The Department of Psychology offers two degrees at the undergraduate level: the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science in Psychology. The program of study that culminates in a B.A. degree provides the student with experience and training necessary to pursue post-baccalaureate education in psychology and other professional areas or to secure employment immediately following completion of the undergraduate degree, and with the broad education essential to the formation of a well-rounded, informed individual.
The B.S. degree in Psychology is designed to provide additional training and experience in research to those students who want greater mastery in basic sciences and methodology. The B.S. degree program is most appropriate for those students who want to significantly enhance their competitive standing for admission to doctoral training in psychology - although it should be noted that the majority of our B.A. degree students have been highly successful in achieving graduate school acceptance as well. Any student who meets the requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences may pursue the B.A. degree in Psychology; the B.S. degree program requires an application and a faculty sponsor.
This program of study culminates in a degree that provides students with the knowledge and experiences necessary to pursue post-baccalaureate education in psychology and other professional training areas, with the training required to secure employment immediately following completion of the undergraduate degree, and with the broad education essential to the formation of a well-rounded, informed individual. Any student who meets the requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences may pursue the B.A. in Psychology.
The employment outlook for individuals with an education in psychology depends on the type of degree that the person receives. The B.A. or B.S. degree is the first step. For doctoral-level psychologists, employment opportunities have flourished during the past decade. Some of the positions that Ph.D.s in Psychology fill are professors, therapists, clinical psychologists, researchers, and consultants. People with a master's degree in psychology work in a variety of settings including schools, businesses, mental health care centers, and community colleges. Graduates who do not pursue the Ph.D. after receiving their master's often obtain jobs in teaching, research, or service with some limitations that exist without the doctoral degree. Teachers at the masters' level usually work in community colleges rather than four-year colleges and universities. Although a bachelor's degree in psychology will not prepare you to become a professional psychologist, an undergraduate major in psychology can provide a graduate with both a strong liberal arts education and adequate preparation for entry-level employment in one of many career paths.
Students who choose to enter the workplace with a bachelor's degree have many career options. However, those students who are the most successful are those who consult closely with faculty members about their interests, plan their psychology curriculum carefully to provide the skills essential for success in the area(s) of their interest, and carefully and strategically augment their psychology coursework with coursework from other academic areas to strengthen their background and make them distinctly attractive job candidates. This can be achieved by adding courses in such areas as computer science, business, communications, etc. Active consultation with faculty members for career counseling cannot be emphasized enough.
The following are some of the fields that graduates with bachelor's degrees in psychology have entered: administration and management, business and industry, casework, child care, employment interviewing, health services, marketing and public relations, personnel, probation and parole, psychiatric assisting, research or laboratory assisting, sales, teaching, and technical writing. Students pursuing the bachelor's degree as a terminal degree are encouraged to seek academic counseling on an intensive level with a faculty adviser, and to consult closely with the University's job placement service.
The program of study that culminates in a Bachelor of Science is designed to provide additional training and experience in research beyond the B.A. degree to those students who want greater mastery in basic science and experimental methodology. Students who seek the B.S. degree program often do so to strengthen their academic skills and record to better prepare them for graduate studies. Acceptance into the B.S. degree program requires an application (obtained from the Psychology Department office) and a faculty sponsor.
The employment outlook for individuals with an education in psychology depends on the type of degree that the person receives. For doctoral-level psychologists, employment opportunities have flourished during the past decade. Some of the positions that Ph.D.s in Psychology fill are professors, therapists, clinical psychologists, researchers, and consultants. People with a master's degree in psychology work in a variety of settings including schools, businesses, mental health care centers, and community colleges. Graduates who do not pursue the Ph.D. after receiving their master's often obtain jobs in teaching, research, or service with some limitations that exist without the doctoral degree. Teachers at the master's level usually work in community colleges rather than four-year colleges and universities. Although a bachelor's degree in psychology will not prepare you to become a professional psychologist, an undergraduate major can graduate with both a strong liberal arts education and adequate preparation for entry-level employment in one of many career paths.
The following are some of the fields that graduates with bachelor's degrees in psychology have entered: administration and management, business and industry, casework, child care, employment interviewing, health services, marketing and public relations, personnel, probation and parole, psychiatric assisting, research or laboratory assisting, sales, teaching, technical writing. Students pursuing the bachelor's degree as a terminal degree are encouraged to seek academic counseling on an intensive level with a faculty adviser, and to consult closely with the University's job placement service.
For an excellent introduction to careers in psychology, with a description of many subfields and job domains, please see the brochure published by the American Psychological Association (APA) (pdf).
Psychologists assume many different roles. For example, they work as teachers, researchers, service providers, administrators, and consultants. Because psychologists perform such diverse tasks, they work in many different settings: colleges and universities, elementary and secondary schools, private practices, hospitals, human service agencies, business and industry, and government.
Recent national reports on the employment outlook predict that individuals with degrees in psychology will be in high demand. However, the demand rate will depend on the type of degree that the person has. For doctoral-level psychologists, employment opportunities have flourished during the past decade. Some of the positions that Ph.D.'s in Psychology fill are professors, therapists, clinical research psychologists, experimental researchers, and those who work in many business and industrial settings. People with a master's degree in psychology work in a variety of settings, including schools, business and industry, mental health care centers, and community colleges. Graduate who do not pursue the Ph.D. after receiving their master's often obtain jobs in teaching or research settings, or service with some limitations that exist without the doctoral degree. Teachers at the master's level usually work in community colleges rather than four-year colleges and universities.
Although a bachelor's degree in psychology will not prepare you to provide services as a professional independent psychologist, an undergraduate student can be very successful in the job market by carefully planning a major in psychology with well-selected supporting coursework from a variety of areas such as computing, statistics, communications, business, engineering, education, or various sciences or mathematics.
The following are just some of the fields that graduates with bachelor's degrees in psychology have entered: administration and management, business and industry, casework, child care, health services, marketing and public relations, human resources, probation and parole, psychiatric assisting, research or laboratory assisting, sales, teaching, and technical writing. Students pursuing the bachelor's degree as a terminal degree are encouraged to seek academic counseling with an undergraduate advisor, and to consult closely with University Career Services.
Psychology has many interesting subfields. One way to explore the breadth of topics studied in psychology is to visit the APA web site and explore the various divisions.
