What degree do you need to be a psychologist?

There is no specific undergrad degree needed to become a psychologist, however, majoring in psychology is highly recommended. This will help give you the basic foundations in psychology and help you to decide on an area of focus when you apply to graduate school.

You can specialize, for example, in cognitive development, social psychology, learning theories, and personality in adolescence, to name a few.

You should also decide on whether you want to work in academia or the clinical route. If your goal is to do research and teach, then the academic track is for you. If you want to meet with patients, however, and help people with mental illness, then you will want to pick a clinical psychology program.

To get accepted into a graduate psychology program, you should have a high GPA and good graduate record examination (GRE) scores.

The GRE measures your verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills -- skills that have been developed over a long period of time and are not related to a specific field of study but are important for all.

Depending on where you intend to practice and the specific concentration you are interested in (e.g., child psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy), you may be able to pursue a psychology license after earning a master's degree, either a Master of Arts or a Master of Science.

If you decide to pursue a doctoral degree, you will choose between a PsyD, a practical degree for would-be counselors; a Ph.D., which is more research-oriented; an EdD, or Doctor of Education; and an EdS, or education specialist. Check your state requirements and consider your career goals to determine which degree is right for you.