Psychology Careers In Healthcare And Therapy
Chartered psychologist
With further study and training youll be able to gain qualification as a chartered psychologist. Within this highly specialized role, youll work with people of all backgrounds, both patients and clients. Youll analyze behaviors, thoughts and emotions in order to better understand and advise on certain actions and/or psychological issues. As a chartered psychologist, youll have the option to specialize in a number of areas, including occupational psychology, educational psychology, sport and mental health.
Psychotherapist
A psychotherapist will work with individuals, couples, groups or families, to help their clients overcome psychological issues, including emotional and relationship-related issues, stress and even addiction.
Depending on what you choose to specialize in during your degree, as well as your personal interests, you can choose to act as a psychotherapist using a number of approaches. These include cognitive behavioral methods, psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies, as well as art therapy, drama therapy, humanistic and integrative psychotherapy, hypno-psychotherapy and experiential therapy.
Social worker
Counselor
Overview Of The Branches Of Psychology
Each of the branches or types of psychology look at questions and problems from a different perspective. While they all have their own focus, they still share a common goal of studying and explaining human thought and behavior.
Because human behavior is so varied, the number of subfields in psychology is constantly growing and evolving. Some of these subfields have been firmly established as areas of interest, and many colleges and universities offer courses and degree programs in these topics.
Each type of psychology represents a specific area of study focused on a particular topic. Oftentimes, psychologists specialize in one of these as a career. The following are just some of the major branches of psychology. For many of these, working in that specific area requires graduate study in that particular field.
Psychology can be roughly divided into two major areas:
Make An Important Discovery About Your Future
You’ve just seen how useful it can be to have an educated understanding of the psychological mechanisms that cause people to act in certain ways. Knowing how to apply that knowledge to real-world situations can be a big asset in nearly any careerânot just within the field of psychology.
Even so, a lot of people still ask, “What can you do with a psychology major?” That’s why it helps to have both a general idea of the career possibilities as well several specific examples. Looking at the bigger picture, it’s apparent that people with backgrounds in psychology can do things such as:
- Help people overcome personal obstacles and make better choices to improve their lives
- Discover and promote healthier ways to live that help prevent mental illnesses and social problems
- Find clues to almost any aspect of human behavior that might otherwise continue to be clouded in mystery
- Help businesses or other organizations identify and implement new methods for improving productivity, raising morale, and attracting and retaining good employees
- Contribute to public safety by using insights about human behavior within the criminal justice system
- Help improve the educational system by discovering better ways to instruct, motivate, or test students based on how they learn and perceive the world
- Discover new ways to inspire people to act for the benefit of their communities and the environment
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Journalism Or Public Relations
You don’t need to study English or journalism to become a writer. In fact, a knowledge base in psychology can work to your advantage. Your ability to interpret case studies and research can give you the analytical skills necessary for reporting on complex topics. And a high level of empathy can make you a better interviewer. Not to mention, the many academic papers you wrote during your undergraduate studies count toward your writing experience.
Psychology majors are also typically diplomatic and good communicators, a crucial attribute of public relations specialists. In PR, you need strong networking skills and the ability to maintain positive relationships with journalists, managers, and clients.
Graduate School Admission Requirements
Requirements for admission to master’s or doctoral programs vary greatly.
Master’s programswhich include marriage and family counseling, industrial psychology, and clinical psychologyusually require a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and fulfillment of a core of undergraduate courses. Letters of recommendation are required.
Doctoral programs require a minimum grade point average of 3.3, completion of numerous psychology courses, and perhaps some other courses in physiology, chemistry and mathematics. In addition, students must perform above the median or higher in the three areas of the Graduate Record Exam : verbal, quantitative, and analytic. Some schools look for a high performance on the advanced GRE and on the Miller’s Analogies Test .
Letters of recommendation from professors and other professionals are required, and it is very helpful if students possess some experience in related fieldwork.
Read the APA Graduate Study in Psychology book, and be prepared to take the GRE and the MAT in October the year before you hope to enter graduate school. Start applying for admission in November. Notification of acceptance arrives in April.
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Parole Or Probation Officer
Provide assistance to people who are re-entering the community after being released from prison. Or advise and supervise criminal offenders who’ve been sentenced to probation instead of being sent to prison. Your understanding of the psychological aspects of human behavior could play a big role in helping to prevent such people from committing additional crimes.
