What Can You Do With a Psychology Degree?

A common misconception among those pursuing an advanced degree in psychology is that the degree will automatically lead to a career as a mental health care provider. While opportunities are available to those interested in seeking a career to help people struggling with mental illness, there are also many nonclinical jobs for those with a graduate degree in psychology.

"There's a general impression, which is incorrect, that if you major in psychology, you immediately want to go into the health professions, and you immediately are going to be a psychotherapist or work with people with emotional problems and that sort of thing," says Donald Leitner, a behavioral neuroscientist and professor and chair of psychology at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. "And that is only true of a branch of psychology, which is clinical psychology. There are many other branches of the modern discipline of psychology."

For instance, some psychology degree holders become researchers who use scientific experiments to clarify how the human mind works, while others design and administer IQ tests and personality assessments.

Also, therapists and counselors don't necessarily cater to individuals who suffer from serious mental health problems. "We're not only dealing with people with specific psychological, let's use the word, 'illnesses' or 'challenges,'" says William Gibson, an associate professor of psychology at Brandman University in California who specializes in family therapy and counsels people about gender and sexual identity.

Gibson, who also counsels families that have lost loved ones to suicide, says psychologists sometimes help psychologically healthy individuals find happiness.

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Psychology Careers

The American Psychological Association offers an overview of the many types of jobs someone can get with a psychology degree in its online publication, " Careers in Psychology." The publication notes that the term psychologist is reserved for psychology degree holders who have doctorates, and identifies more than 15 types of psychologists.

Here's a breakdown of different types:

-- Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat short-term and chronic mental health issues.

-- Cognitive and perceptual psychologists focus on how people see, understand and communicate with the outside world and how people remember past experiences. Researchers look for treatments for people with brain disorders while clinicians provide support to those with brain disorders.

-- Community psychologists advise communities that are facing significant crises, such as disease epidemics and crime sprees, on the psychological aspects of such problems.

-- Counseling psychologists are therapists and counselors who help people cope with difficult personal situations and provide guidance on how to achieve life goals.

-- Developmental psychologists are experts in how the human mindset changes over the course of a lifespan and often conduct aging-related research. As clinicians, they assist children and adolescents struggling with psychological growing pains.

-- Educational psychologists specialize in the psychology of teaching and learning and focus on improving student outcomes.

-- Engineering psychologists, often called "human factors specialists" or "human factors psychologists," help design machines that are easy for people to use.

-- Environmental psychologists are experts in how a person's physical and social environments affect the way that person feels and thinks.

-- Evolutionary psychologists examine how natural selection has shaped human brains and influenced the way people think.

-- Experimental psychologists conduct psychological experiments on humans and animals to answer scientific questions.

-- Forensic psychologists focus on issues with legal implications, such as whether a criminal defendant is psychologically fit to face a trial, and may help law enforcement solve crimes.

-- Health psychologists figure out how people with poor health habits can maximize their well-being.

-- Industrial-organizational psychologists concentrate on the way human psychology affects the performance of businesses and other organizations.

-- Neuropsychologists, sometimes called behavioral neuropsychologists, are experts in how the biology of the brain and nervous system impacts human behavior, thoughts and feelings.

-- Quantitative and measurement psychologists are mathematically inclined professionals who ensure that data from psychological experiments and assessments is accurately interpreted, and create models that aid precise data analysis.

-- Rehabilitation psychologists provide counseling and treatment to people with traumatic physical injuries or serious disabilities.

-- School psychologists offer psychological support to students and their families.

-- Social psychologists focus on the ways that society influences how people think and act and study the way people in relationships interact with each other.

-- Sport psychologists focus on helping athletes maintain motivation and resilience during and outside competitions.

Nonacademic, Nonclinical Psychology Careers

Karen Stamm, director of the Center for Workforce Studies at the American Psychological Association, says it's common for people with psychology doctorates to have jobs outside of academia and health care.

"Only about half of psychology doctorates work in 'traditional' occupations (psychologist or psychology professor)," Stamm, who has a Ph.D. in psychology, wrote in an email. "The other half work in a variety of occupations, such (as) professors in fields other than psychology, managers and administrators, writers, etc."

Psychologists often conduct research for clients and serve as industry consultants, says Susann Doyle-Portillo, a department head of psychological science at the University of North Georgia.

