chosen to pursue and have worked toward through long years of research and practice.
Sample positions: licensed clinical psychologist, professional consultant, sports psychologist, academic or government researcher, marriage and family therapist, policy advisor, professor, neuroscientist.