The psychology required courses one may need will depend on his or her career goals. Most of the well-paying psychology degrees require an advanced doctorate degree. Bachelor degree programs are also available, but careers for those with these degrees are limited. Those who want to work one on one with patients in a clinical setting will almost always require a PhD.
A psychology career involves working with patients to diagnose them with and counsel them through mental disorders and traumas. In order to do this, students will need to take all the psychology required courses prior to becoming licensed. The first step in doing this is obtaining a four-year college degree at an accredited college or university. Many schools offer four-year psychology degrees.
During this four-year degree program, it is highly advised that students take classes that will help them with a future doctoral program. This usually includes several psychology-related courses, such as social psychology or cognitive psychology. The more of these related courses, the better. Other course will focus on childhood development, the effects of certain trauma or conditions on the brain, and treatment of these conditions.
Those who stop with school after a four-year psychology degree may have limited career options in the field, although some limited counseling positions or human resource opportunities may be available. Some companies might also hire psychology majors with four-year degrees to do jobs not directly related to the study of psychology.
Anyone who wishes to work as a psychologist will need to continue their education to take the rest of the psychology required courses. This usually includes taking several more years of school in order to complete a doctorate program. Students have study various mental disorders, conditions of the brain, and the ways to properly treat patients. This is a long and grueling process, and students have to be extremely committed to the program.
In order to determine the exact psychology required courses, students should speak with their advisers to come up with a plan suited for their schedules and career goals. Various states or locations may have different psychology required courses than others, so those who move schools or locales before graduation may have to figure out which coursework will transfer to another school. Most schools require several courses on various aspects of the brain, including the general makeup of the mind, emotional factors, traumatic events, brain disorders, and how the mind controls other aspects of the body.
Not all schools offer advanced degrees, so students will need to look around. It’s also very important that students maintain a high grade point average in order to move forward into the doctoral program. In most cases, the entire length of schooling will last between eight and ten years. Some students may take a little longer, or a little less time than average.
