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Roughly how long start to finish to be a practising psychologist?

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  • 02-02-2012 10:08am
    #1
    angeldaisy
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 2,281 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I am currently in my second year of doing a BA in Psychology and was curious as to how long it takes to become a practicing psychologist (any discipline). I've heard 8 years bandied around, but can anyone confirm how long it takes??


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    #2
    TrollHammaren
    Registered Users Posts: 651 ✭✭✭TrollHammaren


    If you're talking about being a clinical psychologist, if you do a four year B.A, a one year M.Sc, and a four year Clin.Doc then that's nine years before you're even qualified. I suppose it's theoretically possible to work as an A.B.A. psychologist after four years if you do a three year B.A. and a one year M.Sc. Do you just want to work as something with "psychologist" in the title or are you aiming for something specific?


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    #3
    angeldaisy
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 2,281 Mod ✭✭✭✭angeldaisy


    thanks for taking the time to reply.
    I myself have no real interest in becoming a psychologist as such, I hope to use it either for teaching or to do a masters in Speech & Language Therapy.
    We were having a debate in college about how long it takes to become a practising psychologist as against those who become unregulated therapists / motivational speakers etc....
    I was curious I suppose about the differing lengths of time to become different types of psychologists


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    #4
    The Black Oil
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 18,317 CMod ✭✭✭✭The Black Oil


    Throw in time to build up experience and skills in between degrees/to make your application decent as well.

    Moderator: Television, Psychology and Dublin County North.

    CMod: Entertainment



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    #5
    sergeyevitch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12 ✭sergeyevitch


    There is no simple answer here, it really depends on the direction people want to take.

    Clinical is the most desired outlet I believe - this would require a BA (3 years), almost certainly an MA (1 year min) and a DClin (3 years). But it is unlikely that it would unfold so neatly, and one should expect 1 or 2 years in assistant psychologist positions and so on to gather experience. It remains the case that you get a good wage as a trainee clinical psych, but for how long is in the lap of the troika.

    Counselling is more straightforward. Relevant experience is still required but it is easier to satisfy the criterion here. BA and DCoun (3 years) seems the sensible way to go. Expensive course though.

    Occupational psych is probably shorter - BA and a 1 or 2 year MA. Not sure what the employment situation is though.

    Research/academic would require a BA and almost certainly a PhD (3 years min). Then you would need some publications and teaching experience - again probably years min and even then there is a lot of competition for a shrinking pool of jobs.


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