The human mind is a fascinating thing. Impressions of things, that happened years ago and are forgotten, can often cause problems in a person’s current life. In addition, the stress of modern day situations is putting additional burdens on individuals that often result in irrational behavior. People who become really interested in this subject often proceed, in their education, to Psychology graduate schools.
To become a psychologist requires a great deal of training. People who are having mental problems are often in a very fragile state and require guidance from someone who is aware of all prospects of the condition. The problem may be from mental illness, physical abuse, post war syndrome, or hundreds of other things that cause mental problems. People going into this profession are thoroughly educated in the subject and must pass extensive examinations before being licensed.
With today’s modern technology there are classes on and off line. Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology, Industrial Organizational and Sport-Exercise Psychology as well as a Doctor of Education in Counseling Psychology are a few that are offered. The bachelor’s degree provides the basic foundation in the subject but further education is required to become a professional psychologist.
The graduate program, for those who wish to enter this profession, requires a Master or Doctoral degree. There are a number of specialty areas in this profession and advanced education, as a rule, will be directed to one of these specialties. There are no programs offered for education in all specialty areas.
There is als
o a two-year Clinical Training Program for working psychologists. Those applying for the two-year program must have a minimum of 400 practicum hours, pass comprehensive exams, have a dissertation proposal approved, a Doctoral degree program and at least three years of graduate training. Participants in this program are expected to follow up with careers in research and training in academic or research settings. This would include health and mental health service systems.
In order to advance to the postdoctoral fellowship the doctoral degree must be completed. This means that the dissertation needs to be completed by the end of the first year. If it is not completed in this time frame the participant will either remain in a pre-doctoral status or asked to leave the program.
The program is for the purpose of training clinical psychologists who are looking for an academic or research career and have a strong clinical and research experience. They must be research oriented and desire to work with under served people, such as minorities, low-income people, primary care medical patients and chronically mentally ill people. Psychologists are carefully screened before being admitted to the program.
Participants in this Psychology graduate schools programs will also receive special research training. This training will include such things as post traumatic stress disorder, depression, ADHD/disruptive behavior disorders, substance abuse, mental health, geriatrics, violence and trauma among others. It is an extensive program, which is taught in depth and requires complete dedication to be successful.