What Can I Do With a Psychology Major? Practical Career Information for High School Students

1. What Can I Do With a Psychology Major? Practical Career Information for High School Students Kristin M. Vespia, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

2. Overview • The Psychology major • Careers at the BA, MS, and PhD levels • The special case of applied careers • Psychology major/career preparation • Resources for additional information

3. The Psychology Major: An Overview • Some basic statistics (NCES, 2005) • 1983-84: 39,955 Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology • 32.1% men; 67.9% women • 2003-04: 82,098 Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology • 22.2% men; 77.8% women • Wide-ranging benefits for study at BA/BS Level • Facilitate critical thinking skills, knowledge of scientific method, and understanding of human behavior (APA, 2007) • Prepare for graduate education in various fields • Prepare for wide range of careers, including business, education, human services, and research

4. Careers at the Bachelor’s Level • The nature of the liberal arts major • Emphasis on communication, critical thinking, research, and other skills – not on preparation for one specific career • BA degree will not make students “psychologists” • Variety of career options • Jobs may not be “in psychology” • Appleby (2006) lists 130 potential careers for Psychology students on the OTRP website – from claims supervisor and corrections officer to personnel recruiter and caseworker • Job outlook (BLS, 2006) • Opportunities for BA/BS holders may be more restricted if looking for jobs in Psychology only • Broad options; see Murray, 2002 • Salary information

5. Careers at the Master’s/Doctoral Levels • Graduate degrees also increasing • MS: 9,525 in 1983-84 vs. 17,898 in 2003-04 (NCES, 2005) • PhD: 3,535 in 1983-84 vs. 4,827 in 2003-04 (NCES, 2005) • Master’s: 1-3 years Doctoral: 5-7 years • Can pursue in degrees Psychology and other fields • Master’s Degree • Preparation for doctoral work or for a career (e.g., Human Resources) • Outlook in Psych: Not as strong as for PhDs (except I/O) (BLS, 2006) • Doctoral Degree • Career options depend on specialty but can include: research, teaching, clinical practice, consultation, industry, government • Biopsychology options? Neuropsychological Assessment, Health Psychology, Sports Psychology, Research • Outlook: Faster than average career growth (BLS, 2006)

6. The Special Case of Applied Careers • “Helping Professions” – pursued at Master’s and Doctoral levels and in Clinical, Counseling, & School Psychology; Counseling; MFT; and Social Work • Master’s Level: 1-3 years Doctoral: about 5 years • Involve coursework, research, & applied experience • Process does not end with degree. Licensing laws vary by state but often require • Approved educational credentials • Equivalent of 1-2 years full-time, supervised, post-degree experience • Passing national and/or state exams

7. Psychology Major/Career Preparation • Be informed. • Be aware of common misconceptions (e.g., can be a “psychologist” with BA degree, grad school is unobtainable/unaffordable) • Research, informational interviews, and job shadowing • Take appropriate background coursework. • Might include things like: math, science (e.g., biology), courses emphasizing written/oral communication, foreign language, and more (See APA, 2007) • Gain experience (e.g., volunteer work, science fair) • Find the right program for you. • Be flexible and open to possibilities! • Be cautious about taking on too much!

8. References • American Psychological Association (2007). Careers in psychology. Retrieved July 20, 2007 from the American Psychological Association website: http://www.apa.org/topics/psychologycareer.html • Appleby, D.C. (2006). Occupations of interest to psychology majors from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Retrieved July 20, 2007 from the Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/otrp/resources/appleby06.pdf • Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor (2006). Occupational outlook handbook, 2006-07 edition, Psychologists. Retrieved July 20, 2007 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics website: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos056.htm • Murray, B. (2002). Good news for bachelor’s grads [Electronic version]. Monitor on Psychology, 33. Retrieved July 20, 2007 from: http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/goodnews.html • U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2005, July). Degrees in psychology conferred by degree-granting institutions, by level of degree and sex of student: Selected years, 1949-50 through 2003-04 (Table 290). In Digest of Educational Statistics: 2005. Retrieved July 20, 2007 from the NCES website: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d05/tables/dt05_290.asp