Many people are able to get a dream job right when they are done with college, fresh with that bachelor’s degree in psychology. Many others do not have the same luck and may choose to go back to school, either right away or at a later date, to help them earn their master’s degree and make a big difference in some of the career options that are available to them.
If you are considering whether a master’s degree in psychology is a smart option for you or not, it is important to look at all of the benefits along the way. Some of the reasons to get a master’s degree in psychology include:
Allows you to practise therapy
Many people who are working on their undergraduate degree in psychology are doing it because they eventually want to become a therapist in the future. While a good undergraduate program will teach you some of the basics that you need to know about therapists, they do not provide the right training to help you become licensed as a therapist.
To get the required training to be a therapist, you will need to go for your master’s degree. The good news is that there are many great degree programs that will allow you a chance to practice therapy when you are done, but the master’s degree in psychology is going to be broad and can open up a lot of doors into the type of therapy you would like to practice the most.
Teach college
For those who really love psychology and want to share that love with others as a teacher, a master’s degree is going to be an important step to making that a reality. A master’s degree in psychology is going to open up many career opportunities in fields that you may not have imagined in the past.
One avenue that you can choose once you finish this type of degree is to work as an associate instructor at some colleges. Instructing is a great position for many, but colleges that allow this will allow you to do so, only if you have the right degree from the start.
Once you have gotten your master’s degree in psychology, it is possible to turn that part-time teaching gig into a full-time instructor. Some are even able to turn it into an administrative role at a community college. If you would like to do academic counseling in higher education at some point, a master’s degree will help get that done.
Additional career choices
Your master’s degree is able to open up a lot of different career opportunities that are not available to others who have just an undergraduate degree available to them. It may be surprising some of the jobs that are now available to you simply because you spent some more time improving your skills and figuring out how to get a master’s degree in psychology.
Pick a specialisation
As an undergraduate, you will be able to get a good and broad understanding of the field of psychology, but it is all very basic. You will have some of the general idea, but you are not specialized enough in the field to turn this into as much as you could if you took the time to get a master’s degree.
One great thing about choosing to get a master’s degree is that you will have more opportunities to learn about a specific area of psychology that may interest you the best. When you pursue this degree, you will get to look at all of the topics of your interest and then spend time concentrating on learning as much about this as possible, all while you study to gain your degree.
Many students who decide to go to graduate school say that this is the reason that graduate school can feel easier than an undergraduate degree, even though you are getting a more advanced level of education. You will be able to specialise and really gain knowledge in one field and that can help direct you to the type of career that is going to suit you the best.
You can choose an online programme
One of the many marvels of our modern world is that you do not have to sit in a standard classroom in order to get a degree. Online degree programmes are becoming popular because they are more convenient and can fit around your schedule better than before. And it is possible to get an online degree in psychology if you so choose to do so.
One of the biggest reasons that a student or professional will put off getting a master’s degree in psychology is because they do not have the time to get to campus and do the work when they have a traditional job to keep up with. The costs of these classes can also keep them from achieving their dreams.
Thankfully, there are now many online programs that can give the student a high-quality education in no time. These are often more affordable than the traditional options and they eliminate the travel time the student would normally have to do.
The flexibility is one of the best parts of these online programs. The student is able to take the classes and get the work done around their lives. Whether they still have a current job they need to do to pay the bills or they need to be at home and present for their kids and families, they can make the online education fit their schedules while they work to their big dreams.
Choosing to get your master’s degree in psychology
When it comes to making a decision on whether you should get your master’s degree in psychology or not, there are many things to consider along the way. Take the time to see some of the benefits above and then decide if this is a good choice for you to make to further your career.
Adam Mulligan did his degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He is interested in mental health and well-being.
