Considering a career in psychology? You may have been considering this, but feel unsure what careers are out there. Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you’ll make and finding the right career can be a daunting task. Fortunately, we’re here to help with our guide on different careers with a psychology degree.
The field of psychology is broad, so you have a lot of options when it comes to careers with a psychology degree.
You can use your knowledge and skills to help people in a variety of ways, including:
*Counseling – Whether you’re working in private practice or helping people at school or work, counseling is an excellent way to put your psychology degree to work. You’ll be able to help people understand their problems, identify solutions, and learn how to live better lives.
*Research – If you love science and want to make a positive impact on the world through research, pursuing a career in psychology may be right for you. You’ll be able to work on projects that improve our understanding of the human mind and behavior while also contributing new knowledge that could change lives for the better.
*Social Work – Social workers use their understanding of human behavior to help others overcome obstacles and improve their lives. Social workers are often employed by government agencies like child protective services or mental health agencies; however, some social workers choose private practice as well.
What careers with psychology degree
Introduction
When most people think of careers in psychology, they imagine a therapist’s office. But while this is certainly an option, there are many more paths you can take with a degree in psychology. Here are 15 of the most popular career choices for those with a background in this field:
Clinical Psychologist: Clinical psychologists help patients find solutions to mental and emotional challenges. They typically work for hospitals or clinics, though some may also have private practices. Research Analyst: Research analysts work for companies that conduct market research on their products or services. They use statistics and analysis to draw conclusions about consumer behavior (for example, why people buy certain products). Social Media Manager: Social media managers manage businesses’ social media accounts and respond to customer inquiries through these platforms. They also create content for these pages—such as photos, videos, blog posts—and track how well it performs online Career Counselor: Career counselors help students choose majors and occupations that fit well with their interests and abilities. Some may specialize in specific areas like education or business development; others work more broadly across industries Anthropologist/Archaeologist: Anthropologists study human cultures over time by studying remains (bones) from ancient civilizations Psychiatrist: Psychiatrists diagnose illnesses based on symptoms presented by patients; they also prescribe medications as needed Neurologist: Neurologists specialize in diagnosing problems related to the brain and nervous system—for example, epilepsy or Alzheimer’s disease Geriatrician: Geriatricians treat elderly patients; they focus on conditions that affect older adults than younger ones such as arthritis or osteoporosis Neuropsychologist/Neuroscientist: Neuropsychologists study how the brain works by observing people who have experienced neurological damage Human Resources (HR) Manager/Recruiter: HR managers oversee a company’s human resources department and make sure employees have everything they need to do their jobs well Human Behavior Specialist/
Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists
Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists are all trained to use psychological principles to help their patients. However, each of these professions have slightly different duties. Clinical psychologists work in hospitals, clinics and private practice. They may specialize in a specific area like substance abuse or physical disabilities. Counseling psychologists work in schools, universities and private practice where they focus on individual treatment plans for patients or clientele with specific issues such as anxiety disorders or depression. School psychologists work for public schools as part of large school systems where they help students by providing evaluations that inform teachers about a student’s learning needs so that teachers can adjust their lesson plans accordingly; they also work with parents on such things as special education programs needed for their child so there is no need for them to remove him from school altogether due to behavioral problems (e..g., ADHD).
Industrial-organizational psychologists
This career path is a good fit for anyone who wants to work with people and make a difference in their lives. Industrial-organizational psychologists examine how the psychology of work affects the workplace and recommend methods for improving productivity. They often specialize in areas like employee selection or training, but they can also be found consulting on organizational management issues. If you want to help an organization become more productive and efficient, this could be an excellent choice for you!
The job outlook for industrial-organizational psychologists is strong; between 2016 and 2026 there are expected to be nearly as many openings as there were in 2017.
Psychologists in independent practice
Most psychologists work in private practice, or they’re employed by hospitals, clinics and other institutions. But there are also opportunities to work with the government in areas such as education and law enforcement. Psychologists who choose this route tend to have advanced training in psychology because they’ll spend time working with children, adolescents and adults with mental health problems.
Psychologists who work independently specialize in areas like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or psychoanalytical theory (PSY). Some provide individual therapy while others might be more interested in group sessions where people can learn more about their issues together. If you’re interested in becoming a psychologist who works independently—either directly with clients or as part of a larger team—you’ll need at least three years of study beyond your bachelor degree before entering graduate school for another four or five years of intensive study.
