Higher Education Careers--Doctoral Degree in Psychology
After receiving my Psychology degree, what are my Higher Education career options with a Doctoral Degree in Psychology?
After you receive your Psychology degree, you may decide to move forward and get a Doctoral (typically PhD) degree so that you can get a job in Higher Education. If you decide to go this route, there are several options for you. You can use your Doctoral degree to get a Higher Education job in teaching only, research only, or both teaching and research. It really is up to you what path you want to pursue. For example, some PhDs do not want to deal with the pressure of publishing and would prefer to only teach at a small college or even a community college. Keep in mind that whatever you path you choose may have implications for where you can land a job, how much money you will make, and what job security you will have.
Remember that to earn a Doctoral degree you must have first earned a Master's degree, either from another school or the same school you earn your doctorate. In addition, the time it takes to earn a Doctoral Degree typically involves 4-6 years of graduate school. At many schools you do NOT pay tuition--you receive a tuition waiver--and you will receive a stipend, a form of salary for serving as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Research Assistant (RA). Read about comparisons between Masters and PhD degrees in psychology here.
Salary Information
payscale.com lists the average yearly income for an Assistant Professor in Psychology at $57,500.
Click here to read important steps to Higher Education Careers with a Graduate Degree in Psychology.
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Click on the links below to read about another Higher Education career that requires a graduate degree:
Higher Education Careers--Master's in Psychology
Click on the links below to read about types of Higher Education careers:
Higher Education Careers--Research and Teaching
Higher Education Careers--Researcher only
Higher Education Careers--Teacher only