Determine the degree you wish to pursue (associate's, bachelor's or master's) based on the current education you have completed. For example: Enrolling in a master's program generally requires the completion of a bachelor's program. Enrolling in a bachelor's or associate's degree program requires completion of high school, or GED, as well as SAT or ACT exams.
Determine the area of study you wish to focus on within psychology. The options include clinical psychology, child development, counseling, general psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, criminology and psychological studies, forensic psychology, and marriage and family therapy, among others.
Explore the reasons that made you decide to study psychology, the areas that interest you most, or the profession you wish to pursue. This can help you determine your career path. For example, if you are interested in becoming a psychiatrist or psycho pharmacologist, pursue a bachelor of science degree in psychology. Realize that these majors are heavily focused on chemical and biological courses in relation to human behavior.
Research schools that offer the type of program you want to pursue. Most community colleges, universities and even distance-learning schools offer bachelor's degrees in psychology. The required course work for most programs consists of lower-division courses, upper-division courses and electives, which might differ depending on the school. These include social and behavioral sciences, developmental psychology, humanities, communications, introduction to psychology, history of psychology, cognitive psychology, cognitive psychology, statistics and research methods in psychology.
Contact an adviser from the schools that interest you and find out the admission requirements for the program you want. If you are still in high school, you can prepare by taking some of the following courses that are required for a BA or BS in psychology: chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, psychology, statistics, health, sociology and writing.
Choose a school that provides a psychology program that meets your career goals. Note: Requirements for a master's degree generally include: satisfactory GPA from bachelor's degree, letters of recommendation, satisfactory Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores and an interview with the college.