Are you someone who is wanting to pursue an education in psychology and are wondering about the necessity of writing a research publication for a Master’s in Psychology? The answer might surprise you. If you are not going to pursue a doctorate degree in psychology then you would not have to publish research. If you are going to pursue a doctorate degree it would be in your best interest to get published.
Requirements for Master’s in Psychology
Many jobs in the field of psychology do require a master’s degree. While you will not necessarily need to have a research publication for a Master’s in Psychology, there are certain requirements that are necessary for graduate school. The most important requirement is that students will need to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school. It is important to note that the undergraduate degree does not have to be one in psychology but students should have taken psychology courses along with classes in research and statistics.
Some students completing their master’s degree in psychology will need to write a thesis or take a required exam. Some graduate programs require the student to do both. Most full-time students can attain their master’s degree in one to two years.
Classes for Master’s in Psychology
Students who are pursuing a master’s in psychology need to have completed courses in research and statistics, but some schools require students to have completed courses in abnormal psychology, developmental psychology and personality psychology. Other important courses for undergraduates include history of psychology, sensation and perception and psychological psychology.
In graduate school, some of the coursework includes:
- Research methods
- Organizational behavior
- Personality theories
- Cognition
- Lifespan development
- Advanced abnormal psychology
- Health psychology
- Learning and behavior
- Multicultural psychology
- Social psychology
Besides choosing which courses you need to take, you will also have to decide if you are going to opt to do a thesis. If you are considering pursuing a doctorate degree, you might want to consider a thesis option. However, if you plan to begin your career once you are finished with graduate school, you may not have to complete a thesis.
Career Options
While most psychologists who work in research, in a clinical setting or as a counselor have a Doctor of Psychology degree, there are other career options available to those with a master’s degree. With your master’s degree, you can work as an assistant and under the supervision of a psychologist who has attained a doctorate. You can also work as an industrial organizational psychologist. In this type of career, psychology is applied to various areas in a corporate setting including human resources and sales and marketing. Other viable careers that may require additional certification or licensing include: mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, career counselors, school counselors and sociologists.
As you can see, you do not have to have a credited research publication for a Master’s in Psychology. It might be necessary, however, if you choose to continue your education to attain your doctoral degree.
