Military Careers that Require a Doctoral Degree in Psychology
After my Psychology degree, what are my career options with a Doctoral degree in the Military?
Once you earn your Psychology degree, you may decide that it is best to earn a Doctoral degree in Psychology. Moreover, you may decide to use your Doctoral degree as a member of the Military. You need to be aware of various facts if you decide to pursue a Doctoral degree in the Military.
First, your Doctoral degree will likely be in either Clinical Psychology or Counseling Psychology. Clinical Psychology involves psychopathological populations and behavioral health, whereas Counseling Psychology involves vocational and career processes, human diversity, and professional training. For Clinical Psychology, you can earn a Doctoral degree as a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy--research focused) or a PsyD (Doctor of Psychology--application focused with less research background). However, you should know that there are career opportunities involving research for those who earn a PhD.
Second, you must have completed your Master's degree before earning PhD. Your Master's degree can be earned from another school or often you earn your Master's degree at the same school where your receive your PhD.
Third, the time it takes to earn a PhD is typically 4-6 years and a PsyD is perhaps a year less. When you are working toward your PhD you typically do NOT pay tuition, and you receive a stipend. The latter is a form of salary for serving as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Research Assistant (RA). However, if you go for a PsyD degree, you will typically pay tuition and not receive a stipend.
Fourth, a Doctoral degree offers greater job opportunities and greater salary than a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. In addition, a Doctoral degree allows you to be licensed by a state to perform certain activities like syandardized testing (e.g., IQ tests) and conduct therapy. Read about comparisons between Masters and PhD degrees in psychology here.
Salary Information
collegeatlas.com lists the average yearly income for a PhD in Clinical Psychology at $75,000.
collegeatlas.com lists the average yearly income for a PhD in Counseling Psychology at $73,000.
Click here to read important steps for a Military Career with a graduate degree in Psychology.
To learn more about applying to Psychology graduate school school check out the following:
American Psychological Association
Other links on explorecareersinpsychology.org
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