Top Forensic Psychology Schools
- Everest University Online Click for Recommended Degree Program
- Strayer University Online Click for Recommended Degree Program
- Liberty University Online Click for Recommended Degree Program
Bachelors Degree in Forensic Psychology
In most careers, a bachelor’s degree is all you need to find a job and start working. There are some sectors of the work force that require more of an education than that to start working. If you are planning to work as a forensic psychologist in the future, a bachelors degree in forensic psychology may not cut it. To actually run a practice in this line of work, you will need to take the time to get a doctor’s degree. Perhaps you need a little more convincing though. Here is a quick comparison of those two degree options to show you why you need to get a complete education.
The Truth about Bachelor’s Degree Programs
Truth be told, the field of psychology is simply too vast for someone to learn about it in four years. It takes an additional five to seven years of schooling beyond the baccalaureate level for a student to truly understand this field and all of the concepts involved with it. The reason why a bachelor’s degree works in most cases is because it provides a foundation of information that a person can build on when they actually begin work with a company. In forensic psychology, you have to be ready for work from the start. That is why you have to go through additional training, to make sure that you know everything you need to know before you start counseling people in the real world.
Bachelor’s degrees only cover psychology as a whole. They do not delve very far into the “forensic” aspect of the job. In fact, you may not have more than one or two classes in law and psychology before you enter grad school. That is perhaps the most important reason why you need to go through to a doctor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree is only going to be enough to let you work in some areas of psychology. To be a full-fledged forensic psychologist, you need to go all the way with your education. That is the only way you will know about the criminal justice system enough to be a part of it.
Pay Differences between Bachelor’s Degrees and Doctorate Degrees
Before you choose to ignore the information above, take a look at some of the salary differences you may see with different degrees:
- Bachelor’s Degree: $39,289 - $83,720
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Psychology: $73,495 - $248,323
- Doctor of Psychology (PsyD): $50,868 - $107,107
As you can see, you greatly improve your potential pay rates by going through with your doctorate degree. Let that be your motivation to go beyond a bachelors degree in forensic psychology. A few extra years could make a big difference for you in the end.
