Here’s the Comprehensive List of the Top Psychology Schools
So you want to study psychology. But where do you wish to study? Are you in a position to do in-campus study? Or you would prefer to pursue for the psychology degree online? When choosing the best route on how to become a psychologist, how to do you assess psychology schools? Selecting a particular psychology school which satisfies all the criteria is indeed difficult. But if you try hard enough, you could chance upon, at least shortlist some of the good psychology schools in the country.
One of the first jobs in hand when looking for the right kind of psychology school is to do a thorough research. There is extensive information available on the internet about psychology schools in the U.S. Information is also available on careers in psychology, what you can do with a psychology degree, online or in-campus psychology school rankings, and much more. What the school has to offer, must match your academic as well as career needs. The more you know about a school, the better chances are that you will not be in for a surprise. The few deciding factors to narrow down your research would be to look into these areas:
- Accreditation
- Quality of faculty
- The topics of research undertaken by the school
- Quality of teaching
- Student views and reviews
- Placement record of graduates and their salaries
- Admission procedures
- Fees
The Two Different Types of Psychology Doctoral Degrees
For instance if you are looking for a psychology school to pursue your doctoral studies – the first thing to remember is that there are two types of doctoral degrees – the PhD and the PsyD. The training programs for both are very similar to each other but PhD is pursued by those who wish to remain in research, whereas PsyD is completed by those who wish to start clinical practice. So, depending what your goals are, the psychology school should be chosen. Students researching how to become a child psychologist, forensic psychologist, etc, need to decide which doctoral they are going to pursue.
Practicing psychology would normally have two therapeutic approaches – the client and the therapist. There are many schools that focus more on the former than the latter. You have to decide which approach would suit your career needs. If you wish to enter into the therapist’s area of function, choose the psychological school that befits your needs,
Another important criterion for selection is whether the school is accredited. By law a practicing psychologist requires a license. To acquire a license you need an accredited institution for graduation. The best psychology schools will walk prospective students through the entire accreditation process to make sure they understand the whole process.
Online Psychology Schools
Even when you want an online degree choose a psychology school which is accredited. There is a wide range of online psychology schools offering bachelor’s, master’s, associate’s and even doctoral degrees online. Choose the one which suits your timing, your schedule and your course preference best.
Ultimately what matters is what you want to do with the psychology degree. Options are numerous – be it teaching or research or practicing in hospitals, clinics and other community centers. Every psychology school has a number of facilities which help a potential student to make up his mind – advisers, counselors, program guides, and so on. Take your time and check out all these schools, whether you meet their admission criteria and whether they meet your education and career goals. You will know that you have hit upon the right psychology school, when the twain meets.
