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What Jobs Can I Get With a Degree in Psychology?

What Jobs Can I Get With a Degree in Psychology?

What Jobs Can I Get With a Degree in Psychology?      

While a degree in psychology might conjure up images of a therapist sitting across from a client lying on a couch, the reality is a degree in psychology can be the baseline for a wide variety of jobs that can lead to many satisfying careers.

Psychology is a highly popular major in college. Most have personal reasons for choosing the major, often rooted in wanting to help underserved populations in some way. Because it provides a broad foundation for jobs in the helping or service fields, psychology is an inviting major. At the same time, it allows graduates to seek an advanced degree for professional roles in mental health or public service.

Still, you may be wondering, “What can I do with a bachelor's degree in psychology?” Before we answer that question, let’s outline what the degree entails.

Online Psychology Degrees

First, you will want to make sure that you find a psychology program at an accredited university.

A psychology major partners well with your other liberal arts courses and enhances your ethical thinking, self-awareness, and empathy within a global perspective. Programs like Ottawa University’s Bachelor of Arts in Psychology help you develop the tools you need to understand and care for others in the behavioral health field. OU’s online degree in psychology gives you a foundation in human physiological, as well as mental, intellectual, personal, and social development. You develop critical-thinking skills and the ability to analyze and integrate information from other disciplines and apply it to the field of psychology.

Specific coursework within OU’s accelerated, online Bachelor’s in Psychology program is focused on research, theories and processes useful for understanding oneself and others, both as individuals and as members of various societies, groups, cultures, and organizations. Students are encouraged to think critically, to analyze and integrate information from other disciplines and sources, and to draw conclusions which can lead to the application of psychology across a wide range of social and behavioral settings. Graduates emerge prepared for entry-level roles in a number of fields or to pursue advanced studies to prepare for professions in areas such as counseling and psychotherapy, teaching, church ministry, youth work, research, and organizational development.

Psychology Classes May Include: 

  • Statistics for Social Sciences
  • General Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Theories of Personality
  • Psychopathology
  • Physiological Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Ethnic Relations & Multiculturalism
  • Research Design and Analysis
  • History and Systems of Psychology
  • Senior Comprehensive or Seminar in Psychology

Additional recommended courses might cover interpersonal communication, the family, and an introduction to sociology.

What Jobs Do Most Psychology Majors Get?

So, is a degree in psychology worth it? Similar to the in-demand liberal arts degree, a psychology degree may not uniquely qualify you for a particular job, but it does prepare you with the well-rounded knowledge and skills to compete for a large number of positions, both inside and outside psychology related fields. That gives it a unique value that appeals to many kinds of employers.

Careers for Psychology Majors May Include:

  • Benefits Coordinator
  • Career/Employment Counselor
  • Caseworker
  • Community Organization Worker
  • Correctional Treatment Specialist    
  • Corrections Officer
  • Criminal Investigator (FBI and other)
  • Disability Policy Worker
  • Employee Relations Specialist          
  • Employment Counselor                     
  • Labor Relations Supervisor   
  • Patient Resources Agent
  • Patient or Victims Advocate 
  • Police Officer
  • Polygraph Examiner  
  • Probation/Parole Officer
  • Psychiatric Aide/Technician 
  • Psychological Stress Evaluator         
  • Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist (PSR)
  • Research Assistant
  • Refugee Advocate     
  • Social Services Aide
  • Veterans Contact Representative      

Beyond these psychology-adjacent jobs, the training that psychology majors receive in communication, critical thinking, the family, ethics, personalities, research, and human behavior and development also lends itself to roles in public relations, customer service, child development, human resources, education, and even sales.  

Counseling Graduate Degrees

Entry level positions can help the psychology major gain valuable experience and pinpoint potential areas of specialization when seeking a graduate degree, which is required for professional counseling and psychology jobs. Approximately 25% of psychology students earn advanced degrees.

Counselors are in huge demand, so once you are licensed, you should have no problem finding a job. The industry is expected to grow by 25% through 2029, with jobs located in such places as state and local governments, outpatient care centers, individual and family services, vocational rehabilitation services, schools, and residential facilities for mental health, substance abuse and intellectual/developmental disability. Counselors may also choose to open their own practice.

Careers in Counseling May Include:

  • Behavioral Disorder Counselors
  • Career Counselors
  • Marriage and Family Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • School Counselors
  • Substance Abuse Counselors

Ottawa University offers several master’s degrees relevant for the psychology graduate, such as a Master of Science in Addiction Counseling, Master of Arts in Counseling, Master of Arts in Education - School Counseling (AZ), Education Specialist (EDS) in School Psychology (AZ), and Master of Arts in Human Resources (MAHR). In addition, there are a number of relevant certificates of advanced graduate studies (CAGS) that students can earn, including in Behavior Health Counseling, Expressive Arts Therapy, Gerocounseling, and Treatment of Trauma, Abuse and Deprivation.

Earn Your Online Psychology Degree Today!

As long as we humans walk the planet, there will be a need for understanding what makes us tick and for navigating the maze of our hearts and minds to achieve better quality of life. An online degree in psychology will set you on the course towards being that navigator. Contact us today to get started!

See Also:

Huge Employment Opportunities for OU Counseling Grads

Top 10 Counseling Skills

Best Master of Science in Addiction Counseling

Posted: 11/15/2021 by OU Online
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