Career Paths For Psychology Bachelor’s

Career Paths In Psychology

As a multidisciplinary field, psychology encompasses many different career paths. For example, if you want to help people overcome drug and alcohol addictions, you may find employment as a substance abuse counselor. Alternatively, if you prefer working in a business environment, helping managers develop and hire new talent, you may choose to work as an organizational psychologist.

If you are interested in working directly with patients in health and social care settings, you may consider a career as a clinical psychologist however, most clinical positions require a doctorate and license to practice. Each psychology career path has different licensing and educational requirements, but all psychologists should possess strong communication skills, patience, and analytical skills.

Where To Earn Your Degree

Many career paths are associated with a psychology degree. Rowan University, in partnership with Rowan College of South Jersey, offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology designed to provide a background for graduates to pursue degrees in a variety of professions or as a basis to pursue graduate degrees in certain fields. The partnership offers online degree programs at a fraction of the cost of a traditional degree.

Students are awarded an associates degree after completing four semesters of classes and an undergraduate degree at program culmination. Many courses are offered in an accelerated seven-week format, rather than 15 weeks, for faster completion. Students have the opportunity to choose electives to follow their career paths while earning their bachelors degree of arts degree in psychology.

For information on Rowan Universitys online Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and other programs, visit Psychology Degree | Rowan Partnerships Online or apply now at Apply Now | Rowan Partnerships Online.

Can You Get A Psychology Job With Just A Certificate

Yes, you can. Certificates in psychology are offered to both undergraduates and graduates. Though a certificate alone will not qualify you for many coveted positions in the field, it can help get you into many supporting positions. Moreover, certificates can enhance your resume and help you gain real-world experience before pursuing other career goals or degrees in psychology.

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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 .

Obtain Your Undergraduate Bachelors Degree

The first step in becoming a school psychologist is to complete an undergraduate bachelors program. Most school psychologists obtain an undergraduate degree in psychology, but its not a requirement. Business, art, or economics majors can also apply for a masters program if they have fulfilled the prerequisite courses.

Northeastern University requires the following four courses for admittance into the masters program within the Bouvé College of Health Sciences School of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences:

• Introduction to Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Research Methods/Statistics

Many school psychologists move directly from an undergraduate program into their masters, but if youve already spent time in the field, you can still obtain your masters if you have the necessary prerequisites.

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Social And Human Service Assistants

Median Salary :$35,960Required Education: High school diploma

Human service assistants provide various services for clients, such as locating useful and accessible resources and programs. They may also manage paperwork and administrative duties for other social service professionals and managers. These assistants often work in family services, nursing care facilities, and local governments.

Popular Bachelor Of Psychology Careers

Bachelor of psychology careers offer a lot of variety, as psychology itself is a diverse science. At its core lies the study of the human mind and how it affects a person’s behavioural patterns. When you graduate with a bachelor of psychology, you become qualified to work in several industries like business, education, healthcare and sports, where you can affect people, organisations and entire communities. No matter which role you choose, psychology can be a flexible, rewarding and secure career. Here are some of the most popular bachelor of psychology careers:

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What Can I Do With An Associates Degree In Psychology

Social Service Assistant

Social service assistants provide services in a wide range of fields, including psychology, social work, and rehabilitation. They can take on many job titles, such as family service assistant, casework aide, addictions counselor assistant, or family service assistant. The job responsibilities of a social service assistant can include helping clients find assistance with daily activities, such as eating and bathing, coordinating social services, working with other professionals to develop treatment plans, or researching services or aid that are available to clients.

Median salary: $35,960

Psychiatric Technician or Aide

Psychiatric technicians work as part of a team, assisting psychiatrists, medical doctors, and patients with a variety of tasks. They often assist the elderly, patients who have been psychiatrically hospitalized, and persons with disabilities. Their job responsibilities include administering therapeutic aid and medications, assisting patients with daily activities, documenting patients conditions, and updating physicians.

Median salary: $31,570

What Is Biological Psychology

Biological psychology studies how the brain and neurotransmitters influence human behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. Focusing on the physical reasons, such as those with a basis in hormones and genetics, for what humans do differs from most other fields of psychology.

Biological psychology also referred to as biopsychology, physiological psychology, or psychobiology is defined as the study of how human behavior is influenced, or perhaps even controlled, by the biological processes of the brain. Common areas of inquiry in this interdisciplinary scientific field include the influence of genetics on thoughts and emotions, the effects of physical damage to the brain on behavior, and the brains chemical responses to thoughts and events.

