One of the best child and adolescent psychology degrees is a ticket to a fulfilling and fruitful career.
It can be challenging to choose a career. How do you find a job that makes you feel accomplished and pays the bills? Well, how about child and adolescent psychology? People in this sector make impressive salaries, help our youth, and do well in the world. If you’re interested in this area of work, consider one of the 5 Best Bachelor’s in Child and Adolescent Psychology.
The field has centuries-old roots, but it’s still under constant innovation. Every day, we learn more about the psychology of children. They’re the most malleable humans on the planet. It takes meticulous research to understand how children develop and how to cater to them through our educational and social systems.
Children raised today sit behind iPads, televisions, and more technology than any generation before it. While research has shown that technology doesn’t necessarily have an adverse effect on children, it does modify our relationship with them and their connection to the world. It is the job of researchers in the child psychology field to find exactly how to cater to children in today’s changing environment.
What is a Child and Adolescent Psychology Degree?
Understanding the psychology of our youth is critical for professionals in many sectors, including social work, education, and psychology. Youth psychology programs provide a comprehensive understanding of the mind of children, how they develop, and how we can best work with them. These degrees help us guide children and adolescents through the darkest times and help them shine in their brightest moments.
Some classes that students take in these programs are Family Involvement with Young Children, Nutrition in the Life Cycle, Early Childhood Literacy, and Early Childhood Health Care. Many classes are psychology-focused, but many courses concentrate on practical methods in social work and education.
Requirements for youth psychology programs depend on the program. The majority of the programs on this list require applying students to have graduated from high school. Some, however, will accept students as long as they have a GED. Almost every school requires students to submit letters of recommendation, ACT or SAT scores, and application essays.
Careers for Child and Adolescent Majors
Child and adolescent psychology programs lead students to excellent careers. People with a knack for teaching can use a bachelor’s in the field to become an educator of students of all ages and abilities. This degree qualifies graduates to gain several teaching licenses, including as a special education teacher and high school educator.
If you are fond of psychology, you can continue to a doctorate and become a psychologist or counselor. This path would require much more schooling than other tracks, but it also leads to high salaries and excellent positions. Child and adolescent psychologists work at elementary schools, private clinics, outpatient care centers, and social services.
Teachers and social workers should highly consider getting a master’s in education, social work, or child and adolescent psychology. An advanced degree leads to better opportunities, higher salaries, and the education to flourish in the field. Almost every psychologist must complete a doctoral degree, and there aren’t too many job opportunities for aspiring psychologists with only a bachelor’s degree.
Child and Adolescent Psychology Salary Potential
Child and adolescent psychology graduates have access to dozens of jobs. Some sectors like social work don’t pay excellent wages, while psychologist positions provide impressive salaries. Remember again, though, that you need a doctoral degree for the top-paying jobs.
Below, we’ve compiled the salaries of popular jobs for child and adolescent psychology graduates. The statistics we’re reporting follow the average salaries of positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- Kindergarten and elementary school teachers earn $61,620 per year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 1,548,500 teachers, and the number will grow by 10,700 in the next ten years.
- Special education teachers make $62,950 per year. The sector, with 498,400 people, will grow by 33,500 positions per year until the year 2032 but most of these are predicted to replace workers who are moving on to different positions or retiring from the field. This will essentially lead to little or no growth in employment expectancy.
- Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists make $87,450 per year. There is no consensus on the number of school psychologists, but the field will grow by 14% by 2032.
- Social workers earn $55,350 per year. There are 728,600 jobs in the field and the BLS forecasts that the sector will grow by 53,800 jobs in the next ten years.
What are the Best Child and Adolescent Psychology Degrees?
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Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University offers an excellent online bachelor’s in child & family studies program. This program grants the education and qualifications to work as a social worker, educator, or institutional worker. It can also serve as a qualification for master’s or doctoral programs in psychology or a similar field.
Some courses that students in this program take are Managerial Reports, Child Development: Conception-Eight Years, Management Information Systems, and Family Stress and Resilience. Students can also choose a Child Development Concentration, in which they would take Program Planning for Preschool Children, Early Childhood Literacy, and Research Analysis in Child and Family Studies.
Students must complete 120 credit hours to graduate from Eastern Kentucky University. Each credit hour costs $409, which is relatively affordable compared with most programs, especially with one of the program’s financial aid options. To gain admission to this program, students must submit official transcripts, ACT or SAT scores, and the online application.
Southern New Hampshire University
If psychology is your goal, Southern New Hampshire University will take you there. The university offers an excellent Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Child and Adolescent Development.
The school’s curriculum combines leading psychology courses taught by acclaimed faculty with internships and research opportunities. Take note that this program can be taken online or on campus.
Some classes that students take are Introduction to Psychology, Research II: Scientific Investigations, Abnormal Psychology, and Cognitive Psychology. Students supplement their psychology major with electives, including Public Speaking, Writing for Public Relations, Crimes Against Children, and Introduction to Ethics.
Class sizes at SNHU are notably small. Each class has between 15 and 20 people, meaning students receive personalized attention and the time to ask questions. Each credit costs $320, and more than 90% of SNHU students receive financial aid, making this child psychology program one of the more affordable options on this list.
Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University offers a Bachelor of Science in Psychology program. While the program doesn’t have a concentration in child and adolescent psychology, the Middle Tennessee State University does teach students the essential practices that every kind of psychologist uses. Students can enroll in this program on-campus or online.
Students must take nine core courses. Some of them are General Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Basic Statistics for Behavioral Science. Besides these core classes, students must choose three electives.
Some available electives are Introduction to Psychological Testing, Child Psychology, Organizational Psychology, and Psychosexual Adjustment. The major is 38 total credits. Students fill the rest of their undergraduate degree with general education requirements.
Enrolled students receive several benefits from Middle Tennessee State University. One critical perk of being a student in this program is the availability of a free tutor both on-campus and online. Students in this program can also receive several types of financial aid and scholarships.
Liberty University
Do you hold Christianity close to your heart? But at the same time, you want to focus on psychology? While the two may not sound compatible, they indeed are: Liberty University offers an excellent Bachelor of Science program in psychology.
This program serves as an excellent preparatory option for aspiring psychologists and religious Christians alike.
This program has eight possible tracks for students: general, addictions and recovery, Christian counseling, criminal psychology, crisis counseling, developmental psychology, life coaching, and military resilience. Some courses in the developmental psychology track are Psychology of Childhood, Psychology of Adolescence, Gerontology, and Psychology of Adulthood. Students supplement these classes with Christian-focused and liberal arts courses.
Students need to complete 125 hours of coursework to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Besides classes, students also complete a three-credit internship to meet the program requirements. One notable aspect of Liberty University is its decision to freeze tuition rates five years ago. Thus, you won’t face unexpected tuition hikes during your stay in the program.
Baker College
Are you far more focused on psychology, and liberal arts classes may not mean too much to you? If so, consider Baker College’s Bachelor of Science in Psychology program.
While other programs’ psychology courses comprise between one-quarter and one-half of the total classes, students at Baker College fill 90 of their 120 credits with psychology courses.
Some classes that students take are Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Motivation and Emotion, Learning and Memory, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Students only take ten general education courses. Some of them are Cultural Diversity, Group Dynamics, Oral Communication, and College Composition.
This program caters to people who want to become psychologists. If you seek a future in education or social work, you will find greater benefits from other programs on this list. If you’re focused on psychology, though, there may not be a better program on this list. With 30 courses in psychology, Baker graduates arrive at doctoral programs in an excellent position to excel.
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