Discussing the differences between a PhD and a PsyD

John Denboer PhD maintains that psychology is probably one of life’s best pursuits, career-wise. The demand is high, and the pay is more than good for psychology graduates who pursue further studies. However, before going for degrees after college, psychologists need to plan their path out well. To do this, they need to learn as much as they can about their options.

For this blog, John Denboer PhD shares an important distinction between two possible options for psychology majors: PhD in Psychology and PsyD.

PhD in Psychology

While there are many PhD in Psychology programs, people have to remember that the field can get quite competitive as far as the admissions process is concerned. Programs tend to weigh heavily on research, which is preferable for psychology majors who want to branch out of clinical work and delve in academia and research.

As far as career paths go, there will never be a shortage of those with PhDs in Psychology. They can either teach in universities, handle patients in a clinical setting, and even focus on forensic psychology.

PsyD, or Doctor of Psychology

PsyD programs emerged a lot later than PhD in Psychology, John Denboer PhD explains. As an alternative to PhD programs, PsyD was created to cater to people who want to devote their time and effort to the pure practice of psychology, and not so much to academia and research.

PsyD programs are geared primarily toward clinical settings. The fact that there are fewer research and statistics classes to take makes PsyD a shorter program overall.

Published by johndenboerphd

John Denboer PhD decided to pursue a PhD degree instead of a PsyD because he wanted to devote his practice to a clinical setting. Though already retired, John Denboer PhD continues to share his experience and knowledge of the profession, helping would-be psychologists decide on future specializations, the many benefits of a psychology degree to personal and public health, as well as the various levels of care and mental health settings.

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