Biological psychology careers are diverse, with many opportunities available for specializing in areas such as behavioral neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral endocrinology, and psychoneuroimmunology.

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Common Career Paths In Psychology

A bachelors degree in psychology provides the rock-solid foundation youll need if you plan to continue your education to pursue a masters or doctoral degree. However, 55% of students who earn a bachelors degree in psychology choose not to pursue a graduate degree. For these students, there are still plenty of psychology-related careers to choose from.This versatile degree can be beneficial in a variety of disciplines and professions. Here are 8 common career paths in psychology:

Best Jobs For Psychology Doctorate/phd Degree Graduates

Although earning a masters degree will give you more job opportunities, you can still be limited if you are interested in entering professional psychology, which is why a large percentage of psychology students continue to earn their doctorate. Most state licensing boards require a doctorate to practice any independent clinical work. Your doctorate and state license permit you to diagnose mental disorders, conduct research, administer evaluations, and teach at the university level. You can work within various settings, such as mental health clinics, government offices, hospitals, or choose to open a private practice, just to name a few possible choices.

Another benefit of your Ph.D. or Psy.D. in psychologyyour salary prospects increase dramatically. For example, an Industrial/Organizational psychologist with a masters degree can expect a starting salary of around $38,750, while a Ph.D. would earn them $55,000 to start.

Lets run through 10 of the best psychology degree jobs to answer the question of what job can you get with a psychology degree at the doctoral level.

• Psychotherapist

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Clinical Counseling And School Psychologists

Median Salary :$79,820Required Education: Doctorate

While psychologists treat various mental health conditions, they differ from psychiatrists in that they cannot prescribe medication in most states. Instead, they typically observe and evaluate conditions and offer treatment through counseling and support programs. The largest psychologist employers include schools, healthcare services, and the government. Psychologists are also commonly self-employed in private practice.

Consider Obtaining A Doctoral Degree

While some school psychologists pursue a doctoral degree, school psychology is unique in that professionals can work as psychologists at the masters level without a doctoral degree as long as their employment is within schools.

Its important to note that a doctoral degree is not a requirement for becoming a school psychologist. The benefit of a doctoral degree is that you are not tied to a school setting and can also work in colleges/universities or clinical settings.

A doctoral psychology degree typically takes five to six years to complete and requires a 1,500-hour internship. If youre interested in working in a school setting, however, an accredited MS degree is all you need.

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Where Do Most Psychologists Work

After earning their credentials, psychologists are able to provide care to people, groups and businesses facing mental, emotional, and organizational health challenges in a variety of settings. The following are some of the places where psychologists can find employment.

• Substance abuse treatment centers

Earned Skills From A Bachelors In Psychology

A bachelors degree in psychology generally includes a mix of general education courses such as English comp, communications, and sociology along with psych courses such as abnormal psych, statistics in psych, and scientific thinking. Some majors offer students opportunities for clinical experiences or to choose electives to deepen learning in specific areas of psychology.

Because of the range of courses, skills earned from a psychology degree apply to many careers. For example, an understanding of human behavior and communication can help in a human resource or counseling job, while critical thinking and research can support the path to becoming a research assistant or market research analyst.

Other skills earned from a bachelor in psychology cited by the Psychology Career Center include:

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What Else Can A Psychologist Do

Criminal Profiler

Criminal profilers create psychological profiles of criminals based on the evidence available. They assist detectives or investigators by visiting the crime scene, reviewing evidence, and helping deduce likely characteristics or traits of the responsible criminal. Some profilers also teach prospective FBI agents and police officers techniques on criminal profiling.

Special Education Teachers

Special education teachers work with students who have mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders. They also teach students who have learning disabilities and cannot study under regular classroom instruction or methods. Some of the common job responsibilities of special ed teachers include developing Individualized Education Programs for their students and supervising or mentoring other teachers or teacher assistants who are teaching students with special needs.

Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers

In general, advertising, promotions, and marketing managers focus on creating interest in products and services with the goal of either increasing sales or increasing brand awareness. They study customer sentiments and behavior and devise marketing campaigns targeted at a specific audience. They can work with writers, art directors, sales agents, and other professionals depending on their project.

