Current Events > Is psychology really a useless degree?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Theoretically cant someone be a jobber for a couple years and then open their own practice?

Better to have a psych degree than no degree at all.
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No, it's just bitter intjs trying to feel better about their passionless degree
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Any degree is useful if you are useful.
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J03can posted...

Better to have a psych degree than no degree at all.

I have a psychology degree and am a firefighter. All i have to show for it is a student loan
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yes since its gonna be supplanted by neurology

its gonna be like astronomy and astrology
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calling degrees useless is pigheaded and completely misses the point of going to university in the first place
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Behaviorism posted...

J03can posted...

Better to have a psych degree than no degree at all.

I have a psychology degree and an a firefighter. All i have to show for it is a student loan

It looks good in a job interview that youve completed post secondary education. Shows motivation and sticktoitiveness
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I have a BS in psychology (as my second degree, primary degree is in biochemistry earned concurrently) and dont even bother mentioning it most of the time

You need a PhD or a PsyD to have a legitimate practice
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SterlingM posted...

yes since its gonna be supplanted by neurology

its gonna be like astronomy and astrology

As a neuroscientist, or at least one in training, with a psych degree, naw.
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A Bachelor's is only useful if you're transferring to a graduate program. I did it before law school, but then dropped out of that and got stuck with a useless degree.

The only application I found for it was childcare/education-related work, but the pay is absolute shit and you can get treated terribly, depending on the setting.

A psychology degree is a bridge to something else. If you stop in the middle of the bridge, the degree is useless. If you decided to cross that bridge into the medical field, then it becomes useful.

Psychology degrees are not completely useless... they're kinda good for getting customer service jobs.
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I have a BA in psych and I am useless, but my degree is not...
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Psychology helps you maneuver through everyday life
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Pitlord_Special posted...

I have a BS in psychology (as my second degree, primary degree is in biochemistry earned concurrently) and dont even bother mentioning it most of the time

You need a PhD or a PsyD to have a legitimate practice

What is the difference between PhD and PsyD?

SchoolForAnts posted...

Pitlord_Special posted...

I have a BS in psychology (as my second degree, primary degree is in biochemistry earned concurrently) and dont even bother mentioning it most of the time

You need a PhD or a PsyD to have a legitimate practice

What is the difference between PhD and PsyD?

A clinical psych PhD has a large research component and requires a dissertation while the PsyD has no research and requires no dissertation.

Important to note that clinical psych PhDs are the only psych PhDs that can practice or have any focus on therapy at all.
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COVxy posted...

SchoolForAnts posted...

Pitlord_Special posted...

I have a BS in psychology (as my second degree, primary degree is in biochemistry earned concurrently) and dont even bother mentioning it most of the time

You need a PhD or a PsyD to have a legitimate practice

What is the difference between PhD and PsyD?

A clinical psych PhD has a large research component and requires a dissertation while the PsyD has no research and requires no dissertation.

Important to note that clinical psych PhDs are the only psych PhDs that can practice or have any focus on therapy at all.

Can you get a clinical PhD if you just get a masters in general?
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A bachelor's in psychology is not adequate for work within the field. Many people equate psych with mental health/illness. That's only a sliver of the umbrella of psychology. A psychology degree has intrinsic value in terms of entrepreneurs or if your work can benefit from a scientific view on behavior.

In terms of job opportunities, it will help you get hired at places that simply look for a bachelor's level of education. The value the degree bestows requires application of it's knowledge; it's not an assembly line into a related line of work.

I'm about to become a physician and I'm glad I majored in psychology during my undergrad as it helps with how I interact with both patients and colleagues. I would never stay at just the bachelor's level with psych though. I'm also biased in the bachelor's of science route as opposed to arts. The former will emphasize more harder sciences into your education and a college-level understanding of biology, chemistry, and physics really helps ground one's education in psychology when you can really view behavior in terms of mechanisms and as emergent phenomena deriving from biology and chemistry.
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Dude idk how you could do a BS. I was so glad to be done just with stats
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The degree itself is not wrong or anything. The problem is the field is oversaturated. In an oversaturated field the entrance requirements will climb and climb, competition will be steep, and salaries will drop.

It just kind of appeals to everyone and it's easy.
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Blue_Dream87 posted...

Dude idk how you could do a BS. I was so glad to be done just with stats

On the contrary, science is an incredibly powerful tool, and while it takes works to learn how to use it, it quite literally lets you manipulate the universe.
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BlameAnesthesia posted...

Blue_Dream87 posted...

Dude idk how you could do a BS. I was so glad to be done just with stats

On the contrary, science is an incredibly powerful tool, and while it takes works to learn how to use it, it quite literally lets you manipulate the universe.

I guess we're different in our approach, but I'm also a clinical psych guy lol. It is crazy, when I took cog and bio I wish I knew the biological components more, but I just don't have the time anymore to do those classes. Maybe when I'm old. You do any research?
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You need to go to grad school to do anything worthwhile with it. Even a Masters can get you a decent job though. I got both a psychology degree and biology degree before getting a PhD in neuroscience, and now I am a research professor.
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BlameAnesthesia posted...

