Careers Options And Career Information

The opportunities that are open to students of psychology vary with the level of education and training received by the student. Graduates with a B.A. in psychology can hold various job titles, including management trainee, psychiatric technician, interviewer, market research analyst, personnel specialist, human resources manager, daycare center supervisor, research assistant, sales representative, probation officer, community relations officer, mental health worker, college residence hall director, and substance abuse counselor’s aide. With additional training, psychology graduates can teach at grade school or high school (requires a degree in education) or at college (requires a masters and/or Ph.D.). A degree in psychology also provides a solid foundation on which to build careers in social work, medicine, law, and business, each of which requires continued education in schools for that field.  Students who are interested in pursuing a career as a psychologist will need to enter a graduate psychology program. Graduate programs in psychology train students to conduct psychological research and prepare students for careers within a specialty area (e.g., clinical psychology, health psychology, etc). Psychologists (those with a doctoral degree in psychology) work in a variety of settings including universities, government agencies, private companies (profit or non-profit), schools, and hospitals.  Depending on their specialty, psychologists conduct research, see clients, analyze data, serve as consultants to businesses, and train students.  

As you plan for your post-baccalaureate career, you will need to decide whether to apply to graduate training programs or to pursue a job.  If you are planning on going to graduate school, you can skip to the next section on applying to graduate school. If you are planning on obtaining a job after graduation, this section suggests three things you can do to increase your chances of finding a job with your bachelor’s degree in psychology.

First, start early!  Towards the end of your sophomore or beginning of your junior year, you should begin to consider and explore what areas of work seem interesting to you.

Second, get field experience if you can!  The psychology department offers a course called Fieldwork (see Section 11 and Course Descriptions for more details). These courses offer students credit for working in various settings such as businesses, hospitals, and mental health agencies. A list of placements is available from the Fieldwork advisor.

Third, discuss your ideas with professors or career counselors who can give you good advice.  Many of your professors and career counselors are aware of the job market and may even be able to give you leads. Throughout the year, the psychology department receives several job announcements and these are often posted on the bulletin boards.  You can also receive advice and assistance from the College Career Office located in NAC 1/116 (they also have a Webpage: http://www.ccnycareercenter.org/).  This office maintains a list of available jobs, assists in preparing resumes, and offers vocational testing and guidance. Throughout the year they sponsor job fairs and other workshops. Contact ccnycareercenter@ccny.cuny.edu for more information.

The following WebPages are also an excellent source of information regarding careers in psychology:

http://www.apa.org/science/nonacad.html

http://careers.cua.edu/explore/psychresources.htm

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