High School Teachers

Public Relations Specialists

What Can You Do With A Psychology Degree

Few fields are as far-reaching as psychology, which is excellent news for those wondering what to do with a psychology degree. This discipline requires mastery in a variety of topics, including sociology, behavioral research, medical science, and even legal issues.

Typically, youll need a doctoral degree in psychology in order to build a career as a clinically practicing psychologist, but a therapist can often hold a successful career in different fields with lesser degrees. Some examples include:

• Psychiatric nursing assistant or aide, which is attainable with an associate degree in psychology.
• School counselor, which you can often do with just a bachelors psychology degree.
• Substance abuse counselor, a career often open to those with a masters degree in psychology.

These examples arent even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the possible psychology degree jobs open to you. Lets look at each degree option to answer the question of what job can you get with a psychology degree.

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Career Opportunities For School Psychologists

Your career prospects depend largely on your personal preference. Depending on the size of the school you aim to work in, you may be able to decide which age bracket youd prefer to work with: children or adolescents.

While 81 percent of school psychologists work in a public school setting, that is not your only option. School psychologists can work in a range of settings depending on their preparation:

• Juvenile Justice Programs
• Independent Private Practices

School psychologists generally work as practitioners, administrators, faculty, and researchers. A specialist-level degree will allow for employment in most states as a practitioner and administrator , while a doctoral degree allows for practice as a practitioner, administrator, and faculty/researcher.

Training And Development Specialists

Median Salary :$62,700Required Education: Bachelor’s

Training and development specialists help managers in the creation and administration of training programs. They may run the programs or lectures themselves or help create the materials used in them. Major employers for these specialists include the professional services, healthcare, and educational services industries.

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Bachelor’s In Psychology Jobs

Having a degree in psychology provides many job opportunities after graduation. Some jobs require a bachelor’s degree in psychology specifically, while others are looking for anyone with a well-rounded higher education degree, potentially providing you with the opportunity to apply for jobs not directly related to psychology. Here are a few industries that often hire people with bachelor’s degrees in psychology as well as a few examples of jobs within each industry:

Apply To Medical School

After earning a degree youll apply to medical school. After acceptance, you can expect to spend four years earning either a Doctor of Medicine degree or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. During this time, the student learns about anatomy, histology, pathology, physiology, and similar studies of the human body. They also learn about medical ethics, pharmacology, and other issues pertinent to a psychiatric career.

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Top 10 Reasons To Get A Bachelors In Psychology

If youre fascinated by the way the mind works and want to know more about what motivates people to do the things they do, a psychology bachelors degree may be the perfect next step for you. If so, check out what can you do with a psychology bachelor’s degree?

Here are the top 10 reasons why you should earn a bachelors in psychology:

Job outlook:

Finding A Psychology Degree Program

Earning a bachelors degree in psychology gives you a better understanding of how people think and act, which can help you in a variety of fields. But before you can enjoy putting your passions into practice, youll first need to find a program to start you down the road to your new career.

Increasingly, many psychology programs offer the opportunity to earn a bachelors in psychology online, which is an excellent option for those looking for flexibility or those who already work full-time and are looking to change careers. Some also offer hybrid course roadmaps that include in-person labs and practicals, appealing to those who learn best from in-class interaction and discussion. Whatever you prefer, theres a psychology degree program near you that fits your needs.

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Training And Development Managers

Median Salary :$115,640Required Education: Bachelor’s

Training and development managers develop and run programs to educate staff and upgrade their skills. They design and plan programs that address specific industry and organizational needs, all while applying their communication and human behavior training. These managers can find work in professional services, educational services, and healthcare.

Medical And Health Services Manager

Also called healthcare executives, healthcare administrators and clinical managers, medical and health services managers handle planning, directing and coordinating healthcare services. This could mean managing an entire facility, a specific clinical area, a department or a medical practice for one or more physicians. They focus on improving efficiency and quality of services and ensuring the facility is compliant with all laws and regulations.

Medical and health services managers often collaborate with a range of different professionals in the healthcare setting. They may work closely with medical providers, patients and insurance agents. To land a position in this realm, candidates need at least a bachelors degree and prior experience in healthcare is often desired. You may need a masters degree depending on the role and type of facility. That said, studying psychology can also help you start honing the necessary abilities.

Key skills for this role that psychology graduates learn to develop:

• Adaptability to new systems

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