Psychology is one of the top five most popular majors that college students choose. It’s a field that many people find fascinating. If you are considering getting a degree in psychology, you might be wondering what type of careers you can get into once you have graduated from the program. While a bachelor’s degree in psychology does not provide you with quite as many career options compared to getting an advanced psychology degree, there are various entry-level jobs available that are ideal choices for college graduates with this qualification. Some careers may initially seem like they have little to do with the field of psychology, but the truth is that a degree in this subject can help you get into any career where you are working with other people.
Whether you are planning to get a bachelor’s degree in psychology or are simply interested in learning more about this field, there is no denying that having a solid understanding of the human mind and how humans behave can help you excel in a wide range of different fields.
Many of the top career choices for psychology graduates are in fields where you will be able to utilize many of the important skills that you will learn as a psychology student, including your interpersonal and communication skills, along with your knowledge and expertise of human behavior.
How to Choose the Right Psychology Degree:
Degree programs in psychology such as the degree from Central Christian University that includes modules on abnormal psychology are one of the most popular options at colleges and universities around the world. Most colleges and universities will offer various psychology programs including a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. The right option for you will depend on what you hope to do with your future career.
In general, the Bachelor of Arts in psychology will focus more heavily on liberal arts general education courses. It will often mean that you take fewer courses that are focused on psychology and instead participate in more classes based on subjects that are outside of the major area. On the other hand, the Bachelor’s of Science in psychology will be more heavily focused on math and science courses. You will usually be required to take more statistics and labs classes, and there is a stronger focus on the major study area, with more psychology-based courses compared to the BA. If you want to become a licensed psychologist, the Bachelor of Science in psychology will be the best option for you since this is often the minimum requirement to enroll in advanced degree programs in psychology.
What to Consider Before Enrolling:
Before deciding to enroll in a psychology degree program, various factors are worth considering. Currently, data from the College Majors Handbook suggests that less than 25% of people who have earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology will find work in careers that are closely related to their college major. However, employment for psychology graduates is high in other relevant and related industries such as market research and social work. It’s worth considering if this is the route that you are happy to go down.
Alternatively, if you are set on working in a career where you will be directly working in psychology, making plans to get an advanced degree in psychology is often essential. In addition, there are several things that you can do to maximize your potential and make sure that you get the most from your education, including focusing on taking courses that are highly relevant to psychology and will help you get noticed in the job market later.
Why Study Psychology Online?
Today, more and more students are choosing to get a bachelor’s degree online. Over the past eighteen months, online degree programs have grown in popularity due to the COVID19 pandemic, with many colleges making online study mandatory for a short time and an increasing number of students preferring distance learning as a safer option.
However, online study is not something that has only come about due to the COVID19 pandemic. While the novel coronavirus has certainly made it more popular and in some ways more accessible, online degree programs have been around for quite a while now and many reputable colleges and universities offer them. As a student, you might be considering studying for your psychology degree online for various reasons. Flexibility and the option to save money are just two of the main reasons why more students are deciding to get their degree online. If you’re currently working full-time and want to obtain a psychology degree to improve your career outlook, studying online can be an ideal option where you will have more flexibility to uphold your employment commitments without the need to attend classes and lectures at set times, unlike a traditional campus-based degree.
Careers You Can Get Into With a Bachelor’s in Psychology:
Since many of the career options that are closely related to psychology will require candidates to have an advanced degree, working directly in the field is quite rare for those who have a bachelor’s degree in the subject. However, whether you are interested in working in a different yet related field or are considering a career that you can work in to improve your experience and skills while working towards getting an advanced degree in the future, there are certainly lots of options to choose from. Your bachelor’s degree in psychology is likely to be an asset when looking for work in the following fields:
- Career Counselor:
If you enjoy helping other people reach their full potential, then working as a career counselor could be an ideal option for you to consider after graduating with your degree in psychology. Career counseling is a role where you will be working closely with other people to help them select a career that is a good fit for them. You might be working with high school or college students or people who are in the process of changing their careers later in life. Career counseling is also a role where you may be able to work with disabled adults who need help with searching for jobs, skills training, on-the-job experience, and more.
