What Careers Can I Pursue with a Psychology Degree?

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There are numerous field studies available for those who choose careers in psychology. The most common are in the fields of therapy and mental health, but there are also many careers open in applied and experimental psychology. The amount of time you wish to spend in school is a major factor in your choice of careers.

What is Required

Many psychology careers require a master’s degree, but their field choices are exciting. As an experimental psychologist, you would receive the opportunity to conduct research on a variety of topics. You may choose to specialize in a particular area of the field, such as child development, the aging process, social behavior or cognitive psychology. Experimental physiologists often work in colleges and universities conducting research as well as teaching courses.

You may also consider working in areas such as private corporations, research centers and government organizations. Experimental physiologists focus on topics that include both animal and human behavior. The experimental physiologists use scientific methods to collect data and perform research on psychological phenomena, ranging from learning to personality to cognitive processes.

As an applied psychologist, you use your knowledge to solve real life issues. Applied psychologists work in a variety of settings, including universities, private businesses, government offices, law enforcement agencies, and private consulting.

Other psychology careers include forensic psychologists, sports psychologists, consumer psychologists and industrial organizational psychologists. The criminal psychologist studies the behaviors and thoughts of criminals while the forensic psychologist deals with both psychology and the law.

You may want to combine your love for sports with your career. Sports psychology studies the importance of exercise within sports focusing on performance, motivation, and the psychological benefits of sports and athletics.

Consumer psychology is another growing field. If you have an interest in how and why people buy some products and not others, this may be a good career choice. Other studies within consumer psychology include how social media messages can influence a shopper’s buying choices.

Maybe your interest lies in human behavior at the work place. Industrial organizational psychology focuses on using psychological principles in areas such as human resources, employee training, marketing and sales, and organizational development.

Fields and Alternative Paths

The fields of therapy and mental health offer a number of settings such as psychosocial specialists, clinical psychologists, and cognitive psychologists. You may find yourself interested in a career as a genetic counselor. A genetics counselor teaches people how to make important decisions about their health based upon genetic information. Expectant parents will consult a genetic counselor in order to determine if a hereditary genetic disorder might place their future offspring at risk. Genetics counselors will also advise people on their own risks of developing a genetic disease, such as heart disease and breast cancer.

As a cognitive psychologist, you would study how people acquire, process and store information. The focal points include language, attention, memory, decision-making, and problem solving. Cognitive psychology is used in many common fields such as university instructor, industrial organizational manager and human factors consultant. Cognitive principles are also often used in the creation of educational curriculum and software design.

You can find a psychology career in both the private and public sector, in government and educational institutions, in care giving facilities, clinics and hospitals, and with businesses and corporations. The biggest question is what interests you most in the various fields of psychology.