Become a Psychologist

Students who are interested in majoring in psychology may be wondering, "Just what can I do with a degree in psychology? What occupational choices will I have?" These are common question! The sections below will provide information on the types of jobs and opportunities afforded to psychology majors.

Questions Often Asked by Career-Seeking Psychology Students

The following three questions are often asked by psychology majors who are interested in entering the job market immediately after graduation. Johnson (1988, p. 7-8) has given the following answers:

Are there jobs available for psychology majors?

In 1986, the National Science Foundation published a report that suggested a bright future for employment of psychology majors. The report indicated that one year after graduation, 90% of the psychology majors entering the labor force were employed. After two years that figure rose to 94%. Those are encouraging figures when you consider the fact that 40, 000 psychology majors graduate every year and nearly half of them enter the labor force immediately.

If I want to major in psychology and then go into some other career area, will my psychology major help me or hinder me?

The psychology major is not a panacea (in other words, it will not be the best undergraduate training program for all careers). But you will find large numbers of persons who have their basic undergraduate training in psychology in a diversity of professions. For example, it is not uncommon to find lawyers who earned a bachelor's degree in psychology before they went to law school. Medical and dental schools often admit psychology majors who have good academic records and supplemented their majors with courses in the biological and physical sciences. It is also not uncommon to find psychology majors going to graduate school in business or social work. Many others are employed in social welfare settings or as counselors of various types (e.g., rehabilitation). So don't feel as though the psychology major limits your ability to find a job; it does not. Your marketability will be related to several other factors (such as your grades, skills, personality, and extracurricular activities).