- Average yearly pay: $59,910
- Employment growth: 3 percent
Reasons To Consider Earning A Minor
As a psychology major, there are a variety of reasons why you may consider adding a minor to your studies. Some reasons can include:
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Preparing for a specific career in psychology
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Narrowing the focus of your major
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Learning additional skills that may help reach your goals
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Exploring other fields of interest
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Having a backup career plan
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Increasing your potential job options
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Complementing your studies as a psych major
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Having a personal interest in another subject area
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Less Typical Careers With A Psychology Degree
As a psychology graduate at bachelor level, there are thousands of opportunities for you outside healthcare and educational roles if you know where to look. This is due to the varied transferable skills you gain from your degree, as well as widespread recognition of the advantages of having psychological and analytical expertise. In broad terms, psychology graduates can be found working in all sectors of society, including media, criminal justice and rehabilitation, advertising, business and management, sports, public agencies and the legal sector. Some less typical careers with a psychology degree are outlined below
Media and advertising careers
It might not be an obvious choice for psychology graduates, but media careers are varied, with ample opportunities to apply the skills a psychology degree will hone. Psychology graduates can impart valuable insights into human behavior, as well as offering the ability to analyze problems, listen attentively, give considered responses and act with empathy and reason. Because of this, media roles within all departments including management, production, scheduling and writing are well within reach for psychology graduates.
Human resources and communications careers
Business and management careers
A psychology degree may also provide a good basis for careers in IT, finance, the legal sector, government administration and market research.
What Can You Do With a Psychology Degree? is part of our What Can You Do With series.
What Can You Do With The Most Advanced Kind Of Psychology Degree
With an additional five to seven years of education after completing a bachelor’s program, you can achieve the highest credentials in the psychology field, which consist of two main doctoral degree options. The first option is to earn a PhD in psychology, which is typically research-oriented. The other option is to earn a Doctor of Psychology degree, which is more focused on applying this science within clinical settings.
Either way, in order to become a psychologist, most states will require you to have a doctoral degree and meet other licensure requirements such as going through an internship and passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology.
The average annual pay for clinical, counseling and school psychologists was $87,450 in 2019. And for all other psychologists , the average yearly pay was $98,230.
The overall employment of clinical, school, and counseling psychologists is expected to grow by 15 percent in the decade from 2018 to 2028. For most other types of psychologists, job growth is projected to be 12 to 13 percent over that period.
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Collaborate With Faculty And Present Your Research
Collaborate with faculty
Some students have the opportunity to co-author posters, presentations, or journal publications with a faculty mentor and may attend professional conferences where they present their research and network with other psychologists. Examples include :
- Nelson, T., Cardemil, E.V., & Adeoye, C.* . From Perception to Transformation: How Black Women Negotiate the Strong Black Woman/Superwoman Role Within their Unique Context. Psychology of Women Quarterly.
- Vollhardt, J.R., Mazur, L.B., & Lemahieu, M.* . Acknowledgment After Mass Violence: Effects on Psychological Well-being and Intergroup Relations. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 17, 306 323.
Present your research
Clarks annual ClarkFEST is an opportunity to share your research or creative work with the Clark community while you hone your presentation skills. Some projects psychology students and recent alumni have presented are:
- Understanding Childhood Anxiety: Examining Relations with Controlling Parenting and Structure
- Gay Dads Raising Daughters: Challenging Heteronormative Gender Socialization Practices
- The role of ADHD among college students in committed romantic relationships
- Analysis of Alcohol Use with Depression Symptoms and Emotional Regulation
- Community Cohesion and Betrayals in Times of Conflict
You can also submit your research results for publication in our student-run Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal.
Career Outcomes
Awesome Jobs You Can Get With A Psychology Degree
Are there many jobs you can get with a psychology degree? Yes. And they are probably more diverse than you think. After all, the human mind plays a starring role in most aspects of our lives. It shapes our behavior, which in turn shapes our world. And that makes psychology far more than just a fascinating area of science. It provides a way to see the reasons behind our actions, which lets us understand and improve upon those actions for the betterment of our individual selves, our families, our organizations, our communities, and our whole society.
There are all kinds of jobs for a psychology degree holder, including opportunities in fields like human services, business, and education. For example, here are 10 of the top careers for psychology graduates based on their projected employment growth between 2018 and 2028, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook :
Average annual salaries are based on May 2019 data from the Occupational Employment Statistics program. Job growth projections are for the decade between 2018 and 2028 and are based on data from the OOH.
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Psychology Careers In Education
Psychology graduates interested in the education sector have a number of different options. As well as educational therapy, educational psychology and social work within education, psychology graduates may qualify as teachers, working in primary, secondary or tertiary level education. They may instead work within social services to help support learning in the community at all ages, or within the prison sector to provide support for young offenders.
To become an educational psychologist, you will need the same qualifications as any psychologist . This is a role concerned with the development of young people in educational settings, with the aim of enhancing learning and dealing with social and emotional issues or learning difficulties.