A bachelor's in psychology is not adequate for work within the field. Many people equate psych with mental health/illness. That's only a sliver of the umbrella of psychology. A psychology degree has intrinsic value in terms of entrepreneurs or if your work can benefit from a scientific view on behavior.

In terms of job opportunities, it will help you get hired at places that simply look for a bachelor's level of education. The value the degree bestows requires application of it's knowledge; it's not an assembly line into a related line of work.

I'm about to become a physician and I'm glad I majored in psychology during my undergrad as it helps with how I interact with both patients and colleagues. I would never stay at just the bachelor's level with psych though. I'm also biased in the bachelor's of science route as opposed to arts. The former will emphasize more harder sciences into your education and a college-level understanding of biology, chemistry, and physics really helps ground one's education in psychology when you can really view behavior in terms of mechanisms and as emergent phenomena deriving from biology and chemistry.

I really feel we live in a fucked up system when a bachelors degree is NOT an adequate qualification for work in a specific field. Sure, you may not be anyones first choice, but at least you should be able to earn a living with said degree, or else the system is just a fucking joke.

Not saying youre wrong man, I bet youre right, and this is valuable info. I just feel its a stupid situation

SchoolForAnts posted...

I really feel we live in a fucked up system when a bachelors degree is NOT an adequate qualification for work in a specific field. Sure, you may not be anyones first choice, but at least you should be able to earn a living with said degree, or else the system is just a fucking joke.

I mean, different fields require different amount of training. You wouldn't want there to be untrained doctors out there, just as you wouldn't want untrained clinical psychologists.

Then, any other path in psychology is identical to any other path in the sciences, in terms of amount of training.
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Psychology is definitely a useful degree, lol

Well, at least with a doctorate it is.

SterlingM posted...

yes since its gonna be supplanted by neurology

its gonna be like astronomy and astrology

OK I'll bite

wtf?
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Some of the highest paid professionals in state governments are state psychologists.
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I used to teach undergraduate psychology research methods and sensation and perception. You don't want undergrads working as psychologists. It's way too easy to be ignorant and still get a degree. Universities actually pressure us to give good grades.
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Psychology isn't useless. It reveals how formulaic and predictable people typically are.

I stopped. It felt like going to a magic show and peeking behind the curtain. It also had me treating everything like a social experiment.

COVxy posted...

SchoolForAnts posted...

I really feel we live in a fucked up system when a bachelors degree is NOT an adequate qualification for work in a specific field. Sure, you may not be anyones first choice, but at least you should be able to earn a living with said degree, or else the system is just a fucking joke.

I mean, different fields require different amount of training. You wouldn't want there to be untrained doctors out there, just as you wouldn't want untrained clinical psychologists.

Then, any other path in psychology is identical to any other path in the sciences, in terms of amount of training.

I mean an engineer can do engineer stuff with his degree. You would not want a collapsing bridge or flammable electric thing (for example) either...

Even a carpenter! Your wooden bunk bed collapses and its a Mortal Kombat fatality waiting to happen...

SchoolForAnts posted...

COVxy posted...

SchoolForAnts posted...

I really feel we live in a fucked up system when a bachelors degree is NOT an adequate qualification for work in a specific field. Sure, you may not be anyones first choice, but at least you should be able to earn a living with said degree, or else the system is just a fucking joke.

I mean, different fields require different amount of training. You wouldn't want there to be untrained doctors out there, just as you wouldn't want untrained clinical psychologists.

Then, any other path in psychology is identical to any other path in the sciences, in terms of amount of training.

I mean an engineer can do engineer stuff with his degree. You would not want a collapsing bridge or flammable electric thing (for example) either...

Even a carpenter! Your wooden bunk bed collapses and its a Mortal Kombat fatality waiting to happen...

My friend is close to his master's right now, and the way he explained it to me was that there's nothing stopping you from just getting a bachelor's and stopping, but you'll be passed over for nearly everyone else.

It's not any "system" that's the problem, it's that so many people went for psych degrees when there was a limited number of jobs to be had, so to distinguish yourself you had to get more education and pretty soon that became the norm.

Meanwhile, we're far from the hitting the upper limits of carpenters (actually trained, skilled carpenters) and engineers, so the minimum training is just fine for getting a job.
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As a primary bachelor's it is.

You have to go deep in psychology (getting a doctorate) to get use out of it.
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codey posted...

SchoolForAnts posted...

COVxy posted...

SchoolForAnts posted...

I really feel we live in a fucked up system when a bachelors degree is NOT an adequate qualification for work in a specific field. Sure, you may not be anyones first choice, but at least you should be able to earn a living with said degree, or else the system is just a fucking joke.

I mean, different fields require different amount of training. You wouldn't want there to be untrained doctors out there, just as you wouldn't want untrained clinical psychologists.

Then, any other path in psychology is identical to any other path in the sciences, in terms of amount of training.

