Career Opportunities
Related Career Titles
Related Major Skills
Career Planning Links

The study of psychology is concerned with explaining, predicting, and describing the thoughts, emotions, and actions of humans and animals. Psychology is a tremendously varied field. Psychologists diagnose and treat people; conduct basic research; work within communities, companies and other organizations in managing people, assessing job performance, and improving sales; work in educational institutions, teaching psychology or working as school psychologists; and work in other environments with various responsibilities. They test intelligence and personality. Many psychologists work as healthcare providers. They assess behavioral and mental function and well-being, intervening when appropriate. They study how human beings relate to each other and to machines, to improve human relationships and design better machines and processes.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

A bachelor’s degree with a major in psychology is considered preparation for graduate studies at the master’s or doctoral (Ph.D., Psy.D., Ed.D.) level. Psychologists work as clinical psychologists, assessing and treating mental disorders; counseling psychologists, helping people who are undergoing life’s difficulties and changes; developmental psychologists, focusing on childhood, adolescence and aging; educational psychologists, focusing on the study and practice of teaching and learning; engineering psychologists, designing machines and processes for optimal productivity; forensic psychologists, applying psychological principles to legal issues; health psychologists, assessing the biological, psychological, and social factors affecting health and illness; industrial/organizational psychologists, evaluating and implementing changes in organizational processes, job analyses, environment and employee satisfaction at work; neuropsychologists, studying the relationship between brain function and behavior; quantitative and measuring psychologists, dealing with analysis and interpretation of psychological data; rehabilitation psychologists, helping patients with disabilities cope with challenges in different facets of life, as well as the prevention of disabilities that arise from violence and substance abuse; school psychologists, working in public and private schools assessing and counseling students; social psychologists, studying the interaction of people and people groups, working in advertising and marketing departments of companies, evaluating consumer purchasing habits, responses to advertising, and brand image; and sports psychologists, counseling athletes to maximize performance. Many psychologists also work as college professors, where they teach and conduct research.

Bachelor degree recipients may find work related to their major. They may be assistants in rehabilitation centers or involved in data collection and analysis. If they meet state certification requirements, they may teach psychology at the high school level. The study of psychology serves as preparation for many other professions. For example, a psychology background is often useful in the fields of human resources, advertising, or sales.

For more information, visit CSU's Psychology Department's website

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RELATED CAREER TITLES

• Activity Leader
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RELATED MAJOR SKILLS

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CAREER PLANNING LINKS

• Accredited Graduate Programs in Counseling (from CACREP) http://www.cacrep.org/directory.html
• Careers in School Psychology http://www.indiana.edu/%7Ediv16/G&O.htm
• Encyclopedia of Psychology http://www.psychology.org/links/Career/
• Eye on Psi Chi http://www.psichi.org/pubs/eye
• GradSchools http://www.gradschools.com
• Graduate School Handbook http://www.gradschools.com/feedback/hbk.html
• Students.gov USAJOBS  

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