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Mississippi Psychology Schools – MS
By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: February 5th, 2010
A doctoral degree is required in the state of Mississippi in order to practice as a psychologist. The steps leading to this degree begin with selecting a college or university program that offers bachelor’s and master’s degree level programs in psychology. Courses that will need to be taken vary slightly from institution to institution but generally include general psychology, careers in psychology, applied psychology, introduction to psychology statistics, and development and cognitive psychology. These initial courses introduce the student to the field and its wealth of options for further study.
Once the educational programs for each of these degrees are successfully completed, then a specialty can be chosen to further pursue the doctorate level degree online or through one of the psychology schools in Mississippi. The anticipated time frame from bachelor’s degree to doctorate degree completion is seven to nine years. The variance will depend on the length of the master’s program (typically 1-2 years) and the doctorate program (typically 2-3 years). Some psychology schools in Mississippi will even offer the psychology student the opportunity to transition throughout all three degree options at their institution. The best resource in determining which program(s) to apply to is the American Psychological Association (www.apa.org), as it approves those programs in Missippi that meet its standards and holds them in a higher ranking than non-approved programs. Additionally, post-doctorate hours (minimum of 2000) that are supervised by a currently licensed psychologist are also required before practicing in Mississippi.
Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Psychologists in Jackson, West Gulfport, Gulfport, Biloxi and Hattiesburg, Mississippi may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the Tupelo Hospital, North Mississippi Medical Center, Baptist Memorial Hospital and University of Mississippi Medical Center.