Health Psychology Degree

Health psychology, also referred to as medical psychology, is a branch of psychology which is concerned with how social, mental, and emotional factors affect a person’s physical well-being. It is a relatively new branch of psychology and is therefore still developing itself. The field of health psychology officially became recognized as a separate branch of psychology in 1978. For those interested in pursuing a career in health psychology, there are a number of different degrees available for consideration.

A physician sees a patient and is concerned with the illness they are suffering from and ways in which it can be treated. Health psychologists, on the other hand, are less concerned with the disease itself. Their goal is to study and examine the particular patient. The field of health psychology is very broad and spans many different areas. Health psychologists  concern themselves with how an illness can affect the emotional and mental wellbeing of a patient. At the same time, they are also concerned with how a patient’s mental and emotional state can cause or affect physical illnesses.

The precise duties of a health psychologist are subject to vary by professional and by the specific area of specialization that they have chosen. Within the field of health psychology, there are four main areas of specialization:

• Community Health Psychology:

Community health psychology is an area which focuses on the health of an entire community as a whole. Those individuals who are inclined to focus on this aspect of health psychology are likely to study the prevalence of specific diseases in certain areas, and the causes behind such diseases.

• Public Health Psychology:

This aspect of health psychology focuses on public and governmental policies and programs. Those who choose this area of specialization are likely to be working to try to influence government policies, work with low-income individuals, and organize public health awareness programs.

• Clinical Health Psychology:

Clinical health psychology is the area of health psychology which focuses on treating individuals. Those which choose clinical health psychology as an area of specialization will focus on individuals and their lifestyles and behaviors. They will then try to determine how this may affect their overall health. Once they discover the root of the problem, clinical health psychologists will work with individuals to change their negative habits in order to positively change their overall health. 

• Occupational Health Psychology:

Occupational health psychologists focus on a person’s job and their overall state of physical health. These professionals are likely to work within companies and businesses to help their employees be happier and have better overall physical health. Their job may involve changing company policies and counseling individual employees.

Listed below are the different types of degrees offered within the field of health psychology. Due to the fact that the profession is still relatively new, there are not that many programs in health psychology available. Furthermore, online programs are not that common within the field either.

There are very few schools which offer an undergraduate health psychology major. However, those that do offer the program offer it as a Bachelor of Science in Health Psychology.
Entry Requirements

• A high school diploma with a specific GPA determined by the specific program and university you are applying to
• A background in science courses in high school
• Letters of recommendation

Curriculum
An undergraduate program in health psychology examines how an individual’s behavior is affected by social, emotional, physical, and mental health factors. Some of the courses taken throughout this degree include:

• Developmental psychology
• Human diseases
• Medical ethics
• Alternative health promotion techniques
• Nutritional health 

This program is typically completed within 4 years.

Master’s degree programs in health psychology aim to teach students how to develop and design programs which can encourage healthy behaviors.
Entry Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field
• Minimum GPA requirement determined by program
• GRE scores

Curriculum  
The precise curriculum of the program will vary depending upon which area of concentration you choose to pursue. The program also typically involves an internship or a thesis based on an original piece of research.
Some of the courses you can expect to take in this program include:

• Mental health and wellness
• Biological sources of mental health problems
• Psychopharmacology
• Abnormal psychology

This program is typically completed within 2-3 years.

Those who wish to specialize in the research or academic aspects of health psychology can pursue a doctoral program in psychology with a concentration in health psychology. This degree focuses on the current theory available in the field as well as the interdependence and interrelatedness of physical and mental health. The program culminates with a thesis on an original piece of research.
Entry Requirements

• Master’s degree in psychology
• Some programs may accept candidates with a bachelor’s degree in psychology provided they can demonstrate a high level of familiarity with master’s level psychology concepts
• Specific GPA requirements are determined by individual programs

Curriculum
The first half of the degree is typically devoted to classroom based study and the latter half is devoted to research.
Some of the courses you can expect to take in the program include:

• Advanced statistics course
• Biopsychology
• Social psychology

The program typically takes 5-7 years to complete.

The specific salary that a health psychologist may make will be influenced by many factors. Some of these factors include the amount of experience they have, the place at which they are employed, and the amount of educational qualifications they have.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• The median annual salary for psychologists in 2012 was 90,020
• BLS has projected that the profession will see a 12% rise in employment growth between 2012-22

Health psychology is the branch of psychology which concerns itself with mental and emotional states and how they are affected by illness and how they in turn affect illness. There are a plethora of factors which can contribute to or exacerbate an existing illness in a patient. Health psychology aims to discover this link and develop strategies to boost the overall health and physical well-being of individuals.