Such experience is also likely to help you assess your compatibility with a profession before making a commitment to graduate school. A t the doctoral level the most common degrees in psychology are the Ph.D. and the Psy. Its dissertation requirement may give less emphasis to rigorous research and more to practical application. B oth the Ph.D. and the Psy. D. take a minimum of three years beyond the bachelor's degree, plus an internship for those in applied areas such as clinical or counseling psychology.
T here are several types of master's programs.
D.-granting institutions offer a master's program for those who plan to apply later for admission to a doctoral program. If a student is interested in this strategy, he or she should select a program that has a good record for sending its graduates on to doctoral programs. He or she can give you a first-hand account of what is involved and can also direct you to members of the department who have had graduate training in those areas that are of special interest to you. T he department also maintains a collection of bulletins from graduate schools that seem to be of special interest to our students. See the department secretary to learn how you can gain access to these bulletins.