This document summarizes popular doctoral degrees in psychology, including clinical psychology, counseling psychology, industrial/organizational psychology, and sports psychology. It provides details on accreditation requirements and licensure options for each degree. Key points include that a PhD or PsyD is typically needed for clinical psychology licensure, while counseling psychology degrees can provide licensure as a counselor at the master's level. Industrial/organizational psychology offers licensure at both master's and doctoral levels.

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Popular Doctoral Degrees in
Psychology

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3. POPULAR PSYCH
SUBFIELDS
 Clinical psychology
 Counseling psychology
 Industrial/Organizational psychology
 Sports or Performance psychology
 Many other subfields of interest, but these are the
fields that have greater numbers in terms aggregate
interest among those in psychology.

4. Clinical psychology
 There are Masters programs in clinical psychology; however,
you “typically” cannot get licensed as a psychologist with that
degree. Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA) credential
is an option, but this designation usually requires supervision
by a psychologist.
 **Check your state for more details on licensure, as each
state and country has different requirements.
 A PhD or PsyD in Clinical Psychology is a terminal (highest
possible) degree that qualifies one to pursue licensure as
psychologist
 A very popular area in psychology; growth expectancy in this
area.

5. Accreditation
 APA (AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASSOCIATION) accreditation is vital on the
doctoral level.
 Only accredit doctoral programs in Clinical
psychology, Counseling psychology, and School
psychology.
 Some state require APA accreditation to obtain
licensure, but not all. Higher paying jobs and
pre/post doctoral internships require that students
have attended an APA accredited university for

6. Counseling psychology
 Provide therapy (family, group, and/or individual) to various
age groups, conduct clinical interviews, assess client
functioning, diagnose clients, etc.
 Students who obtain Masters degrees can be credentialed
as a Counselor (i.e., Licensed Professional Counselors,
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors, or Licensed
Clinical Professional Counselors-title varies by state, but
fundamentally the same vocation)
 Pursuing a doctoral degree opens up the opportunity for
further licensure, but only if you are seeking to become a
psychologist

7. ACCREDITATION
 CACREP (Counsel for Accreditation of Counseling and
Related Education Programs) accreditation is important in
that it is required by federal agencies and various
universities for employment consideration.
 CACREP accredits Master’s and Doctoral programs in
Counseling.
 Therapists that want to obtain National Certification have an
easier process when their graduate program is CACREP
accredited (visit the NBCC site for more info on the NCC
credential).
 APA cannot be substituted for CACREP accreditation.
Counseling jobs, especially federal employers like Veterans
Affairs, value CACREP accredited M.A. degrees because

8. I/O psychology
 Students can obtain licensure at both the Masters and
Doctoral level; caveat is that it varies by state
 Applies psychological methods to the business world,
such as human resources, analyzing business structure
and practices, employee hiring and relations, career
consultation, etc.
 Very rewarding and well paid area in which to work; pay
exceeds other areas in psychology.

9. Sports psychology
 Help athletes maintain optimum performance
 Works with sports players, including Olympic Athletes,
on handling high stress situations!
 Builds internal motivation in players, which is a must
for this high stakes career
 Sports psychologists work with clients that have
injuries (psychosomatic rehabilitation), where clients
work on endurance and strengthening their mind in
addition to their physical body.
 See the APA’s division 47 or Association for Applied
Sport Psychology for more information

10. Choosing a University
 Choose a school that fits your needs
 Be practical about your schedule and the course
load
 It is okay to shop around for different programs
 Apply to schools that fit your interests and values
 Never go into an area just for the money, while this is
important, if you hate a career, then life becomes
harder than it needs to be.
 Make sure you enjoy working with people, since all