November 2023

What Can You Do With a Psychology Degree?

photo courtesy of Walden University

By Elena Laurier

“What are you going to do with a psychology degree?” is a question I have been asked many times. Most people aren't aware that there is a variety of jobs available for those with a degree in psychology. Of course there are the ones that immediately come to mind like a therapist or a psychologist, and while those are some of the more common ones there are many more options that are available.

When you choose to study psychology you will learn many things like 

•  How to explore how the mind works 

• How to evaluate how people learn and behave 

• How to help people make healthy lifestyle choices 

Psychologist 

A psychologist is one of the most common jobs for a psychology major. In order to become a psychologist you have to get a masters in social work, psychology, or something similar, you may need a doctorate depending on where your field of interest is. After you earn your degree you must complete an internship or a postdoctoral program. Most states require around 1,500 to 2,000 hours in a program.  Then you must complete and pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. The average salary for a psychologist in California is 80k-250k.

Human resources

Human resources managers plan, coordinate, and direct the administrative functions of an organization. To become a human resources manager you must earn a bachelor's degree in human resource or something related like communications or psychology. However in order to become an HR manager you must have at least some experience. Most jobs would prefer around five years of experience. The average salary of an hr manager in California is 60k-120k

Social worker

Another one of the more common jobs in the psychology field, social workers are an integral part of our community.

Social workers responsibilities include 

• Evaluating patients based on their needs, limitations and desires

• Address patient concerns and goals while maintaining constant communication with the patient as well as a case manager

• Build rapport with patients and their families

• Coordinate care with PT and OT departments

• Develop care plans for patients

To become a social worker you must get a masters degree in social work from a accredited school of social work. After that you must complete these courses.

• Child Abuse Assessment and Reporting

• Human Sexuality

• Alcoholism and Chemical Substance Abuse and Dependency

• Aging, Long Term Care and Elder/Dependent Adult Abuse

• Spousal/Partner Abuse Assessment, Detection and Intervention

• Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention

You must then register as an ACSW and complete 3,000 hours (in California) of supervised social work. You must take and pass the California Law & Ethics exam, and take and pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Clinical exam. You must also pay some fees and fill out certain applications during this process.

If you decide to pursue a degree in psychology there are many career paths available to you. Studying psychology can help you better understand and help the people around you. It can help you have a more positive effect on people's lives. 🐾