Psychology, General

Overview

A general psychology program focuses on human behaviors and behavioral disorders.

Students learn how the mind develops, how people learn, and what motivates people.

Psychology programs include topics such as:

Subfields of psychology
Psychological assessment and testing methods
Behavioral studies
Statistics and research methods
Analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders

Concentrations

In psychology programs, students may be able to specialize in:

Comparative psychology
Community psychology
Cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics
Developmental and child psychology
Geropsychology
Experimental psychology
Industrial and organizational psychology
Personality psychology
Social psychology
Environmental psychology
Health/medical psychology
Psychopharmacology
Forensic psychology

Schools

Community colleges and other two-year schools offer associate degree programs in psychology. An associate degree usually takes two years to complete. After earning an associate degree students can transfer to a college or university for further study.

Most colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in psychology. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

Many universities offer graduate degrees in psychology. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master's degree.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

Related Careers

Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study

Other Careers Related to this Program of Study

Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Biology
English Composition
Pre-Calculus
Probability and Statistics
Psychology
Public Speaking

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is highly competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good test scores. For some schools, your bachelor's degree may not need to be in psychology if you have taken some courses in the subject. Course work in statistics is highly desirable.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Psychology (less often)
Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
Letters of recommendation

Experience assisting with psychological research is a big plus.

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

A bachelor's degree program in psychology typically requires that everyone study the following core courses:

English Composition
Experimental Psychology
Introduction to Statistical Methods
Introductory Psychology
Pre-Calculus

In addition, students in the bachelor's degree program usually must choose several of the following subjects:

Abnormal Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Experimental Design
History and Systems of Psychology
Memory and Cognition
Organizational Psychology
Physiological Psychology
Psychological Tests and Measurement
Psychology of Learning
Social Psychology
Theories of Personality

As preparation for graduate school, it helps to include one or more courses in biology.

Graduate Program Courses

A graduate program in psychology typically includes courses such as the following:

Applied Regression and Correlation
Ethics in Psychological Research
Multivariate Analysis
Psychometrics
Research Methods in Behavioral Analysis
Statistical Principles in Experimental Design

You also take course work in your area of concentration (such as experimental, social psychology, or developmental). Your research would focus on that particular branch.

Graduate programs also typically require the following:

Thesis (master's degree)
Preliminary exams (doctoral degree only)
Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree)

Things to Know

If you intend to branch out from psychology in your career or graduate studies, you should take some undergraduate courses in the field you intend to pursue. This is particularly important if you intend to find work without getting a graduate degree. For example, you might be hired to work in marketing research. What you have learned about research methods and human motivation can be very relevant, but your chances at such a job are best if you have taken some business courses.