I mean an engineer can do engineer stuff with his degree. You would not want a collapsing bridge or flammable electric thing (for example) either...

Even a carpenter! Your wooden bunk bed collapses and its a Mortal Kombat fatality waiting to happen...

My friend is close to his master's right now, and the way he explained it to me was that there's nothing stopping you from just getting a bachelor's and stopping, but you'll be passed over for nearly everyone else.

It's not any "system" that's the problem, it's that so many people went for psych degrees when there was a limited number of jobs to be had, so to distinguish yourself you had to get more education and pretty soon that became the norm.

Meanwhile, we're far from the hitting the upper limits of carpenters (actually trained, skilled carpenters) and engineers, so the minimum training is just fine for getting a job.

Oh I get it. It makes a lot of sense now thanks

averagejoel posted...

calling degrees useless is pigheaded and completely misses the point of going to university in the first place

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Romulox28 posted...

averagejoel posted...

calling degrees useless is pigheaded and completely misses the point of going to university in the first place

The old scams that colleges push, you go to college to become a well rounded person, a polymath.

Maybe in the reinissance, but now you need to put food on the plate too.

BlameAnesthesia posted...

A bachelor's in psychology is not adequate for work within the field. Many people equate psych with mental health/illness. That's only a sliver of the umbrella of psychology. A psychology degree has intrinsic value in terms of entrepreneurs or if your work can benefit from a scientific view on behavior.

In terms of job opportunities, it will help you get hired at places that simply look for a bachelor's level of education. The value the degree bestows requires application of it's knowledge; it's not an assembly line into a related line of work.

I'm about to become a physician and I'm glad I majored in psychology during my undergrad as it helps with how I interact with both patients and colleagues. I would never stay at just the bachelor's level with psych though. I'm also biased in the bachelor's of science route as opposed to arts. The former will emphasize more harder sciences into your education and a college-level understanding of biology, chemistry, and physics really helps ground one's education in psychology when you can really view behavior in terms of mechanisms and as emergent phenomena deriving from biology and chemistry.

Would you say that psychology goes along better with the hard sciences than some of the other social sciences? Besides neurochemistry and its quantum basis, a fair bit of psychology seems to rely on getting an understanding of the underlying mammalian mechanisms that govern our behavior.
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J03can posted...

Better to have a psych degree than no degree at all.

its better to have 60k worth of student loans avoided and 4 years worth of income from practically any source of labor than to own a psych degree.

I can't speak for psychology but idk what the hell I would have done with just a BS in biology. I felt like my knowledge of biology was so paper thin over a huge expanse of topics.
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Are there any jobs that require a bachelors degree, without mattering in what? Or even a masters degree, but no matter in what??

Also, just so were clear, you CAN open your own practice with just a bachelors in psychology? Do you have to pass any test?

No.
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My biology degree was used just as a stepping stone to get into pharmacy school. By itself, maybe I could've been a lab rat?
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SchoolForAnts posted...

Also, just so were clear, you CAN open your own practice with just a bachelors in psychology? Do you have to pass any test?

You need a license to do any clinical work, which typically require certs or degrees
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SchoolForAnts posted...

Romulox28 posted...

averagejoel posted...

calling degrees useless is pigheaded and completely misses the point of going to university in the first place

The old scams that colleges push, you go to college to become a well rounded person, a polymath.

Maybe in the reinissance, but now you need to put food on the plate too.

are you saying that well-rounded people cant find work?
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Romulox28 posted...

SchoolForAnts posted...

Romulox28 posted...

averagejoel posted...

calling degrees useless is pigheaded and completely misses the point of going to university in the first place

The old scams that colleges push, you go to college to become a well rounded person, a polymath.

Maybe in the reinissance, but now you need to put food on the plate too.

are you saying that well-rounded people cant find work?

Lot of CEOs and other rich mofos have degrees outside their career field. Dude just doesn't know what the point of a degree is for some
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Blue_Dream87 posted...

Romulox28 posted...

SchoolForAnts posted...

Romulox28 posted...

averagejoel posted...

calling degrees useless is pigheaded and completely misses the point of going to university in the first place

The old scams that colleges push, you go to college to become a well rounded person, a polymath.

Maybe in the reinissance, but now you need to put food on the plate too.

are you saying that well-rounded people cant find work?

Lot of CEOs and other rich mofos have degrees outside their career field. Dude just doesn't know what the point of a degree is for some

Privileged fucks can do whatever they want because of their privilege

SchoolForAnts posted...

Are there any jobs that require a bachelors degree, without mattering in what? Or even a masters degree, but no matter in what??

Yeah, but if people stopped paying for useless degrees like Psych BA then those jobs wouldn't require a bachelor's degree
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rikasa posted...

SchoolForAnts posted...

Are there any jobs that require a bachelors degree, without mattering in what? Or even a masters degree, but no matter in what??

Yeah, but if people stopped paying for useless degrees like Psych BA then those jobs wouldn't require a bachelor's degree

I mean, students really shouldn't be entering college without any goal in mind.
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