Here are some of your possibilities, in rank order of preference:
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| Graduation Day. Several Psychology majors run the gauntlet of faculty on their way to Clemente Center for graduation (May 2005). Greg (3rd from left, still dressing) was honored as one of the top ROTC graduates nationwide in 2005. |
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Liberal arts degrees are pre-professional degrees, and there is an expectation that sooner or later you should go to graduate school for specialized training that will lead to a satisfying career that optimizes your contribution to society. Psychology majors go to graduate school in Psychology, Business (M.B.A.), Law, Social Work (M.S.W.), Education (usually counseling), and occasionally medicine (M.D., R.N., N.P., etc.) or other social sciences. At small private schools students receive adequate counseling, guidance, assistance, and preparation to apply to graduate schools. About half of Florida Tech Psych majors attend graduate school within two years of graduating. Approximately two students each year are admitted to our own graduate programs.
Psychology majors find jobs in business, mental health facilities, and social service agencies. Businesses often prefer Psychology majors over Business majors because they are better educated, presumably more people-oriented, and can be trained within the organization. In the mental health field, Psychology majors find jobs as mental health technicians, behavior analysts and informal counselors. This is often difficult work that might encourage you to think about going to graduate school. Social service organizations frequently hire Psychology majors to do the same kind of work as graduates of Social Work programs or to manage programs. A career path can be found in this setting by rising through the ranks in an organization, although a graduate degree may eventually be useful.
This is actually the #1 option, but your parents might not feel good about seeing it at the top of the list. You will learn more, day-for-day, month-for-month, traveling around the world than you will in graduate school--for up to about a year. After a year you would probably need to choose Plan A or Plan B.
Nature of Psychology Index |
