Key Takeaways
- A PsyD is focused on clinical work and often involves working with patients directly.
- To earn a PsyD, you must complete a supervised internship and pass exams to become a licensed psychologist.
- With a PsyD, you can work in various settings like hospitals and schools or open your own practice.
A PsyD, or Doctor of Psychology, is one of the highest degrees you can earn in psychology. It’s also one of the highest-paying psychology jobs. Another advanced psychology degree is a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which is different from a PsyD.
Let’s go over what a PsyD can do for a job, what they’ll study, and an example “day in the life” of someone who has a PsyD degree.
Why Was the PsyD Developed?
Until the late 1960s, a PhD in psychology was the only degree that professional psychologists could get. However, there was concern that a PhD degree wasn’t preparing people to do clinical work in psychology. In the 1970s, the PsyD was developed as an applied clinical doctoral degree to help train psychologists as practitioners.
There are a few ways that a PsyD is different from a PhD:
PsyD
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Focused on clinical work
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Often work with patients in clinical settings
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Can take four to seven years to complete (shorter times are more typical)
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Evaluation usually consists of exams and practical work
PhD
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Focused on research
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May teach at the university level or do research
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Can take four to seven years to complete (longer times are more typical)
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Evaluation usually involves writing a dissertation
How You Earn a PsyD
A PsyD program trains psychologists to use their understanding of the science of the mind and behavior to treat and diagnose mental illnesses.
A PsyD degree program usually takes four to seven years to finish, depending on the specialty and your previous education. You’ll learn about and get practice in a wide variety of topics, like psychological assessment, diagnosis, and clinical interventions.
Here are some examples of courses you may take in a PsyD program:
- Adult, adolescent, and child development
- Psychopathology
- Ethics and legal issues
- Clinical assessments
- Theories of counseling and therapy
- Cognitive assessment
- Psychotherapy practices, models, and theories
- Research design and methods
- Cognition and emotion
- Evidence-based psychology
- Health psychology
- Health care system
- Consultation
- Personality assessment
- History and philosophy of psychology
- Psychobiology
- Professional development
- Psychometrics and statistics
- Psychopharmacology
Depending on whether you want to focus on a specific concentration, you could also take courses in:
- Forensic psychology
- Neuropsychology
- Trauma
- Aging
- Cross-cultural psychology
- Gender and sexuality
- Group psychology
- Family psychology
- Military psychology
- Couples therapy
As a PsyD student, you’ll also do a supervised practicum and a supervised internship in a clinical setting. You’ll usually work part-time under the supervision of a licensed psychologist in different clinical settings. Your internship is a full-time position and usually lasts at least one year. After completing an internship, you’ll be able to take state and national exams to become a licensed psychologist.
The American Psychological Association accredits both PsyD and PhD programs. No matter what type of program you are thinking about doing, check to see if the program is APA-accredited. Most state licensing boards require applicants to have finished their degree and a supervised internship at an APA-accredited institution.
Jobs You Could Get with a PsyD
After earning a PsyD in clinical or counseling psychology and passing the required licensing exams, you will be able to diagnose and treat mental disorders. Other job duties include administering evaluations, conducting psychological tests, and providing psychotherapy services.
People with a PsyD work in a wide variety of settings, including hospitals, mental health clinics, government offices, and schools. Some professionals choose to open psychotherapy practices or work as consultants for private corporations.
Some of the highest-paying psychology jobs are those you can get with a PsyD. Here are just some examples of the kinds of careers you could pursue with a PsyD:
- Clinical psychologist
- Forensic psychologist
- Case manager
- Correctional facility psychologist
- School psychologist
- Neuropsychologist
- Biopsychologist
- Sports psychologist
- Rehabilitation psychologist
- Evolutionary psychologist
- Industrial organization psychologist
- Environmental psychologist
- Public health psychologist
- Military psychologist
- Consumer psychologist
- Crisis negotiator
- Art therapist
- Human Resources director
- Executive coach
- Human factors engineer
- Behavioral analyst
- Psychometrist
- Social services director
How Much Can You Make With a PsyD?
Since it’s an advanced degree, having a PsyD can open your career up to some of the highest-paying jobs in psychology. According to PayScale, the average base salary in the United States for a PsyD is $92,000 a year. ZipRecruiter says that pay rates for PsyD jobs can go up to $125 per hour. Salary.com says the medium annual income for a PsyD is $113,000.
Alternatives to the PsyD Degree
Getting a PsyD can be a great choice if you want to focus on being a practitioner of psychology and doing clinical work. However, if you are more interested in research or teaching, a PhD in psychology might be a better option.
It’s also important to know that in most states, having a PsyD alone is not enough to be able to prescribe clients medication There are just five states—Louisiana, New Mexico, Iowa, Idaho, and Illinois—where PsyD’s can prescribe mediation as long as they meet strict criteria. If being able to help clients with medication is something you want to be able to do, you’ll need to pursue a medical degree like an MD or DO to become a psychiatrist.
If you know that you want to work in the field of mental health but aren’t sure if you want to invest the time and money in getting a doctorate, you may want to consider social work, counseling, school psychology, education, and health science degrees.
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