Earning a PhD in psychology is a big investment of time, effort, and money. While the doctoral journey is intensely rewarding on an academic and personal level, soon enough you need to start planning your post-PhD career. With a doctorate in psychology, you gain expertise in scientific research, analytical skills, and extensive knowledge of human behavior. This opens up diverse career possibilities within and beyond academia. Here is a guide to help figure out impactful career directions after completing your PhD in psychology.
Academic Careers
The conventional path after a psychology PhD is to pursue a career in academia as a researcher or professor This allows you to utilize your specialized expertise and passion for a subject by teaching the next generation of students Here are typical academic roles to consider
Professor
As a professor at a college or university you get to instruct graduate and undergraduate psychology courses. Other key duties are supervising student research projects serving on academic committees, guiding curriculum design, and performing administrative tasks. A PhD, publications, and teaching experience are prerequisites for faculty positions.
Researcher
Academic institutions hire specialized researchers to lead investigations in niches like social psychology, neuroscience, personality psychology, and more. You design studies, perform experiments, analyze data, and publish findings. A research-focused academic career also provides opportunities to obtain grants, speak at conferences, and collaborate with other scholars.
Post-doctoral Fellow
Before applying for professor roles, most PhDs pursue post-doctoral fellowships under established faculty. As a post-doc you get to further build research skills, publish papers, mentor students, and strengthen your CV. These temporary positions help launch your independent research career.
Clinical Psychology Careers
Those with a PhD in clinical psychology can provide therapy services and conduct research related to mental health. Here are some potential clinical psychology careers:
Clinical Psychologist
In private practice, hospitals, community clinics or government agencies, you assess patients for disorders, provide diagnoses, develop treatment plans, and offer counseling or psychotherapy. You may work with specific groups like children, families, couples, or those struggling with addictions.
Clinical Director
As a senior clinician, you will lead a team of psychologists and counselors. Typical responsibilities include managing operations, hiring and training staff, monitoring clinician caseloads, maintaining quality standards, and overseeing administrative tasks.
Clinical Researcher
You can conduct original research on psychological disorders, experimental treatments, effectiveness of therapies, mental health policies and similar topics. Clinical researchers are employed in academic settings, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare organizations.
Alternative Career Options
Fortunately, a PhD in psychology equips you with transferable skills applicable across diverse professional settings beyond academia and healthcare. Some great alternative career paths include:
Psychology Professor
You can train future psychologists by teaching at the undergraduate or graduate level at colleges and universities. Core duties are developing curricula, instructing degree courses, grading assignments, and mentoring students.
Research Psychologist
Government agencies and private research firms hire psychologists to study human behavior, cognitive processes, consumer trends and similar topics to guide organizational practices and policies.
Industrial Organizational Psychologist
Apply psychology principles to improve workplace environment, culture, productivity, and employee engagement and satisfaction. Conduct research on management practices, training needs, team dynamics, and organizational structures.
Human Resources Manager/Director
Drive employee recruitment, onboarding, performance management, training, compensation, and retention initiatives. Use your knowledge of psychology to promote diversity and inclusion, resolve workplace conflicts, and enhance organizational development.
Business/Marketing Manager/Director
Leverage your analytical mindset and human insights to develop business growth strategies and craft persuasive marketing campaigns. Guide product development, branding, advertising, customer research, and sales enablement initiatives.
Forensic Psychologist
Assist legal processes by conducting risk assessments of criminals, investigating crime scenes, developing psychological profiles, determining competency of defendants, understanding eyewitness testimony, and advocating for prisoners.
Developing Your Psychology Career
Here are some tips to establish a fulfilling and meaningful career after earning your PhD:
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Get published: Having a strong record of peer-reviewed publications significantly boosts your job prospects and credibility.
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Build networks: Connect with scholars, clinicians, and industry leaders through associations, conferences, social media groups, and alumni communities.
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Obtain licensure: Clinical, counseling, school and other specializations require psychologist licensing, so plan preparation and application.
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Consider a post-doc: Short-term academic positions expand your research experience and publications to open up more career opportunities.
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Do internships: Look for clinical, forensic or organizational psychology internships and practicums to acquire field experience.
