Check out these helpful websites to explore careers in psychology!
APA's Careers for the 21st Century brochure (pdf)
Careers in Psychology and Entry Level Jobs for Psyc Majors- maintained by Professor Marky Lloyd, Georgia Southern University
Pursuing Careers in Psychology - maintained by Professor Linda Walsh, University of Northern Iowa
PsycCareers (APA's Online Career Center)
Career Decision Tree (by Western Kentucky University)
Nursing for Psychology Majors (by NursingDegreeGuide.com)
The Career Development Center (CDC)
Located on the second floor of Glendening Hall (211), the CDCenter is a great resource for professional/graduate school research, career exploration and internship/employment opportunities.
Make an online appointment to visit the CDC!
Join MentorNet! What is graduate school really like? How can you make the most of your first "real" job? The CDC's MentorNet directory gives students and recent graduates the opportunity to learn about graduate study and the world of work by connecting with professionals in their field of interest. Relevant mentors can be easily identified by searching the database according to major, graduate degree, occupation, location, or keyword. Contact the Career Development Center at careercenter@smcm.edu to obtain a unique username and password.
Alumni Spotlight
Erika Delanoy '09 completed her Masters in Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin in 2011. She interned in Hospice/Palliative Care at the Department of Veteran Affairs for 5 months and is now currently a social worker for Family Preservation Services in Charlottesville, VA.
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.
What Do You Want to Be? What Should You Take?
The information 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 each career 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 Glendening Hall or visit the Career Center website for more information about possible careers for psychology majors.
Career: College Teaching and Research
Potential jobs: Lab Director, Research Assistant, Professor**
Suggested Courses & Experience: Lab Courses, Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Internship, other research projects
Career: Elementary/Secondary Student Services
Potential jobs: Guidance Counselor, School Social Worker, Substance Abuse Trainer, School Psychologist
Suggested Courses & Experience: Social Psyc, Exceptionality, Educational Psyc, Infant & Child Development, Adolescence, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Child Clinical Psyc, Cognitive Psyc, Psyc of Learning, Internship in a school setting
Career: Elementary/Secondary Teaching
The Educational Studies Minor requires: Educational Psyc & Exceptionality, and a course with a developmental focus. Infant and Child Development is recommended for students who wish to pursue elementary certification; Adolescence is recommended for students who wish to pursue secondary certification; Lifespan Development is recommended for students who wish to pursue K-12 certification in Art, Music, or theater.
Other courses good for education: Psyc of Learning, Developmental Psyc w/ Laboratory
Career: Mental Health Services
Potential jobs: Mental Health Worker, Counselor**, Therapist*, Clinical Psychologist**, Counseling Psychologist**
Suggested Courses & Experience: Child Clinical Psyc, Psyc Assessment, Abnormal Psyc, Counseling, Cognitive Psyc w/ Laboratory, Personality Psyc, Sensation and Perception, Drugs, Brains, and Behavior, Counseling and Psychotherapy w/ Laboratory
Career: Community Services/Social Services
Potential jobs: Activity Director, Child Care Worker, Foster Care Worker, Volunteer Coordinator, Social Worker, Case Worker
Suggested Courses & Experience: Social Psyc, Lifespan Development, Culture and the Social Experience, Sociology of the Family, Developmental Psyc Courses, Psyc of Women, Counseling, Internship in human services, Volunteer service
Career: Business/Industry
Potential jobs: Personnel Manager, Productivity Consultant, Sales Representative, Market Researcher, Customer Relations Rep., Risk Analyst*, Quality Control Analyst, Haman Factors Specialist*
Suggested Courses & Experience: Social Psyc, Cognitive Psyc, Sensation & Perception, Adulthood and Aging, Human Behavior in Organizations, Developmental Psyc w/ Laboratory, Social Psyc w/ Laboratory, Business/Economics Courses, leadership in organizations, Internship in Human Resources
Career: Health/Medical Services
Potential jobs: Medical Technician, Nurse, Physical Therapist*, Psychiatric Aide, Child Life Specialist, Occupational Therapist*, Health Psychologist**
Suggested Courses & Experience: Social Psyc, Cognitive Psyc, Adulthood and Aging, Human Behavior in Organizations, Developmental Psyc w/ Laboratory, Social Psyc w/ Laboratory, Business/Economics Courses, leadership in organizations, Internship in Human Resources
Career: Law/Criminal Justice
Potential jobs: Corrections Officer, Probation Officer, Investigative Officer, Lab Technician, Case Worker, Juvenile Counselor, Forensic Psychologist**
Suggested Courses & Experience: Psychology of the Family, Psyc and the Law, Drugs, Brains, and Behavior, Counseling, Cognitive Psyc w/ Laboratory, Sociology of Law, Crime and Deviance, Internship in corrections, May benefit to double major Psychology and Sociology
