Pursuing A Masters In Psychology

By:Scott Salter

The importance of psychology in life cannot be taken for granted. Psychology is the science that deals with human behavior as well as that of the non human. Though the course is only 125 years old, it is needed in almost in all spheres of life. Its study has its roots in biology to sociology, trying to seek a relationship between the brain functions and the behavior or the relationship between the environment and the behavior. Since the subject is so vast, there is therefore a need for specialization. As mentioned earlier, psychology touches many aspects of life and so there are various fields of study. These fields are studied in detail at the masters level.

Since 1960, there has been an increase in the students who pursue a masters in psychology. There is competition for jobs which are psychology related and so more and more students are joining the courses. In fact, it has been observed that more than two thirds of the students graduating with a masters in psychology get jobs on field, which are outside psychology and only about one third are employed in jobs which are directly related to psychology. A large number of those employed after graduating with a masters in psychology work on data collection and analysis in various firms and institutions, both in the government circles and the private sector.

There are various subfields of psychology where one can specialize. For example, one can study masters to be a Clinical Psychologist. Here one can deal with emotional and behavioral disorders. There is also Cognitive and perceptual psychologists who study human perception, thinking, and memory and often work closely with behavioral neuroscientists to explain clearly the bases of perception or cognition from the biological perspective. One can also study to be Developmental psychologists to be able to solve issues dealing with the psychological development in people throughout their lives. Educational psychology is another field which is quite popular today. Here you learn how to enhance teaching and learning.

Other areas one can do a master include Engineering psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, Experimental psychology, Forensic psychology, which tries to solve legal issues by applying psychological principles and Health psychology which is a study of how biological, psychological, and social factors affect health and illness. There is also industrial & organizational psychology where one can learn how to improve productivity in areas of work by employing psychological principles and research methods. There are many other areas too.

There are many universities in the USA which offer masters in psychology and one can opt for the course within the preferred specialization. The course normally takes two years. One should be a graduate holding a bachelors degree with a related subject. Some universities may enroll any student from any faculty but it's always advisable to take a masters in psychology if you have a related bachelor's degree.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: masters of psychology, psychology masters degree, masters in psychology, masters psychology programs

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

For detailed information on pursuing a Masters of Psychology and the best schools to apply to for any given psychological field go to http://www.masters-psychology.com

Top Psychology Articles
1). The Differences Between A Good Liar And A Great Liar: Using Eye Aversion And Amplification By : Simon Cruise You can tell a lot about how a person feels about you from the amount and kind of eye contact they give you during conversation. Noticing very little eye contact may suggest they’re feeling bored. While a heavy, unbroken gaze can bring about intense feelings of attraction, or even love.
2). Authenticity in Action By : Martha Ruske We are drawn to people who are being authentically themselves, even when we can see their faults. There is something very appealing about someone who is true to who they are, rather than altering their behavior to suit others. What are the characteristics of an authentic person, and what can we do to be more authentically ourselves?
3). A Brief History of Hypnosis By : Adam Eason Evidence of hypnotic-like phenomena appears in many ancient cultures. The writer of Genesis seems familiar with the anaesthetic power of hypnosis when he reports that God put Adam "into a deep sleep" to take his rib to form Eve. Other ancient records suggest hypnosis was used by the oracle at Delphi and in rites in ancient Egypt (Hughes and Rothovius, 1996).
4). Diagnosing Personality Disorders By : Sam Vaknin Personality traits are enduring, usually rigid patterns of behavior, thinking (cognition), and emoting expressed in a variety of circumstances and situations and throughout one's life (typically from early adolescence onward). Some personality traits are harmful to both oneself and to others. These are the dysfunctional traits. Often they cause discomfort and the person bearing these traits is unhappy and self-critical.
5). How to Experience a Lucid Dream By : David Slone Lucid dreaming means dreaming while you know that you are dreaming. The term was coined by Frederik van Eeden who used the word "lucid" in the sense of mental clarity. With practice nearly anyone can experience lucid dreams. Lucidity is not the same as dream control. It is possible to be lucid and have little control over the dream. However, becoming lucid in a dream is likely to increase your ability to deliberately influence the events within the dream.
6). Discover the Secrets of Personality Type By : Molly Owens Have you ever wondered why your spouse, coworkers, or children seem to think so differently from you? You may not understand why they make the decisions they do, or why they place such importance on things that seem inconsequential to you. It is possible to understand the answers to all these questions. The secret lies in the theory of Myers-Briggs personality type.
7). Energy Enhancement And VITRIOL - The First Formula Of Alchemy and the Removal of Fear. By : Swami Satchidanand VITRIOL is the First Formula of Alchemy - the hidden meaning of VITRIOL is a guided meditation which gives the hidden Meditational meaning of the Philosophers Stone.
8). Comfort Shoes vs. Stylish Shoes By : David Skul Shoes are made specially s a protection for our feet. Not only they keep us from sickness, it will also be able to make us look good. The choice of shoes whether on design or quality, depends on the owner.
9). The Heart of Grief By : Sammy Hospice patients come to our care after being cut, burned, and poisoned. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment are the normative methods of care for most of the patients who enter a life-threatening disease. Hospital staff members are trained to be aggressive about curative care. Hospice care is a phase of care whereby aggressive treatment is no longer appropriate.
10). Personality Testing; Myth and Realities By : Saqib It is commonly believed myth that personality testing instruments can measure your personality and predict your future behaviors. The pre-employment testing mechanism has been following this creed without any solid evidence. The testing industry claims all out validity. The educational institutions and employer organizations use them for screening purposes.

