Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs vary in approach from school to school. Generally, a school will approach the study of psychology through one of the following schools of thought: behavioral, cognitive, biological or psychoanalytic. More than the Doctor of Psychology degree, the Ph.D. program will focus on research, though there will be some training in psychotherapy and psychological testing. The Ph.D. program takes 5 years or longer to complete and requires you to complete a dissertation. People with a Ph.D. generally teach at universities or work as researchers in hospitals and clinics.
The Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D) degree is an alternative to the Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.). The Psy.D is designed for people who want to practice psychology rather than focus on the research aspects of the field. Consequently, the degree program, which takes 4 to 5 years to complete, involves some research training but focuses more on learning clinical work (i.e. counseling and testing). People with a Psy.D. generally work in hospitals, clinics, and in private practice.
The Master of Social Work (MSW) does not focus on clinical training, like the Psy.D., or research, like the Ph.D. Rather, the MSW focuses on working in the mental health and social welfare systems. This might include studying political advocacy or policy analysis, among other things. The MSW generally takes 2 to 3 years to complete. People with an MSW often work for the government, a nonprofit organization or in clinics.
Many schools offer an Educational Doctorate Degree (Ed.D.). This degree generally takes 2 to 3 years to complete and trains students to do counseling and psychological testing in a school setting.
Many schools offering Ph.D. and Psy.D. programs have received accreditation by the American Psychological Association. Accreditation means that the institution meets the standards of quality set forth by the American Psychological Association. A program that is not accredited is not necessarily a bad program, however, you may want to explore why the program has not received accreditation.