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kiley
Student
Kerrville, Texas
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how long will i have to go to school to get my ph.d in psychology
I want to get my Ph.D. #phd #psychologist in psychology
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2 answers
Gizem K.
postdoctoral researcher
37
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United States
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Gizem’s Answer
Hi Kiley,
I totally agree with Jennifer's answer. My PhD is not in psychology either, but I had a couple of friends in psychology PhD programs. In the US, except some extremely rare cases, PhD programs take a minimum of 4 years and they can be longer than 7 years.
Even if you have a master's degree, when you start a new PhD program in the US, you will go through the same procedure (i.e. courses, qualifying exams, graduate board orals etc.) as others (unlike some other countries). Having a master's degree might allow you to be exempt from a couple of courses and help you integrate into the research environment faster though.
Although it is great to have a plan when starting, PhD programs are very different in nature compared with undergraduate programs. There are many factors, some beyond the student's control, affecting how long it takes to graduate. If you like research and want to have a career which requires a PhD, I think it is worth it and I would definitely recommend it!
Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors!
I totally agree with Jennifer's answer. My PhD is not in psychology either, but I had a couple of friends in psychology PhD programs. In the US, except some extremely rare cases, PhD programs take a minimum of 4 years and they can be longer than 7 years.
Even if you have a master's degree, when you start a new PhD program in the US, you will go through the same procedure (i.e. courses, qualifying exams, graduate board orals etc.) as others (unlike some other countries). Having a master's degree might allow you to be exempt from a couple of courses and help you integrate into the research environment faster though.
Although it is great to have a plan when starting, PhD programs are very different in nature compared with undergraduate programs. There are many factors, some beyond the student's control, affecting how long it takes to graduate. If you like research and want to have a career which requires a PhD, I think it is worth it and I would definitely recommend it!
Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors!
Jennifer D.
User Experience (UX) Researcher
3
Answers
Updated
Jennifer’s Answer
I have a PhD in computer science, so not psychology, but I think many PhD programs have a similar story. The length of time depends on a few things: 1) Do you have a Master's already or no? 2) Is your Master's or Bachelor's in the same area or not? 3) How fast you *want* to go!
...and whole bunch of other things like: Do you pass some exams the first time, or no? And does your advisor have funding, or no?
In my case, for example, I had a Bachelor's in Computer Science, and went straight to a PhD, and skipped the Master's. I spent 4 years getting a Bachelor's degree, and 5 years getting my PhD. I decided to skip the Master's because I knew I wanted to be a researcher, and I'm stubborn. It was often recommended for me to get a Master's just in case I changed my mind, and could then at least have a Master's even if I didn't complete the PhD. I didn't take that advice, though.
I think it is typical for a PhD to take 3-7 years to get, and sometimes even longer, but definitely no less than 3 years.
...and whole bunch of other things like: Do you pass some exams the first time, or no? And does your advisor have funding, or no?
In my case, for example, I had a Bachelor's in Computer Science, and went straight to a PhD, and skipped the Master's. I spent 4 years getting a Bachelor's degree, and 5 years getting my PhD. I decided to skip the Master's because I knew I wanted to be a researcher, and I'm stubborn. It was often recommended for me to get a Master's just in case I changed my mind, and could then at least have a Master's even if I didn't complete the PhD. I didn't take that advice, though.
I think it is typical for a PhD to take 3-7 years to get, and sometimes even longer, but definitely no less than 3 years.