New Psychology Articles
1). An Introduction To Hypnosis By : Arun Pal Singh A basic introduction to hypnosis
2). The Communal Sharing of Enchantment By : Barbara Holstein Mentoring and learning from each other is much more that taking a course or explicitly giving someone advice or help. Almost every moment of every day when we are with people has the potential for becoming a mentoring or a learning situation.
3). The World's Greatest Lie... By : Lance Ong "Everyone believes the world's greatest lie..." says the mysterious old man. "What is the world's greatest lie?" the little boy asks. The old man replies, "It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie." (An excerpt from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
4). What is Personality? By : Sam Vaknin In their opus magnum "Personality Disorders in Modern Life", Theodore Millon and Roger Davis define personality as: "(A) complex pattern of deeply embedded psychological characteristics that are expressed automatically in almost every area of psychological functioning." (p. 2) The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)) IV-TR (2000), published by.
5). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) - Pros and Cons By : Sam Vaknin The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition, text revision [American Psychiatric Association. DSM-IV-TR, Washington, 2000] - or the DSM-IV-TR for short - describes Axis II personality disorders as "deeply ingrained, maladaptive, lifelong behavior patterns". But the classificatory model the DSM has been using since 1952 is harshly criticized as woefully inadequate by many scholars and practitioners.
6). The Construct of Normal Personality By : Sam Vaknin Personality disorders are dysfunctions of our whole identity, tears in the fabric of who we are. They are all-pervasive because our personality is ubiquitous and permeates each and every one of our mental cells. I just published the first article in this topic titled "What is Personality?". Read it to understand the subtle differences between "personality", "character", and "temperament".
7). Narcissism and Personality Disorders By : Sam Vaknin Are all personality disorders the outcomes of frustrated narcissism? During our formative years (6 months to 6 years old), we are all "narcissists". Primary Narcissism is a useful and critically important defense mechanism. As the infant separates from his mother and becomes an individual, it is likely to experience great apprehension, fear, and pain.
8). Diagnosing Personality Disorders By : Sam Vaknin Personality traits are enduring, usually rigid patterns of behavior, thinking (cognition), and emoting expressed in a variety of circumstances and situations and throughout one's life (typically from early adolescence onward). Some personality traits are harmful to both oneself and to others. These are the dysfunctional traits. Often they cause discomfort and the person bearing these traits is unhappy and self-critical.
9). Common Features of Personality Disorders By : Sam Vaknin Psychology is more an art form than a science. There is no "Theory of Everything" from which one can derive all mental health phenomena and make falsifiable predictions. Still, as far as personality disorders are concerned, it is easy to discern common features. Most personality disorders share a set of symptoms (as reported by the patient) and signs (as observed by the mental health practitioner).
10). Cluster B Personality Disorders By : Sam Vaknin The DSM-IV-TR (2000) defines a personality disorder as: "An enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations the individuals culture (and is manifested in two or more of his or her areas of mental life:) cognition, affectivity, interpersonal functioning, or impulse control." Such a pattern is rigid, long-term (stable), and recurrent.