A degree in the聽field of psychology聽can support a gratifying career across a wide array of industries. Let鈥檚 dive into the types of degrees in this discipline, what you can do with a psychology degree, and the careers an education in psychology could prepare you to pursue.
Types of Psychology Degrees
One advantage of choosing this degree path is an ability take a tiered approach to your education, earning degrees consecutively and qualifying yourself for meaningful, real-world work experience with each milestone. Psychology degrees you can earn include:
- An associate or two-year degree in psychology
- A bachelor鈥檚 or four-year degree in psychology
- A master鈥檚 degree in psychology, generally two additional years beyond a bachelor鈥檚 degree
The kinds of positions available to you depend on the highest level of education you achieve. In most cases, your earning potential increases as your level of education increases.
Jobs for Psychology Majors聽with a Bachelor鈥檚 Degree
There are a multitude of vocations you can enter with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology, ranging from a career counselor for high school students to a victim advocate for those impacted by a crime. Let’s explore how you can put your bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology to work.
Career Counselor
Career counselors help students choose an educational path and eventual occupation based on their strengths and interests. Sometimes called guidance counselors, they generally work in schools and administer career aptitude tests, assist students in applying to colleges, and help them prepare for their job search.
Research Assistant
Another impactful career you might choose with a degree in psychology is research assistant. In this role, you鈥檒l have the opportunity to advance science and medicine by collecting data through interviewing, observation, survey administration, and more. Research assistants often work in hospitals and clinics.
Case Manager
Patient care is often multifaceted and requires coordination of care. Case managers organize patient care in these complex cases to ensure appropriate collaboration between providers, departments, and facilities while serving as a primary point of contact for patients and their families. There are other types of case managers in other industries, like housing case managers, who help people at risk of homelessness find and maintain housing.
Technical Writer
As the name suggests, technical writers draft technical materials like policies, instruction manuals, and reports for businesses. Those with a background in psychology might draft policies and procedures for use in clinical settings or language for聽mental health聽software applications. Technical writers well-versed in psychology are often employed in聽clinical research, where they author clinical study reports.
Human Resource Advisor
A degree in psychology can prepare you for a career as a human resource advisor. Human resource advisors advise companies on manners related to their people: policies, procedures, and practices around employment. Psychology lends well to human resources because understanding how employees think and behave and then using that information to drive positive organizational change is central to the discipline.
Victim Advocate
Victim advocates are central to a crime victim鈥檚 experience with the justice system. While most of the key players in the聽criminal justice聽system are focused on the perpetrator, victim advocates are entirely focused on supporting those who were hurt by the crime. They provide resources, emotional support, crisis intervention services, safety planning, and more while guiding victims through the聽criminal justice聽process.
Substance Abuse Counselor
Substance abuse counselors use their psychology degree to advise and support people struggling with addiction or substance use disorders. In this role, you would evaluate new clients, create goals for treatment, and help people develop the skills and strategies they need to recover from addiction. The need for substance use counselors聽, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting a job outlook of 18 percent through 2032, much faster than the average estimated growth for all occupations (3 percent).
Training and Development Specialist
Training and development specialists are responsible for creating and delivering content in an employment setting. They might also monitor compliance with mandatory training, assess the efficacy and value of existing development programs, and manage logistics, like scheduling and coordinating classes.
Probation Officer
Probation officers supervise formerly incarcerated individuals who have served their time and are reintegrating into the community. Probation officers provide guidance and direction as their parolees overcome adversity and work to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They鈥檙e also responsible for monitoring compliance with conditions ordered by the court, like community service and drug testing. Most probation officer jobs are government positions.
Rehabilitation Specialist
Rehabilitation specialist positions often require a psychology degree. Rehab specialists help clients with physical or mental disabilities live as independently as possible. Rehabilitation specialists may also work in the foster care system, helping children experiencing mental or emotional difficulties.
What Can You Do with a Graduate Degree in Psychology?
Earning a聽master鈥檚 degree聽in psychology unlocks a variety of positions in the study of聽human behavior, ranging from school psychologist to college professor.
School Psychologist
School psychologists address the mental, emotional, and behavioral issues that impede learning on an individual and an institutional scale. Students who choose school psychology might consider it a calling, rather than a career, because they can influence positive change and, in some cases, see it unfold.
Clinical Psychologist
Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, improving the quality of life for those they serve. Clinical psychologists work for clinics, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, and private practices. They can serve patients of all ages and backgrounds, but many specialize in treating specific conditions like eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, or depression.
Social Worker
Social workers assist people facing illness and adversity. They help them identify their strengths, set goals, and find resources to meet their basic needs. Social workers often advocate for the populations they serve in hopes of improving the services and support available to them. Clinical social workers can also diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, much like clinical psychologists.
Marriage and Family Therapist
Marriage and family therapists counsel individuals, couples, and families, providing strategies for communication, conflict resolution, and behavior change to improve and strengthen relationships. While most marriage and family therapists work in private practices, they can also work for substance abuse treatment centers,聽mental health聽treatment centers, and government agencies. This is another industry with much faster-than-average growth, as .
Sports Psychologist
Sports performance is largely dependent on an athlete鈥檚 state of mind. Sports psychologists help athletes improve their performance by addressing the psychology of physical competition: motivation, resilience, teamwork, visualization, and more. As a sports psychologist, you can help high school, college, and professional athletes perform at the peak of their abilities every day.
Behavioral Health Professional
Behavioral health professional is a catch-all term used to describe a throng of disciplines: clinical psychologists, licensed聽mental health聽counselors, licensed clinical social workers, and other clinicians and counselors. All these specialists have one thing in common: they work to improve patients鈥� overall well-being by diagnosing and treating emotional, mental, and behavioral health issues.
College Professor
Once you’ve earned your聽master’s degree, you’re qualified to teach psychology and related subjects at many colleges and universities. In today鈥檚 digital world, many students go on to become聽mental health聽professionals by day and part-time professors by night, teaching an online or on-campus course each semester.
Forensic Psychologist
Forensic psychologists focus on psychology within the聽criminal justice聽system. They perform evaluations to make recommendations for child custody, treatment, and sentencing. They can help lend insights into the motivations and patterns of criminals. Their role is unique in that they provide services to nearly all audiences: law enforcement, offenders, victims, and others engaged in the legal system. Forensic psychologist positions typically require a聽master’s degree聽in psychology.
Take the Next Step Toward Your Psychology Degree
Whether you鈥檙e just starting your postsecondary education or thinking about going back to school after a hiatus, 91直播 has a path to achievement that meets your needs. Our Bachelor of Science in Psychology program will give you a sound foundation in general psychology along with instruction in cognition and learning, human development, psychological disorders, personality theories, intelligence, memory, and more, preparing you to enter myriad roles in the workforce or take your next step toward graduate education and a counseling or clinical career. Excelsior also partners with , which offers programs in mental health support that can help you gain experience and grow your knowledge while earning you credit toward your Excelsior degree. Whatever your path may be, Excelsior is here to help you create the career you want. Contact Admissions today to learn more!
