However, a doctoral program seems too long and expensive for many students interested in psychology. While it is true that the doctorate is the appropriate entry level degree for some areas of psychology, individuals with master's and specialist's degrees find many interesting and challenging avenues for professional activity. Human services often come to mind first when people think of psychology. A master's or specialist degree in psychology provides the necessary preparation for entrance into a wide variety of human service occupations. Recent graduates of Western's psychology programs have entered such diverse careers as program planner in a center for retarded children, executive director of a substance abuse program, school psychologist, clinical director in an outpatient center, and staff therapist in a variety of areas such as treatment of children and families, emergency services, and day treatment for the chronically mentally ill.
Career opportunities exist in a wide range of public and private settings.
Not all sub-doctoral psychologists function in human service settings. Western's graduates have also found exciting opportunities in other areas. Personnel work, management consulting, and teaching represent only a few of the other career tracks which have been taken by graduates of Western's psychology program. For some individuals, the master's or specialist degree serve as an important step toward the doctorate in psychology. Pursuing such a degree allows many students to update their knowledge, sharpen research skills, or examine the depth of their interest in psychology before entering a doctoral program.