"For example, a human factors psychologist [an engineering psychologist] may work for an auto manufacturer to help design instrument panels in cars that promote safety and ease of use by consumers," Doyle-Portillo wrote in an email. "A social psychologist may consult with trial attorneys on ways to best persuade juries. A developmental psychologist may help design educational toys or software and so on."

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Psychology degree holders say that a formal education in how the human mind works is useful for numerous career paths. Understanding how people think is especially useful in professions that involve understanding or influencing public opinion, such as advertising or politics, experts suggest.

"I would say that psychology programs impart a very critical and marketable skill: the ability to measure, predict, and statistically analyze human behavior," says Nick Schweitzer, an associate professor at Arizona State University's School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. "These skills are highly sought after in a very large variety of employment sectors."

Here are some brief descriptions of a few of the many nonclinical and nontherapeutic applications of psychology.

Business and Entrepreneurship

Individuals can leverage psychology education at for-profit companies by using their people skills to figure out which people are worth investing in and relying upon, according to psychology experts. Psychology grads' perceptiveness about how people think and feel makes them a great fit for human resources roles, experts emphasize, and also helps them become managers since they are often excellent at relating to others.

Executives with psych degrees are often skilled at finding precisely the right words to say to motivate subordinates, and they tend to be good at assessing credibility, experts say.

"Emotional intelligence is enormously important in business," Anthony Babbitt, a change management consultant, business strategist and executive mentor with South Dakota-based Babbitt Consulting, wrote in en email.

"A degree in psychology not only assists in developing one's own emotional intelligence but also helps in coaching others to develop their own," adds Babbitt, who has a master's degree in psychology.

Experts note that some psych programs involve a significant amount of mathematics, and those programs can provide strong preparation for business analytics positions.

Education

Knowing why students misbehave can help educators empathize with those students, psychology experts say, so the education sector is an area where a psychology degree comes in handy. Educators with a psychology background are often especially good at encouraging students with emotional difficulties, so this is a context where a psychology credential is valuable.

Katie Burns, a master college admissions counselor with the IvyWise admissions consulting firm, says she uses her psychology training "every day" when she interacts with students.

"Knowing the difference between normal teenage moodiness and actual depression, understanding the variety of treatment interventions that can be effective for teenagers struggling with various mental health issues, and being equipped with skills in motivational interviewing, executive functioning, and personal introspection are all things that help me to provide the best holistic counseling for my students," Burns wrote in an email.

Legal and Law Enforcement Careers

Intensive education on how to assess character that is provided via a psychology degree is helpful for careers in law or law enforcement, experts say. "I feel like more and more students are turning to forensic psychology as they apply psychology to the field of criminal investigation and the law," Julia Simens, a retired school counselor with a master's degree in clinical psychology, wrote in an email.

Media, Advertising and Marketing

An understanding of peoples' deepest desires is helpful if you are trying to sell them something, experts say.

"Social psychologists with expertise in persuasion can develop effective marketing campaigns and advertisements," Doyle-Portillo explains.

Product and Service Invention and Design

Psychology knowledge can inform predictions about what types of products and services consumers would be most interested in and offer insight into which features consumers would be willing to pay a premium for, according to experts.

Politics

Understanding the way voters think and feel can help someone anticipate how voters might react to political speeches and policies, so a psychology background is helpful in politics, experts say.

Research

Psychology degree programs typically include a lot of coursework in data analysis and statistics, and skill in those two areas is useful for nearly any kind of research, experts explain.

"The statistics and research methods foundation you will learn in psychology coursework opens the door to conduct research in the area of human psychology, but also across industries," Erin Reynolds, a Texas-based clinical sports neuropsychologist with a master's degree and Psy.D. doctorate in clinical psychology, wrote in an email.

Sport and Performance Coaching

Sports and performance psychologists specialize in assisting individuals who need to excel in high-pressure environments and do well despite being nervous, says Casey Horton, who has a master's degree in sport and performance psychology and is pursuing a doctorate in the field.

"We all work with athletes and performers to help them maintain their mental focus during performance," Horton, the founder of Texas-based Clutch Play! Performance Psychology, wrote in an email.

