How to Become a Psychologist

无论如何，心理学家究竟是什么？

首先，重要的是要认识到，有许多不同类型的心理学家和教育，许可要求可以随着您感兴趣的专业领域而变化。一些不同的工作路径包括school psychology,工业组织心理学万博maxbetx官网登陆,forensic psychology,sports psychology和许多其他人。

For the sake of this article, let's assume that when you say "I want to become a psychologist," you are referring to the profession that utilizes the science of the mind and behavior to assess, diagnose, treat, and help people who are experiencing psychological disturbances. Of course, there are a number of different professionals that offer psychotherapy services, includingcounselorsandsocial workers。在这种情况下，我们将讨论心理学家的特定职业道路，在心理学博士学位。万博maxbetx官网登陆

注意,几乎所有关于exactl州法律y who can call themselves psychologists. In the state of California, for example, the designation of a psychologist is a protected term. In order to use this title, you need to have a doctorate degree in either psychology or education and also have passed the state licensing exams.正如您开始计划成为心理学家的道路，务必联系您的州，以规范心理学家标题的使用。

早期开始计划

Psychology is not necessarily a common course offered at most high schools, but increasing numbers are beginning to offerAP心万博maxbetx官网登陆理学classes. If your high school does offer some sort of psychology course, it would definitely be a good idea to add this class to your schedule. Having some background knowledge about general psychology can really be helpful during your first year of college.

当然，还有很多其他你可以在高中课程to help prepare you for your future career as a psychologist. A strong science background is a must, so sign up for as many courses as you can in topics such as biology, chemistry, human anatomy/physiology, and other life sciences. Statistics is a core component of any university psychology program, so having a solid background in mathematics is certainly helpful.

Beyond science and math classes, taking courses in history, philosophy, writing, religion, and language can also be beneficial. By learning more about human history and behavior, you can put yourself on the road to future success as you continue your psychology education. Finally, remember to maintain good grades in all of your courses. University admissions can be competitive, so it is important to have a strong GPA and great teacher references.

Earn Your Undergraduate Degree

Once you have been accepted to the university of your choice, it is time to begin studying psychology in earnest. Before you begin your freshmen year, sit down with your academic advisor and come up with a four-year course plan covering all of the general education, psychology, and elective courses that you will need to graduate. While you may find yourself deviating from this plan due to various reasons, it can serve as an important road map as you work toward your ultimate goal of becoming a psychologist.

As you begin to learn more about psychology, you may find that your interests shift towards a particular specialty area (such as developmental, cognitive, or biological psychology). If you find that a particular area appeals to you, consider adjusting your course plan to include more elective classes in this subject area. Remember to keep your GPA high in order to prepare for graduate school.

赚取你的研究生学位

The next big question you need to ask yourself is what type of graduate degree you plan to earn? The Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.）大多数人在谈论心理学博士学位时，大多数人都会想到什么，但这不是你唯一的选择。万博maxbetx官网登陆您也可以选择赚取心理学博士（万博maxbetx官网登陆psy.d.。) degree. How do these two degree options differ? Typically, the Ph.D. degree tends to focus more on a scientific model and places a lot of emphasis on experimental methods and research. The Psy.D. degree is a newer option that focuses more on a practitioner model and emphasizes clinical work.

您选择的程度将主要取决于您的职业目标。您是否想到除了治疗患者外还可以进行研究吗？然后是博士。选项可能是满足您的需求。您是否愿意纯粹在临床环境中与客户合作？然后是psy.d.程度可能非常适合您的目标。

作为研究生培训的一部分，您还将在临床环境中完成实习。这是在您的领域获得实践经验的绝佳机会，从经验丰富的心理学家接受指导，并在完成所有教育和培训要求后更多地了解您想要工作的信息。

填写您所在州的许可要求

The specific requirements for licensing depend on the state where you live, so be sure to check state laws in the area where you plan to practice. In many cases, you will be required to complete a specific period of supervised residency work (often one to two years) after earning your graduate degree. Finally, you will then need to pass the required exams, which may include both oral and written components.