Major / Career Planning
Career Planning
This page introduces you to several different career paths and helps you to plan what courses you should take in your college career to help prepare you for your chosen career. This page can also help you plan for graduate school and offers some web site links with more information.
What Do You Want to Be? What Should You Take?
The chart below assumes that ALL psychology majors will complete the general college requirements and the required core courses listed for the Psychology major degree program. The classes listed below should help you focus on which classes to choose in your lower and upper division content sections to maximize the potential of your degree. Occupational categories marked with one asterisk (*) generally require at least a master's degree and categories marked with two asterisks (**) generally require a Ph.D. or Psy.D. Students planning to attend graduate school are strongly encouraged to obtain research experience beyond the requirements for the major. See Research Opportunities for more information. You can also visit the Career Center in DPC or visit the Career Center website for more information about possible careers for psychology majors.
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Career: College Teaching and Research |
Career: Elementary/Secondary Student Services |
|
| Potential jobs: | Potential jobs: | |
| Lab Director, Research Assistant, | Guidance Counselor, School Social Worker, | |
|
Professor ** |
Substance Abuse Trainer, School Psychologist | |
| --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | |
| Suggested classes & experience: | Suggested classes & experience: | |
| Laboratory Courses, Teaching Assistant, | Social Psychology, Exceptionaltiy, Educational | |
| Research Assistant, internship, | Psychology, Infant & Child Development, | |
| other research projects |
Adolescence, Mental Retardation,Child Clinical | |
| Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, | ||
| Career: Mental Health Services | Psychology of Learning, Internship in a | |
| Potential jobs: | school setting | |
| Mental Health Worker, Counselor**, | ||
| Therapist*, Clinical Psychologist**, | ||
| Counseling Psychologist** | ||
| ----------------------------------------------- |
Career: Elementary/Secondary Teaching |
|
| Suggested classes & experience: | ||
| Child Clinical Psychology, Psychological |
Educational Studies requires these |
|
| Assessment, Abnormal Psychology, | Psychology Courses : | |
| Counseling, Lab in Cognition and Perception, | Educational Psychology, Lifespan |
|
| Cognitive Psychology, The Study | Development, Adolescence, Exceptionality | |
| of Personality, Sensation and Perception, | Other courses good for education: | |
| Drugs, Brains, and Behavior , Lab in Counseling | Infant and Child Development, Psychology | |
| and Psychotherapy | of Learning, Advanced Developmental | |
| Psychology | ||
| Career: Community Services/Social Services | ||
| Potential jobs: |
Career: Business/Industry |
|
| Activity Director, Child Care Worker, |
Potential jobs: | |
| Foster Care Worker, Volunteer Coordinator, | Personnel Manager, Productivity Consultant, | |
| Social Worker, Case Worker | Sales Representative, Market Researcher, | |
| --------------------------------------- | Customer Relations Rep., Risk Analyst*, Quality | |
| Suggested classes & experience: | Control Analyst | |
| Social Psychology, Lifespan Development, | ----------------------------------------- | |
| Culture and the Social Experience, Sociology |
Suggested classes & experience: | |
| of the Family, Developmental Psychology | Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, | |
| Courses, Psychology of Women, Counseling, |
Adulthood and Aging, Human Behavior in | |
| Internship in human services, Volunteer service | Organizations, Advanced Developmental | |
| Psychology, Advanced Social Psychology, | ||
|
Career: Health/Medical Services |
Business/Economics Courses, leadership in | |
| Potential jobs: | organizations, Internship in Human Resources | |
| Medical Technician, Physical Therapist*, | ||
| Psychiatric Aide, Child Life Specialist, |
Career: Law/Criminal Justice |
|
| Occupational Therapist*, Health | Potential jobs: | |
| Psychologist** | Corrections Officer, Probation Officer, | |
| --------------------------------------- | Investigative Officer, Lab Technician, Case | |
| Suggested classes & experience: | Worker, Juvenile Counselor, Forensic | |
| Developmental Psychology Courses, Human | Psychologist** | |
| Sexuality, Drugs, Brains, and Behavior, | ----------------------------------------- | |
| Psychology of Women, Psychology of the |
Suggested classes & experience: | |
| Family, Psychological Assessment, |
Psychology of the Family, Psychology and the | |
| Counseling, Cognitive Psychology, Biological | Law, Drugs, Brains, and Behavior, Counseling, | |
| Psychology, Courses in Biology/Chemistry, | Cognitive Psychology, Sociology of Law, Crime | |
| internship in health services | and Deviance, Internship in corrections | |
| May benefit to double major Psychology and | ||
| Sociology |