Running head: PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Professional Requirements in Psychology

Student’s Name

Professor’s Name

Course Title

Date
PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGY
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Professional Requirements in Psychology

My vision in psychology is to become a competent certified researcher and excel in this

career path to achieve my academic dreams. I would enrol for a Doctor of Philosophy in psychology

to qualify for licensure after completion. During the PhD course, I would attend conferences to

network with professional psychologists who would help me secure an internship program

accredited by the American Psychology Association (APA). An internship is the final step to qualify

for a license, and it has some restrictions. I would complete hours of supervised practice by a

certified professional researcher with an advanced license to acquire state licensure to conduct

research either in the field or in a laboratory setting.

Three professional organizations govern my certified research specialization. These bodies

include APA, Association for Psychological Science (APS) and National Alliance of Professional

Psychology Providers (NAPPP). The three bodies govern the development, communication and the

practice of knowledge of research skills in psychology to improve lives. Depending on research

interests, some other organizations include society for social and personality psychology and

association for cognitive and behavioral treatment.

Career advancement is essential for personal growth in any area of specialization. It requires

creating a professional network with professionals and individuals. As such, I would create contact

with professionals such as industrial-organizational psychologists, engineering psychologists,

human factors psychologists and aviation psychologists. These professionals would mentor me on

the nature of the research environment and further reaffirm requirements required for the success of

a certified researcher. Also, I would create contact with private businesses, government entities and

universities. The three areas require services of accredited researchers and would help me move

forward in this career after landing an employment opportunity.

PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGY
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The book Career Paths in Psychology offers various examples of professional fields in

psychology. I gained interest to become a certified researcher from its requirements outlined in the

book. Besides, the book provides career goals and a vision of an accredited researcher. The

provisions in this specialization follow a systematic order which begins from a bachelor's degree in

psychology followed by the PhD in psychology. The doctorate involves researching to gain

experience. Furthermore, I would complete an internship to acquire state licensure to practice as a

certified researcher.

It is essential to ask questions about the requirements before applying for licensure in any

professional field. This process helps individuals understand all expectations of their future jobs.

Therefore, I would ask about legal and ethical requirements that appertain to certified research and

the minimum number of months of an internship program to qualify for licensure. I would be well

versed as a certified researcher after understanding all the requirements for this specialization.