Planning Your Graduate Education: The Basics
For many students, a B.A. in Psychology will be an important stepping stone to a graduate degree. Students who are interested in working directly with patients in clinical settings may pursue a wide variety of graduate degrees including a MSW, MFT, Ph.D. or Psy.D. Those who orient more toward academic careers, will probably want to focus on a Ph.D. in one of the research disciplines of Psychology.
There are also psychologists working in commercial settings (which generally requires a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology), legal settings (which might require a joint Ph.D. and law degree), and in primary or secondary schools (generally requiring a masters or Ph.D. in School Psychology). Of course, students with a Psychology degree might also go on to get graduate degrees in distantly related fields, like medicine.
The University of Southern California offers Pre-Graduate School Advising to all current students and alumni who are considering graduate school. They offer a variety of advising services to guide students through the academic and administrative processes necessary to achieve their goals. To meet with a Pre-Graduate school advisor, please click here.