If you’re looking to help people through counseling, therapy or provide comparable services, earning a degree in psychology can propel you on your path. What’s great about earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology is it provides a foundation that can become the first step towards a cornucopia of different careers. Psychology graduates go on to work in business, health services, education, government, and many other sectors in the evolving, fragile modern economy. Many of the areas Psychology graduates end up pursuing careers in are expected to see above-average growth for the foreseeable future, especially as the Boomer population ages and needs more health services, among other similarly impactful trends.
Going to school is extremely difficult, especially if you’re not rich or have to contend with ongoing family and work commitments. That’s why we’ve ranked the fastest online psychology BS degrees. On this list you’ll find schools that were chosen based on their accelerated courses, transfer credits, regional accreditation, affordability and several other factors. Our goal is to help you find a program where you can earn a degree at a timely pace and start using it to reshape or mold your burgeoning career. If you’re reading that ranking and looking to better understand two major options in careers for Psych graduates, let’s consider the differences between being a psychologist vs. a therapist.
Psychologist vs. Therapist
Psychologists:
- Hold an advanced psychology degree
- Work with psychiatrists who prescribe medicine
- Diagnose disorders and other issues of their patients and or clients
- Design effective treatments after conducting diagnoses
- Help those they treat make decisions and express feelings
- Guide and support their patients/clients
Therapists:
- Can refer to psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage counselors, life coaches, and social workers
- A broader number of degrees (and disciplines) qualify professionals to work in these positions, including BSc’s, Master’s degree, PhD, MD or certificate in fields like social work, substance abuse, clinical psychology, psychiatry, counseling and others
- Also help patients/clients with decisions and expressing feelings, while supporting and guiding them
It’s important to remember there are a number of differences between the licensure for different Psychology-related positions depending on the state you live in, and what you want to do with your degree. Psychologists generally have more advanced degrees and stringent licensure requirements. Therapists often have less requirements and/or obstacles to practice, but not necessarily. There are plenty of differences in psychologist vs. therapist careers, but also many similarities. One thing’s for sure, if you’re looking to earn your BSc in Psychology, you don’t need to make any defining decisions about your career. At most, you can start to plan your career in theory, and perhaps pick a program that reflects your goals in either psychology or therapy work. Once again, a great place to start the search for an undergraduate Psychology program that will cost less and be completed quicker can be found here.
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