Employment for the Psychology Major

• Undergraduate Training Required
• Graduate Training Required

Choosing to pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology is a big decision which encompasses and evokes many other important questions: What career am I able to pursue with a Psychology degree? What day to day activities do these jobs involve? What training is necessary to obtain these jobs? Do I have the abilities, interests, and aptitudes necessary to succeed in such a career? The sooner these questions are addressed, the more time you will have to develop the necessary goals and plan accordingly to meet them. The main purpose of the course PSYC 277 Career Seminar is to address such questions. You should take this course during your sophomore year.

The first and most important question to ask yourself at this point is "Am I willing and able to endure another 2-6 years of schooling after graduation?" If not, check out the list of some of the jobs obtainable with only a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. The list is quite long, but some of them are either initial positions in or may be peripheral to the field of psychology. The fact is that most careers within the field of psychology and sociology are going to require graduate training. As you look at this information, I suggest you honestly evaluate your personal abilities and interests and how they match up to the responsibilities and requirements described herein. Much more elaboration on these issues occurs in PSYC 277 Career Seminar.

Adapted from Lloyd, M.A. (1997, July 16). Entry level positions obtained by psychology majors. [Online]. Available: www.psych-web.com/careers; Lloyd, M.A. (1997, August 11). Making the most of your undergraduate years. [Online]. Available: www.psych-web.com/careers/most; and APA (1993). Getting in: A step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology.