Do You Need a Bachelor’s in Psychology to Get a Master’s in Psychology?

PscyhologyIf you would like to study psychology while you are attending graduate school, you may be wondering if you need a Bachelor’s in Psychology to get a Master’s in Psychology. To enter into graduate school, you need to meet a specific set of admissions requirements before the council in charge of admissions will even review your application for consideration. One of the requirements, especially when you are applying to a school with a very competitive and reputable program, will be to possess an undergraduate degree. Read on, and find out more about what you will need to do while you are earning a Bachelor’s degree so that you can eventually earn a graduate degree in Psychology.

An Undergraduate Degree From an Accredited School

Every graduate school has their own prerequisite requirements. If you want to major in psychology while you are pursuing a master’s degree, you should take the time to compare the requirements of several different schools. All schools are going to have an undergraduate degree requirement, but which degrees are seen to be acceptable for fulfilling this requirement may differ. Schools that are known for their psychology graduate programs might actually require that all applicants possess a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Other schools may just require that the applicant possess a four-year degree from a regionally accredited school in any subject area.

What Are the Course Prerequisites if You Switch Majors?

If you do not major in psychology while you are earning your four-year degree, you will need to take some additional courses before your application will be considered for a master’s program. The course prerequisites are not avoidable whenever you want to enter an advanced studies program.

The introductory classes in the field are required to ensure that you are prepared to cover the content that will be covered while you are covering more advanced curriculum. Some of these prerequisites include: experimental methods, statistics, abnormal psychology, child development and more. If you did not complete these courses while you were studying in your four-year program, then you will need to return to school to take more classes before you apply for graduate studies.

Other Admissions Requirements to Consider

Undergraduate degree requirements is the not the only criteria that you need to consider. Your academic performance is extremely important when you want to show the school that you are capable of finishing your work and grasping subjects. Another requirement that most schools have is the GRE requirement, according to the Education Testing Service The school may have a minimum score that you must earn on this standardized admissions test before you will be accepted to a program with any type of major. You should check this score requirement and prepare for your exam well before the admissions application deadline so that you know that you have time to retest if you are unhappy with your scores.

Related Resource: Abnormal Psychology

A master’s degree in psychology will open up several different opportunities to you. You can work in research settings and academic settings once you possess your degree. You can also eventually work towards your post-graduate degree to become a licensed clinician. If you have decided to change gears and change majors, you will be happy to hear that you may not need a Bachelor’s in Psychology to get a Master’s in Psychology.