Forensic psychologists
Forensic psychologists are experts who work with criminal and civil courts to determine the mental state of criminals, evaluate the mental health of individuals, and help determine if a criminal has any disabilities or illnesses that may affect their judgment. They also advise judges on how to sentence defendants based on their psychological evaluations.
Forensic psychologists must be able to work in a demanding environment where they often deal with people who have committed violent crimes and been convicted as criminals. They must remain objective when conducting their evaluations, although there is always room for human error when working with difficult people who may be trying to manipulate the situation for personal gain or advantage.
Health psychologists
Health psychologists work with patients to help them manage their health and well-being. They can assist people who have chronic pain, depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses; they also help individuals who are coping with the effects of a serious illness. These professionals might teach patients how to cope with their illness so that it doesn’t limit their ability to lead an active life. Health psychologists often conduct research on physical or mental health conditions in order to identify effective treatment techniques for these issues.
If this sounds like a career that interests you, check out our article on psychology careers!
Sports psychologists
As a sports psychologist, you will work with athletes to help them perform better. You may also help athletes deal with stress, pressure and expectations from coaches and parents. You might work with an athlete who has an injury or illness that is affecting their performance. You could also help an athlete cope with emotions like anger or frustration so they can focus on the task at hand.
You might also be responsible for helping athletes set goals for themselves in order to achieve success in their sport. A good example of this is a baseball player who wants to hit more home runs by changing his batting stance. Or maybe there’s a football team that wants to improve its defense strategy by focusing its efforts more on stopping the run than passing plays—and so on!
A psychology degree gives you excellent training when it comes time for your own career decision-making process because it teaches systematic thinking skills like how knowledge is organized into categories (psychology 101), how scientific research is conducted (research methods courses), logic reasoning skills (statistics courses), etcetera which means we understand how these ideas relate together–and why they matter!
Neuropsychologists
Neuropsychologists are specialized psychologists who treat patients with brain injuries or disorders. These professionals use a variety of tests to assess cognitive function, which can help them determine what type of impairment is present and how it might impact the patient’s ability to perform daily tasks. Neuropsychologists typically work in hospitals, clinics, private practice settings and/or schools and universities.
Military and government psychologist
If you’re interested in a career in the military or government, psychology may be a good option. To work as a psychologist for the U.S. Army Medical Command, for example, you need to have completed an APA-approved doctoral degree program and passed the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).
The field of clinical psychology is another area where there are many jobs available with only an undergraduate degree. For example, if you want to work in community mental health services or with children who have emotional problems or learning disabilities, then this could be an option for you without having to go into debt by completing graduate school first.
Teaching and research careers in psychology
Teaching and research careers in psychology are the most common options for graduate students in the field. Some of these careers include:
- Research psychology careers, which may be pursued by postdoctoral fellows or doctoral students with a strong aptitude for research or teaching. Research psychologists study several areas of human behavior, including cognition, emotion and personality; they might work in education or health care settings.
- Teaching psychology careers are available to graduates who have completed their degrees and want to teach at the college level. Professors of psychology typically lead courses on topics such as abnormal behavior, human development and social psychology; they also advise students on academic matters outside of class time. Some teaching positions require additional coursework prior to hiring someone for this role; advanced degrees such as master’s degrees can help applicants stand out from other applicants vying for similar positions within an institution’s faculty structure
A bachelor’s degree in psychology is a good foundational degree for any career. However, many jobs require higher level psychology degrees. Depending on your interests, you can get an advanced degree in a variety of subfields from organizational or clinical psychology to marriage counseling.
A bachelor’s degree in psychology is a good foundational degree for any career. However, many jobs require higher level psychology degrees. Depending on your interests, you can get an advanced degree in a variety of subfields from organizational or clinical psychology to marriage counseling.
- Organizational Psychology: Studies how people interact and behave within organizations, as well as how organizations are structured and managed.
- Clinical Psychology: Focuses on understanding the nature of mental illness and exploring ways to help people with their symptoms or disorders.
- Marriage Counseling: Helps couples develop effective communication skills so they can resolve conflicts without harming their relationship.
There are other subfields you may want to pursue after completing your bachelor’s degree program including social work or animal behavior training. If this is the case then make sure that you apply for financial aid through federal grants like Pell Grants which pay tuition expenses up front rather than having them added onto your student loan debt once they graduate college!
Conclusion
There are a lot of career options for people with a background in psychology. The first step is to figure out what you want to do and then take action on that by starting to build your professional skills through internships, volunteer work, research projects, and more.