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Explore alternate domains: Sectors like technology, business, government, education, and public policy eagerly hire PhDs for research and leadership roles.
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Develop broader skills: Enhance your communication, project management, public speaking, and people abilities to stay competitive across sectors.
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Remain flexible: Be open to diverse roles where you can apply your advanced psychology expertise in meaningful ways.
Key Takeaways
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A PhD in psychology equips you for diverse academic careers as a professor, researcher, clinical practitioner, or post-doctoral associate.
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Alternatively, you can pursue psychology roles in healthcare, business, technology, government, justice, and other sectors.
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Build your research portfolio, professional network, and broad skillset to open up more career options after graduation.
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Define your professional interests and remain open to new domains where you can use your psychology knowledge.
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With smart planning and preparation, a PhD in psychology can lead to an immensely rewarding and impactful career.
Earning a PhD and building an engaging career does require perseverance and proactiveness. But channeling your specialized psychology knowledge into meaningful real-world impact makes the effort truly worthwhile. Assess your own strengths, passions and professional objectives to chart a fulfilling career path.
Will a PhD in Psychology help me achieve my career goals?
If a PhD candidate is primarily interested in a career as a professional counselor, therapist, or educator, it is theoretically not necessary to pursue a degree higher than a masters in counseling, therapy, social work, etc. to achieve this objective. A masters degree can be used to enter a variety of professions without a PhD. However, several professions in the field of psychology require a PhD or will be made more easily attainable with the higher level of education awarded by a PhD. This is why it is important to carefully consider all options and get clarity around your goals as a psychologist or otherwise.
Psychologists make a positive impact in the lives of those struggling with mental health
You’ve earned your bachelor’s degree in Psychology; now what?
Depending on your career goals and academic interests, you may choose to pursue a master’s in Psychology, a PsyD, or a PhD in Psychology.
A PhD, which is a Doctor of Philosophy degree, may be earned in any number of fields wherein the doctorate program is research focused. A PhD in Psychology, therefore, is a doctorate degree for those interested in psychology research, academia, professorship, and authorship. This degree is the highest level graduate degree in the field of psychology, and as a result trains students for a wide range of professional opportunities that represent a broad spectrum of research and practice areas.
Alternatively, a PsyD program is a good fit for individuals who are interested in research but are more practice-driven. A PsyD in Psychology, like a PhD, is a doctorate degree, but was introduced within higher education much more recently and is not offered as widely as the PhD. Students who desire to work with patients directly, are curious about techniques, and enjoy putting educational theory into practice may benefit from a PsyD in Psychology.
If a doctorate is not of interest, a master’s in psychology will prepare matriculants for a career in behavioral health and counseling, with a lower degree of training in analytical skills and a higher emphasis on career skills.
Of the three graduate degrees we’ve outlined, the PhD in Psychology is considered the most prestigious degree in the field due to its long history and the broad, rigorous training required for completion.
Getting into a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program–Advice from a Professor
What can you do with a PhD in psychology?
According to the APA, 4% of psychology doctorate graduates become managers, executives, and administrators. While a doctoral degree is not required to become a human resources manager or director, a Ph.D. or Psy.D can help candidates stand out with valuable skills in understanding human behavior and building effective teams.
Can you become a psychologist with a PhD?
Only graduates with a Psy.D. or a Ph.D. in psychology can become licensed psychologists (except for school psychologists ). Similarly, if you want to become a professor of psychology in most colleges or universities, you will need to graduate from an accredited doctorate in psychology program.
How do I get a PhD in psychology?
Many will accept students with a master’s in a related field or a bachelor’s degree with work experience. Students seeking a Ph.D. in psychology often need to demonstrate knowledge of psychology research, while students applying for a Psy.D. program need to show even more extensive research skills or aptitude.
Which doctorate degree should I get in psychology?
The two doctorate degrees you can get in psychology are Ph.D. and Psy.D. In simple terms, a Ph.D. in psychology is more research-focused, while a Psy.D. emphasizes clinical practice. The best choice between the two depends on your career goals and whether you prefer research and academia or direct clinical work.