- Sales Representative:
While working in sales might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about careers that you can do after getting a degree in psychology, the truth is that this college major can help in many different ways when it comes to improving your skills as a salesperson. An undergraduate psychology program can help you gain a wide range of skills that can be very useful in this position. Your understanding of people and human behavior will make it easier for you to have productive conversations with customers, determine their needs, provide reassurance, and eventually close more sales.
- Psychiatric Technician:
One direct area where your psychology degree may come in useful is in the field of mental health and human services. While an undergraduate degree in psychology does not qualify you to become a psychologist, you can find work in a variety of other career options including working as a psychiatric technician, mental health technician, social work assistant, case manager, or rehabilitation specialist, to name a few. In these roles, you will most likely be working under the direct supervision of a social worker or licensed clinical psychologist. If you are interested in getting an advanced degree and becoming a licensed psychologist in the future, this role can provide excellent experience.
- Probation Officer:
If criminal justice is a field that interests you, one role that you may want to consider once you have graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology is that of a probation officer. Probation officers typically work for local or state governments and are tasked with working directly with people who have been convicted of crimes. In this role, you will be supervising offenders in various settings including at home, school, and work. You will be required to track their behaviors, coordinate with therapists, drug treatment professionals and other professionals, make recommendations to the courts, and provide advice and support.
- Market Researcher:
If you are interested in finding out more about people to make recommendations to companies and other organizations, your bachelor’s in psychology could be a good way to get into a career in market research. Working in the field of market research involves performing a wide variety of tasks including collecting data, performing opinion polls, conducting interviews, and interpreting results. Due to the scientific and statistical training that you will receive as part of your bachelor’s degree in psychology, you could be a good fit for a market research role.
- Laboratory Assistant:
Working as a psychology laboratory assistant could be the ideal career to get into after getting your psychology degree if you are interested in experimental psychology and research. There are various settings where you can find this type of employment including government agencies, university psychology programs, and other organizations that study human behavior.
- Teacher:
If you are interested in guiding and teaching others, it might be worth considering getting a teaching certificate alongside your bachelor’s degree in psychology. Graduates can work in a range of teaching positions including elementary and middle school where they can indirectly apply their knowledge of psychology, or high schools where they can teach psychology as a main subject. For those who have graduated with a degree in psychology, it may be possible to enroll in an accredited teaching program to earn a certificate that will permit you to teach in your state. You can find out more about this by getting in touch with your state’s board of education.
- Writer:
If you enjoy writing, a psychology degree is likely to be an ideal choice of major for you since these programs will often involve a lot of writing. Once you have graduated, you will have earned many communication skills that you will be able to put to use in a writing career. Some potential career paths in writing that you may want to consider after getting a degree in psychology include advertising copywriter, technical writer, or newspaper reporter.
- Advertising Agent:
Persuasion is a major topic within psychology, so it’s no surprise that many people who earn a psychology degree will often go on to work in a career in advertising and marketing. A career as an advertising or marketing agent will often involve research target audiences for a specific product, service or method and putting the research into practice when developing appealing advertising materials.
- Childcare Professional:
If you are good with children, working as a childcare professional could be an ideal way for you to put your degree in psychology to use. This is an especially suitable career if you are interested in developmental psychology. Childcare workers are needed in a variety of different settings including kindergartens. You may also be interested in working in a mental health setting as a partial care worker for children. In this role, you will be supporting clients with a variety of mental health concerns in an outpatient setting.
- Social Service Worker:
Psychology degree graduates can also find a range of career opportunities in the social services sector. Most often, these professionals are hired by non-profits or government agencies. Duties could include providing counseling and advice to clients, helping clients access psychological and mental health resources within their communities, and case management. If you are somebody who enjoys working directly with other people to provide help and support, are caring and empathetic, and have good organizational skills, this could be an ideal type of role for you to consider after graduating.
While there are certainly more job opportunities available for those who have an advanced degree in psychology, getting a bachelor’s degree in psychology will provide you with the knowledge and skills that are needed in various industries. One of the best things about studying psychology is that it can prepare you for a huge range of roles that involve people.
