Psychology is a very popular major of study for college students across the country. Additionally, according to the American Psychiatric Association, 57% of psychology baccalaureates enter the workforce after graduating, while 25% go on to earn graduate degrees. With that in mind, a person with a bachelor’s in psychology has many options for job opportunities and career paths.
“What a psychology undergraduate degree prepares you for almost any job in the sense that you have learned how to communicate, write, work as part of a team, and uniquely with psychology you learn those research and statistical skills that are really valuable in the workforce. So psychology is a sort of a liberal arts degree whereas as undergraduates you are prepared for a wide range of jobs,” said Matt Collins, director of undergraduate program and associate professor of cognitive psychology for the College of Psychology.
Entry level psychology jobs
Many entry level jobs in the field of psychology require technical programs or certifications that psychology baccalaureates can succeed in, such as behavior technicians and analysts. Both of these jobs deal with applied behavioral analysis, which is the application of behaviorist theories and behavior modification to socially “abnormal” behaviors. Outside of applied behavioral analysis, students can use their degree in case work or in community programs.
Research, clinical practice and graduate programs
For those that are more interested in experimental psychology or clinical psychology, graduate programs are the next step after earning a bachelor’s degree.
In psychology, there are three separate types of graduate degree programs: master’s degree, doctorate in psychology (Psy.D.) and doctorate in philosophy in psychology (Ph.D.). Master’s and Psy.D. programs focus on teaching skills for clinical practice. A master’s degree opens more opportunities in fields like social work or counseling. A Ph.D. program has two tracks: experimental and clinical psychology. A Ph.D. program in experimental psychology trains graduate students for research in the theoretical applications of psychology while a Ph.D. program in clinical psychology trains graduate students for both research and clinical practice. For more information on graduate programs in psychology, NSU’s College of Psychology has resources and faculty that can help students.
Jobs outside of psychology
Many careers while not requiring a degree in psychology, benefit from knowledge of the field. A career in human resources or business management is a great way to apply industrial organizational psychology. Industrial organizational psychology is a branch of applied experimental psychology that focuses on workplace productivity and relations.
Cognitive psychology and the application of principles of learning and memory can be useful in teaching professions.
Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson is often quoted as having said, “Life doesn’t make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that, the better for us all.”
While Erikson meant this for the relationship between people, it also speaks to the need for interdisciplinary approaches to study. Whatever field you wish to go into, any career can benefit from an understanding of the mind.
