Explore Grad School

If you wish to be licensed and to practice as a psychologist, it is imperative to choose an APA-Accredited Program (i.e., American Psychological Association) for your doctoral studies. There are three doctoral level degrees that meet approval for licensing as a psychologist: Ph.D., Psy.D., and Ed.D.

A doctoral degree typically takes five to seven years: four years of coursework, one year of internship, and one year to write a dissertation. After earning a doctoral degree, additional supervised experience is required to obtain a license. APA offers resources for Finding and Applying to Grad School in psychology, in addition to the brief overview provided below.
 

Ph.D. 

The Ph.D. is the most accepted doctoral degree in the field of psychology. It is generally a research-based degree and adheres to the scientist/practitioner model first endorsed by APA. If you want the option of teaching or doing research in the field of psychology, the Ph.D. is the degree for you.
 

Psy.D.

The Psy.D. is an alternative and follows a practitioner/scientist model that focuses more on practice and less on research. 
 

Ed.D.

The Ed.D. is a doctoral program that is housed in a department of education at a university, rather than a department of psychology. About one-third of counseling psychology programs are an Ed.D. and APA-accredited. 

A master’s degree typically takes two to three years to complete and become a non-licensed counselor or social worker. However, many employers prefer to hire licensed counselors and social workers, so some professionals choose to take additional time to accrue hours of supervised experience and become licensed.

To provide general counseling in California, most individuals choose between working as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), or a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). If you are interested in counseling professions and attending graduate school in the state of California, the Board of Behavioral Sciences provides a list of California graduate programs for LCSWs, LPCCs, LMFTs, and LEPs.

Many programs also offer areas of specialization that may interest you, including counseling programs with a mental health emphasis or school counseling programs with a Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential to work with children.

Psychology Post-baccalaureate Programs are designed to prepare students who have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline with additional preparation for psychology-related careers. If you did not major in psychology or a related field and do not have the academic prerequisite courses for admission to a psychology graduate program, a post-baccalaureate program might be a good fit for you. However, these programs can be very costly, so consider carefully whether this option would fit with your financial situation and long-term goals.

Depending on how many prerequisite courses you need to complete, we recommend speaking with an admissions counselor about completing those courses at a community college, as this could be more cost-effective and offer more flexibility. 

Some graduate programs require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), however, many do not. Some programs may also require the Psychology Subject GRE. Review our Entrance Exams page for starter tips and check each program’s admissions requirements to know whether exams are required or recommended.

Letters of recommendation are requested by most graduate school applications, and they are typically written by professors and employers with whom you have worked. For many graduate applications in psychology and counseling, you should obtain a letter of recommendation from at least one faculty member who can discuss your ability to do graduate level work, your research experiences, and your interest in the profession. You can also obtain a letter of recommendation from a previous or current supervisor from a clinical (or work-related) setting who can share your strengths and fit with the profession. For further considerations, read more about this on our Letters of Recommendation page.

The statement of purpose is your opportunity to convince the admissions committee that you are a qualified candidate for their graduate program.

If you are applying to a more practitioner-focused program, your statement should focus on highlighting your experience in clinical (or related) settings, counseling and helping skills, and leadership abilities. For research-oriented programs, focus on your research experiences and interests in relation to the program and faculty that you are applying for. When applying to programs that entail both research and practice, balance your personal statement to showcase your overall achievements. To begin preparing your statements, review our Essays page.