There are several factors to consider when one is evaluating schools to prepare oneself for a psychology career. To start, choosing a particular school from the numerous possibilities can be difficult, and applying to the schools one is interested in can be a time-consuming process. There are many ways to narrow down the search for an appropriate program, including looking at the school’s accreditation status.

What to consider

When choosing a psychology school, some of the things to consider include what degree one is seeking, the location, and the cost of tuition. Once these factors have been mulled over, choices can be further narrowed by asking others about the programs, scheduling a campus visit, looking at the required course work, and researching the teacher-student ratio.

Admissions and accreditation

Once schools have been chosen, individuals start the process of applying for admissions. Nearly every psychology school has different admission requirements, so it is always best to obtain this information directly from the psychology school. While some schools will want to see standardized test scores, others may not require them. Some programs may invite prospective students to interview, while others will not.

Generally speaking, schools will want to see some record of past performance in the form of a transcript or standardized test scores. Many will also want an essay or personal statement as well as references.

Once acceptance letters are sent out by schools, there is typically a deadline whereby the applicant must inform the school as to whether he or she will be attending the program.

Check institutional accreditation and the programmatic accreditation relevant to your degree and goal. APA accreditation and federal student-aid eligibility are different questions; confirm aid eligibility with the institution’s financial-aid office.

Researching and applying to schools can seem like a daunting process. There are ways to narrow the search, though, and find a program that fits one’s needs.

Choosing a school can be a difficult process to begin. However, just as some groups publish MBA rankings, some also publish rankings of psychology schools. These can be helpful; but should not be the sole basis of your top choices. It is important to consider what degree programs are offered, cost, location, and so on.

There are several ways to narrow down the search, including referrals from current and former students and campus visits. Evaluation of the course work and teacher-student ratios may also aid in choosing an appropriate school to pursue a psychology career.

Degree programs and academic fit

The first thing one should look at when evaluating a potential school is what degree programs are offered. Individuals in high school should be looking at associate’s or bachelor’s degree programs, while those who have completed college will be looking at master’s, PhD, or PsyD degree programs.

There are some questions it may be helpful to ask oneself, including preference for a small or large school and what area of psychology one is interested in. This is especially true for those looking into study at the graduate school level, where some programs may have emphases in different areas of psychology. The teacher-student ratios will be different at each school and are something to take note of.

Coursework

One way to make sure a program is well rounded is to evaluate the course work required for graduation. At the undergraduate level, these courses should include introductory psychology courses, while at the graduate school level, the course work should be much more advanced and specialized. It is important to evaluate the course work that is required during the program and the prerequisite course work required to enter the program.

Cost and location

It is also important to consider the cost of the program and what financial resources may be available either from the school directly or in the form of student loans. Here is a great site with lots of information about these loans.

The location of the school is also something to consider. Is it important to be close to friends and family or important to be in a location that might further promote one’s career (i.e., a large city)? A campus visit is likely the best way to evaluate these factors.

Those considering a psychology career will first need to choose their training programs. The search can be narrowed down by consideration of factors such as cost, location, and degree sought.

The experience of applying to schools will vary depending on what type of program one is interested in. Colleges will have different admissions requirement than master’s degree programs, which will have different requirements from doctoral degree programs. However, there are some similarities throughout the process. With careful research, steps can be taken to ensure that one has the best application possible.

Academic preparation

Most schools want to see a strong background in psychology or a related field. It is unlikely that a college psychology program would require one to have any prerequisites in psychology fulfilled, but a graduate program would expect to see multiple introductory- level courses in psychology.

While an emphasis on psychology is often required, a well- rounded education is of paramount importance. It is expected that applicants will have completed course work in the liberal arts, which is thought to help prepare one for dealing with patients.

Experience and application timing

Some clinical doctoral programs also like to see participation in extracurricular activities, such as volunteering at a mental health clinic or shadowing someone in a psychology career. Admissions committees think that this makes an applicant appear more serious about becoming a psychologist because they have seen what the daily routine might offer.

Application deadlines vary. Research programs well before the intended entry date and use each institution’s published calendar for applications, interviews, offers and response deadlines.

Tests and supporting materials

Testing policies vary by institution and entry year. Check whether ACT, SAT, GRE or other tests are required, optional or not considered before paying for an examination.

Some schools may ask for additional information, such as a follow-up application, letters of recommendation, or an essay detailing interest in the program.

When evaluating school applicants, schools, regardless of the level of study, will usually look at one’s grade point average, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation, and may possibly conduct interviews to select the most promising applicants.

Understanding accreditation

Institutional accreditation concerns the college or university, while programmatic accreditation concerns a specific training program. APA accredits eligible master’s and doctoral programs in health service psychology, doctoral internships and postdoctoral residencies.

APA accreditation evaluates eligible programs against published educational standards. It is a quality-review process, not a guarantee of admission, employment or individual licensing eligibility.

Check both the program’s current accreditation status and the licensing rules relevant to your intended practice. Accreditation status can change and is not automatically retroactive.

Use APA’s current online program directory to verify accreditation status. For school psychology, also investigate the credentialing route and NASP program recognition relevant to your goal.

Types of accredited programs

APA’s scope covers eligible health service psychology training in clinical, counseling, school psychology and combinations of these areas, including the relevant graduate, internship and postdoctoral levels. The examples below should be checked against the current directory.

• Clinical psychology
• Counseling
• School psychology
• Other “developed practice areas”
• Predoctoral internships in the above areas
• Postdoctoral residencies in clinical psychology, counseling, and school psychology
• Postdoctoral residencies in specialty areas

Why accreditation matters

Accreditation may affect licensing and employment options. Federal aid eligibility is determined through a separate institutional process, so ask the financial-aid office which programs and students qualify.

Accreditation matters at every education level. Verify institutional accreditation for undergraduate study and the appropriate programmatic status for your graduate or professional route.