Background: in Germany psychology students can be seen as the major personal resource in psychotherapy. Nevertheless there are few studies on their vocational plans and their interest in psychotherapeutic training.
Method: 480 psychology students completed a self-developed questionnaire on their career expectations.
Results: 90% of respondents report interest in clinical work and psychotherapeutic training. Most frequently they mention improving therapeutic competencies and career options as pros and current training requirements as cons. Their theoretical orientation (38% behaviour therapy, 19% psychodynamic therapy) is associated with their psychotherapeutic knowledge, study conditions and respondent's characteristics.
Conclusions: psychology students consider working and training conditions for psychologists and psychotherapists, when thinking about their future career.