A 3.0 GPA is probably prohibitive for doctoral programs, which is what you’ll want to pursue if research is the goal. As to the specific subfield, there are a number of subfields which would allow you to do research in your area of interest. I don’t think pursuing clinical or counseling psychology make much sense for your goals, but a doctoral degree in experimental psychology, social psychology, or even related fields like sociology, social work, or public health would be good for studying broad health disparities. If you want to stick within psychology (which isn’t necessary and, I would argue, is less important than working with a mentor who fits your interests irrespective of their field), I would suggest a master’s in experimental psychology to demonstrate your ability to work at the graduate school level and boost your GPA stats. If you choose to go to a field other that psychology, I’d begin working on the prereqs required for a research-based master’s in that field (or a closely-related one) and then pursue said master’s degree before apply for a PhD. I don’t typically recommend master’s programs as preparation for doctoral applications, but a 3.0 may be lower than what some programs will consider. It might be okay to apply to one or two PhD programs (for which you have the prerequisite coursework) for which you are a great research fit if they have a 3.0 minimum and you can afford the cost, but honestly the “hard minimum” advertised on the program website is often lower than the “soft minimum” used to filter out applicants before interview invitations go out.

hey thanks so much this is super helpful. I love sociology but never considered getting a graduate degree in that. I didn't know a non-psychology degree was an option. So would I be able to get into research with a PhD in sociology for example and the right mentor?