"For example, athletes have important shots to make, routes to run, and victories needed. We help them focus on their ability to perform with their nerves under control. For a salesperson or a business person, they have meetings, sales pitches, and PowerPoint presentations to make to ensure the company lands a sale or a contract. In all of these scenarios, they have to be focused and deliver an error free performance."

Technology

Psychology degree recipients are often hired by prestigious tech corporations like Facebook, Netflix, Twitter and Google, since those companies are interested in creating an excellent user experience, according to experts. Schweitzer notes that grads of the ASU psych program often work in the technology industry, and their jobs typically focus on assessing how users interact with technology and recommending adjustments to that technology based on what users need and want most.

Job Opportunities Vary Depending on the Type of Degree

Julie Gurner, an executive performance coach who has a Psy.D. degree in clinical psychology, says the jobs that psychology degree holders are marketable for depend on their specific discipline.

"For example, someone who is in experimental psychology would spend their career conducting research, while someone with a clinical psychology degree would likely be in academics or health care. There are so many different types of psychology that are not related to counseling that most do not realize," Gurner said via email.

A Psychology Doctorate Can Lead to Lucrative Jobs

A doctorate in psychology is typically more marketable and profitable than a less advanced degree, Reynolds says.

"Only those with a doctorate in psychology can use the title 'psychologist,'" she wrote in an email. "This opens many more doors in terms of what you can do and how much autonomy you can have in the workplace. It also allows you to bill for services at a higher rate than a master's level clinician in many cases."

Reynolds says a bachelor's degree in psychology "is a great generalist degree that allows you to apply to grad school, law school, or even medical school, but on its own doesn't amount to much more than a liberal arts degree."

However, some who have only a bachelor's or master's degree in psychology say that a psychology doctorate was not necessary for them to achieve their career goals. Meg Schmitz, a senior franchise consultant with FranChoice, a company that matches prospective franchise owners with a business that fits their skills and interests, says her bachelor's degree in counseling psychology provided her with training for her first job at a personnel agency.

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A Master's or Bachelor's Can Offer an Array of Career Paths

Someone with a bachelor's or master's in psychology can use that degree in many ways, experts emphasize.

"A psych degree is like a skeleton key, or a universal degree," Schmitz wrote in an email. "You can unlock anything with a psych degree. Its utility is industry agnostic, not specific. Any career that includes interacting with others in order to influence or guide them, like customer service or sales, influencers or activists, parents and children to increase engagement, will benefit from greater knowledge of the human condition and common personality traits, triggers and behaviors."

Psychology-related jobs exist in multiple industries, according to experts.

"Many undergraduates find employment after graduation in areas such as human resources, law enforcement, employment counseling, insurance companies, nonprofit organizations, child care, mental health, health care settings, public affairs, business, sales, administrative support and so on," Doyle-Portillo says.

Simens notes that she did not need a doctorate in order to establish a fulfilling psychology career .

"In my position, having a doctorate would have made no difference whatsoever," Simens says.

The Difference Between a Psy.D. and a Ph.D.

Experts note an important distinction between a research doctorate in psychology, known as a Ph.D., and a clinical doctorate, known as a Psy.D. While the Ph.D. is the traditional degree for aspiring psychology researchers, the Psy.D. is designed for future psychology clinicians.

"Ph.D. programs are the gold standard for those going into psychological research, and Ph.D. degrees are typically required or desired for most academic and high-level industry jobs," Schweitzer wrote in an email.

Clinical psychologist Sarah Gray -- founder, owner and director of a Massachusetts psychology practice, Integrative Psychology and Behavioral Medicine -- says she chose to earn a Psy.D. as opposed to a Ph.D. because she was most interested in therapy.

"I knew I would want to spend most of my time practicing psychology as opposed to working in a research lab," says Gray, who also is a psychology instructor at Harvard Medical School.

How to Choose a Psychology Program

"It's important to note that a graduate degree in psychology does not, in and of itself, allow someone to provide psychotherapy services," says Carla Marie Manly, a California-based clinical psychologist with a Ph.D. "Internships and licensure are required to obtain the necessary accreditation to provide services to clients."

Manly notes that most "in-depth psychological programs" cultivate skills in communication, leadership and problem-solving, which are applicable to a wide range of jobs.

"Psychology is actually a very diverse field," Schweitzer says. "While many people think of psychology as the study and treatment of mental health issues, the field is about understanding everything about human behaviors, thoughts and emotions."

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