Outside US & Canada?
Transitioning to a Child Psychology Career
By Melody GoughQuestion
I currently work as a teacher, but would like to become a child psychologist. Can you help me figure out the best way to make this happen?
Answer
You already know that working with children of any age requires patience, kindness, and compassion. These traits are also crucial in a child psychology career. Keep in mind that even though these two fields each call for training in child behavior, their areas of specialization are very different. For example, child psychologists focus primarily on diagnosing learning disabilities and developing patient-specific treatments.
You didn't mention whether or not you possess a degree in education, but I'm guessing you have some sort of formal training. Make an appointment with a career counselor and discuss your desire to work in a new field. S/he should be able to help you chart an educational path to get you pointed in the right direction. Discuss the advantages of on-campus and online education, to figure out which learning format best meets your needs.
If you do possess a bachelor's degree in education, it may be enough for entry into a master's degree program in child psychology or child development. This would be a logical step. However, see if your state allows you to practice child psychology with a master's degree, or if a PhD is necessary.
University of Nevada Reno professor Melody Gough is here to answer your questions every week. Professor Gough has taught poetry in both online and community college classrooms for almost a decade and has also taught English composition at the local university for the past five years. In addition to advising her students and inspiring them with witty classroom exercises, Professor Gough writes both poetry and memoir. Her Master of Arts in Teaching English is from the University of Nevada, Reno.
