3 answers
Paiton
Student
Grundy Center, Iowa
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What classes should I take to help become a psychologist?
#psychology
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3 answers
Celeste De La Fuente
Student
10
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Celeste’s Answer
Hi ! if you are looking into being a psychologist I would if you haven't already major or get your degree in psychology. You should familiarize yourself with the writing style APA. And look at research for fun! this can be accessed by GoogleScholar. That way you have sense of the jargon and hopefully be able to determine which field in psychology are you interested in. Abnormal as well as developmental psychology are really great courses should you decide to go down this path.
Pamela L
College Student
3
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Pamela’s Answer
Hi Paiton! There are many psychology classes to take when enrolling in college. It can be a little overwhelming to choose one at first, so I can understand why you might be confused. However, in all actuality, it is difficult to answer your question because you didn't say what type of psychologist you wanted to be. Different psychologists require different skillsets more than others. For example, a school psychologist will need to take education classes or psychology classes geared toward children/adolescents, while an industrial organizational psychologist will need to take classes in communication/business/writing as well as industrial/organizational/psychology of motivation etc.
Generally speaking, it is always a good idea to take classes in statistics & research though, to understand the fundamentals of comprehending and interpreting research study components. Taking an introduction to psychology class is essential, and an internship class in your later years can provide you with valuable experience/skills outside the classroom. Try taking different classes with different populations (ex: infants, children, adolescents, adults, older adults), so that you gain knowledge about people from all walks of life. Classes in writing are very important too because psychology majors usually will spend a lot of time reading, jotting down, and analyzing detailed information, so keeping your writing skills sharp will benefit you in the long run. For me, a philosophy course with an emphasis on medical ethics was also really useful because it taught me about the value of compassionate care and how to be more open-minded.
Generally speaking, it is always a good idea to take classes in statistics & research though, to understand the fundamentals of comprehending and interpreting research study components. Taking an introduction to psychology class is essential, and an internship class in your later years can provide you with valuable experience/skills outside the classroom. Try taking different classes with different populations (ex: infants, children, adolescents, adults, older adults), so that you gain knowledge about people from all walks of life. Classes in writing are very important too because psychology majors usually will spend a lot of time reading, jotting down, and analyzing detailed information, so keeping your writing skills sharp will benefit you in the long run. For me, a philosophy course with an emphasis on medical ethics was also really useful because it taught me about the value of compassionate care and how to be more open-minded.
Tanaz Arteaga
Faculty and Administrator
8
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Tanaz’s Answer
Hi Paiton!
Good question! And love that you are preparing yourself already! :-)
Psychology is a broad field with a lot of subjects that serve as foundations to help support your future study of the field. In college, psychology students take all the general education courses so they can prepare to examine higher-level psychology topics easily.
You want to be able to write well, including knowing how to support your ideas with credible sources and give them credit with APA Style and Formatting. You want to take plenty of English and/or Writing/Composition courses, including those that help you learn research-based, scholarly strategies. Reading is important too.
It's important to practice communicating, so Speech, Public Speaking, or Communication classes are good. Although you won't be standing in front of people giving speeches as a psychologist, you will need to have similar skills. Like being clear in your speaking voice, tone, and words; considering your audience; confidence and professional presentation; and more. If you are able to take an interpersonal communications course that would be the best preparation.
Next, you want to take courses related to the social-behavioral sciences, humanities/culture, and natural sciences. Psychology topics have elements of a scientific approach, mixed with a humanities/social approach, so all these subjects will help prepare you to study human behavior. Even courses like art/music with cultural connections (usually an appreciation-type class) can be useful because many therapists use art therapy or music therapy with clients. Courses like philosophy or sociology are also connected as they consider human conditions and purposes- something that many clients grapple with during counseling sessions. Even math is useful because Psychology research and journal articles use a lot of statistical methods to understand people, figure out the best assessments and treatments, and look at medications, among other things.
And finally, the most obvious: it helps to take an introductory course in Psychology too. That helps you get a glimpse of some of what you'll dig into deeper as a future student of psychology at the college-level. Usually an intro course will only touch the surface, but you'll get a good idea of whether you are enjoying the material.
Hope this helps!
:-) Tanaz
High School students---Read more here: https://www.verywellmind.com/high-school-classes-for-psychology-majors-2795143 (on the left side are more links to information about APA writing, and careers too!)
College students--- Read more here: https://www.verywellmind.com/psychology-courses-you-should-take-2795152 (remember, a good college psychology program will provide guidance and may have specific requirements--- so check out the college websites too!)
For more info about Careers in Psychology, from the APA: https://www.apa.org/careers/resources/guides/careers
Good question! And love that you are preparing yourself already! :-)
Psychology is a broad field with a lot of subjects that serve as foundations to help support your future study of the field. In college, psychology students take all the general education courses so they can prepare to examine higher-level psychology topics easily.
You want to be able to write well, including knowing how to support your ideas with credible sources and give them credit with APA Style and Formatting. You want to take plenty of English and/or Writing/Composition courses, including those that help you learn research-based, scholarly strategies. Reading is important too.
It's important to practice communicating, so Speech, Public Speaking, or Communication classes are good. Although you won't be standing in front of people giving speeches as a psychologist, you will need to have similar skills. Like being clear in your speaking voice, tone, and words; considering your audience; confidence and professional presentation; and more. If you are able to take an interpersonal communications course that would be the best preparation.
Next, you want to take courses related to the social-behavioral sciences, humanities/culture, and natural sciences. Psychology topics have elements of a scientific approach, mixed with a humanities/social approach, so all these subjects will help prepare you to study human behavior. Even courses like art/music with cultural connections (usually an appreciation-type class) can be useful because many therapists use art therapy or music therapy with clients. Courses like philosophy or sociology are also connected as they consider human conditions and purposes- something that many clients grapple with during counseling sessions. Even math is useful because Psychology research and journal articles use a lot of statistical methods to understand people, figure out the best assessments and treatments, and look at medications, among other things.
And finally, the most obvious: it helps to take an introductory course in Psychology too. That helps you get a glimpse of some of what you'll dig into deeper as a future student of psychology at the college-level. Usually an intro course will only touch the surface, but you'll get a good idea of whether you are enjoying the material.
Hope this helps!
:-) Tanaz
Tanaz recommends the following next steps: