Exploring Options: Career Resources for the Psychology Major
As part of the College of Arts and Sciences at Boise State University, students majoring in Psychological Science study the intersection of the human mind, brain, and behavior. As such, students can learn a versatile skill set that encompasses both those of a more traditional STEM discipline as well as those of a liberal arts degree. During your time at Boise State, you will have multiple opportunities to develop:
- Basic understanding of the various disciplines in psychology as well as major theories and how to apply them to real-life settings
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Statistical and analytical skills
- Academic writing and presentation skills
- Communication and interpersonal skills.
- Leadership and teamwork skills.
- Organization/time management skills.
- Goal setting and prioritization
- General research skills including database searching, conducting literature reviews, synthesizing and interpreting vast amounts of information, designing and conducting new research, data collection and analysis, and interpreting and understanding both your own and other’s research results
- An understanding of physiological, emotional, cognitive and social determinants of behavior
- Knowledge of research ethics
These skills are developed through your content courses such as Statistics and Research Methods; through experiential experiences such as internships, research and teaching assistantships; and through involvement opportunities such as Psi Chi.
Psychology Workforce Career Options
Social & Human Services
If the first thing that comes to mind when you think of what psychologists do is being a counselor, then the Social and Human Services arm of psychology might be the right fit for you. Social and Human Service provider focus on serving others, using the interpersonal skills found in social psychology and developmental psychology. Some career options for students with a bachelor’s degree in psychology include (Note: some of these do require additional training)
- Child Life Specialist
- Community Worker
- Criminal Investigator/Police Officer
- Psychiatric Technician
- Substance Abuse Counselor
Is your dream to work with kids to help them improve their lives or teach them valuable skills so they can thrive as they get older? Then a career in child care or education might be for you.(note: some of these do require additional training):
- Child Care Worker
- School Teacher (primary and secondary education)
- Preschool Teacher
- Higher Education Administrators
- Admissions Counselor (higher education)
Research
Do you love conducting research, collecting and analyzing data? Then a career in research and statistic might be for you. Then one of these careers might be worth exploring (note: some of these do require additional training):
Business & Human Relations
Is Industrial/Organizational Psychology what you think you want to do? Have you dreamed of being a trainer in some sort of business setting? Do you just want to work in Human Relations so you can help people maximize their potential? Then one of these careers might be worth exploring (Note: some of these do require additional training):
- Career Counselor
- Human Resource Manager
- Human Resource Specialist
- Information Specialist
- Labor Relations Specialist
- Training and Development Managers
- Management Analyst
Marketing/Advertising/Public Relations
Are you in Psychology because you want to work with people and help them find the best products designed just for them? Then a job in marketing, advertising, or public relations might be just up your alley!Some career options for students where a bachelor’s degree in psychology might give you an edge include (note: some of these do require additional training, certifications, or licenses):