To teach psychology, depending on the level you choose, youll need an additional teaching qualification. To enter careers in tertiary education you will likely need a further qualification, such as a masters and/or PhD. Roles in higher education are likely to encompass both teaching and research .
What Can You Do With A Bachelor’s In Psychology
With a four-year psychology degree, jobs are even more plentiful and diverse. But you wouldn’t be the first person to ask, “What can I do with a bachelor’s in psychology?” Many people simply don’t realize that a college degree in psychology can provide the benefit of adaptability. It’s not only possible to pursue a graduate education in other fields, but also to find jobs with a bachelor’s in psychology that may, at first, seem unrelated to this area of science. For example, you can get jobs in education, criminal justice, and business with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
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The Functionalist School Of Thought
Functionalism formed as a reaction to the theories of the structuralist school of thought and was heavily influenced by the work of William James. It functioned on the mind’s functions and adaptations.
Instead of focusing on the mental processes themselves, functionalist thinkers were interested in the role that these processes play.
In a functionalist approach, for example, instead of trying to understand the underlying processes that cause mental states, the focus would be on understanding the function that those states serve. Gaining a better understanding of the purpose would allow psychologists to better understand how the mind allows people to respond and adapt to their environments.
The functionalist school was interested in the purpose of thoughts and behaviors, whereas structuralism was concerned with the elements that make up consciousness. While functionalism largely disappeared as a school of thought, its influence persisted in applied psychology, behaviorism, and educational psychology.
Unlike some of the other well-known schools of thought in psychology, functionalism is not associated with a single dominant theorist. Instead, a number of functionalist thinkers are associated with this outlook, including John Dewey, James Rowland Angell, and Harvey Carr.
Some historians have questioned whether functionalism should be considered a formal school of psychology, given its lack of a central leader or formalized ideas.
Psychology Careers In Research
Psychology careers in research may be based within research agencies, public and private organizations or in universities. University-based careers vary but tend to combine research and teaching. Research careers within other sectors are even more wide-ranging but could mean contributing to governmental policy development or issues of importance for industry. You could also work for a charity or other non-profit organization, perhaps conducting research to help resolve challenges such as speech impediments, brain damage, child development or the impact of legal and illegal drugs on psychological health.
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Bachelor Of Science Majoring In Psychology
As a BSc Psychology student youll study a variety of approaches to the discipline, ranging from the quantitative to the qualitative and personalised, and the theoretical to the practical.
Modern psychologists base their theories on observable and repeatable behavioural data, ranging from counts of simple behaviour in animals to verbal reports of emotions and feelings in humans. As a result, practical work in the laboratory or field is an essential part of your major.
As part of your major youll complete a capstone course, PSYCH 399 Communicating Psychology, where youll work independently and in small groups to communicate psychological ideas and research using a range of media, including grant proposals, podcasts and print.
The Structuralist School Of Thought
Structuralism is widely regarded as the first school of thought in psychology. This outlook focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components. Major thinkers associated with structuralism include Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener.
The focus of structuralism was on reducing mental processes down into their most basic elements. The structuralists used techniques such as introspection to analyze the inner processes of the human mind.
The introspective experimental technique used by the structuralists involved having trained observers examine their inner responses. Using this approach, also known as experimental self-observation, experimenters like Wundt trained people to analyze their thoughts as carefully and objectively as possible.
While these methods were understandably not the most empirically rigorous, the structuralist school of thought played an important role in the development of experimental psychology.
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Should I Take Psychology In A Bachelor Of Arts Or A Bachelor Of Science
Subjects that can be taken as a major under the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree are Psychology, Geography, Mathematics and Logic and Computation. The courses you can take for each subject are the same under the BA and the BSc, but the major requirements for each degree may differ, and so you should consult the University Calendar, contact us or visit Student Hubs.
The difference will be around the other courses that are taken as part of the degree programme. For example, if you were wanting to major in Psychology and study other science subjects alongside your Psychology major, you would choose a Bachelor of Science. If you were more interested in social sciences, humanities, cultures, and languages, a Bachelor of Arts could be a better option.
Types Of Psychology Degrees
Are you thinking about earning a psychology degree? There are several different degree options to choose from at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Before you determine which type of degree to earn, it’s important to understand what level of education you will need in order to enter your chosen career path. For some professions, a bachelor’s degree might be sufficient. Other career paths might require some type of graduate degree.
Here are the different types of psychology degrees, how long each one takes to earn, and the career options available at each degree level.
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School Or Career Counselor
Help elementary, middle school, high school, or college students find constructive ways to deal with social challenges and develop the skills necessary to succeed in their learning environments. Or assist career seekers with their decision-making process as it pertains to choosing suitable vocations or paths of training.
- Average yearly pay: $61,000
- Employment growth: 8 percent