What types of entry-level jobs are typically available to majors in Psychology?
What types of internships are typically secured by Psychology majors?
What are former Psychology majors doing now?
What sort of graduate study have majors in Psychology pursued?
How can you learn more about careers that might interest you?
What types of entry-level jobs are typically available to majors in Psychology?
The beauty of a liberal arts education is that it challenges students to develop a wide range of universally applicable and life-enriching skills, so your major is less representative of your abilities than it is of your interests. In other words, you can do just about anything with any degree. The following entry-level jobs are typical of those that majors in Biology pursue because jobs like these make use not only of the broad liberal-arts skill set, but also of the interests cultivated in the Biology curriculum.
Brandeis University, Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience, Boston, MA:Research Assistant
The Research Assistant will aid the research efforts of the lab by assisting in the design, implementation, and analysis of experiments. The RA will also assist with clerical duties of the lab. Specific duties include scheduling and overseeing participants in experiments, and collecting, analyzing and graphing experimental data; assisting the principal investigator and lab personnel with research related activities such as library and internet research and copying and scanning documents, etc.; and assuring that funds are requested and delivered to research participants and lab supply vendors. Requirements include a Bachelor's degree, preferably in science, some programming skills (particularly Matlab), and experience with statistical analysis. Knowledge of R, S+, or SPSS a plus.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH:Mental Health Specialist
To provide direct patient care and assist healthcare team members of the Psycho SRU Unit of a Medical Center dedicated to the care of infants, children and adolescents. Two years of college-level coursework in related discipline required. Bachelor's Degree preferred. One year of pediatric and adolescent psychology preferred. Effective verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills. Capable of relating to diverse age and demographic backgrounds. Knowledge of development, behaviors, group process techniques and crisis intervention techniques for infants, children and adolescents. Capable of managing disruptive patients. Ability to use a problem solving process to develop and evaluate a plan of care. Experience in milieu and crisis management.
The Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Child Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD:Research Data Assistant III
Research Assistant needed to provide support for research project(s) and assists in study procedures including the following: completes telephone screens; assists in subject recruitment efforts; assists in preparation for research study participant visits; organizes and collects data during study visits; performs data entry and database management; meets data entry and database query deadlines; completes literature searches; provides prompt and effective feedback to outside agencies. Qualifications: Bachelors degree required in Psychology or related field.
3-C Institute for Social Development, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC:Research Assistant
The 3-C Institute for Social Development in Cary, North Carolina is recruiting two full-time research assistants. Primary responsibility for one position will be to support a Web site development project, which focuses on practical issues in child mental health research. Job responsibilities include maintaining Access database, transcribing interviews, communicating with Web site contributors, and assisting in the development of articles for the Web site. Excellent editing skills and an interest in the practical aspects of conducting research are preferable. The second position will involve working on an intervention research project. Experience in intervention research is preferable. Candidates for both should be detail-oriented, have a background in psychology research, excellent verbaland written communication skills, and good general computer knowledge. Requirements: Bachelor's degree, preferably in psychology or related social science, including coursework in research methods.
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston , MA:Research CoordinatorThis Research Coordinator position is for a lab that conducts psychophysical research on the nature of visual information processing and visual attention. The candidate will be involved in all stages of the research process from planning and programming experiments to analyzing the data and helping to write up experiments for publication. In addition, the candidate will coordinate data collection for all investigators in the lab and will perform other administrative work to ensure the lab runs smoothly. The candidate's main focus should be to ensure a steady flow of data collection and data analysis. In all levels of this position, the candidate will primarily be working independently without direct supervision.
What types of internships are typically secured by Psychology majors?
The following is a very short list of the types of internships typically pursued by majors in Psychology.
Exceptional Needs Foundation, Philadelphia, PA: Learn more about the current issues in special needs therapy, medication, and education by researching and compiling information for parents and professionals. Discover the services and supports provided on the local, state and national level. Gain insight into the concerns and questions of parents raising children with special needs.
Opportunity For: Social Work,v Case Management, Psychology, Human Services, Counseling, Sociology
Alzheimer's Disease Clinical and Research Program, Boston University School of Medicine: Work with a multidisciplinary team of experts in neuropsychology, aging, neurology, & gerontology. An excellent opportunity to gain clinical research experience in the areas of neuropsychology, aging, and Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
National Opinion Research Center: The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago is seeking a two summer interns to work in its Washington, DC offices. One of these positions would focus on policy issues addressed by NORC's Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis.
US Navy Marine Mammal Program: This internship is designed to give undergraduate students a dynamic educational experience in the marine mammal field while offering valuable career experience. Students will be responsible for a number of support tasks with dolphins and sea lions throughout the course of the internship. These responsibilities will include diet preparation, sanitation, and equipment and facility maintenance. Interns may also have the opportunity to assist the marine mammal training staff in husbandry and open ocean training. In addition, they will provide support to the animal care staff in animal physicals, and assist in a number of different marine mammal research projects. Lectures and field trips will also be conducted throughout the term to enhance the learning experience.
- US Dept. of Labor, Employment and Training Division: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is a social services agency whose mission is to ensure that all Americans have access to the resources they require to successfully manage their work lives, and that U.S. businesses have access to the skilled workers and training resources that need to successfully compete in a global economy. You will have the opportunity to apply your academic training and skills to work on substantive short term projects. Positions available are both full time and part time and are offered year round.
What are former Psychology majors doing now?
Here are the job titles and employers of a few Middlebury alumni who majored in Psychology. If you'd like to speak with an alumnus or alumna about his or her career, or ask for advice about your own, then search MiddNet for an alumni career advisor today!
Psychologist, Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Professor of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
Advertising Account Manager, Foote, Cone, & Belding, NY, NY
Sales consultant, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Shrewsbury, MA
Legal Assistant, Native American Rights Fund, Boulder, CO
Associate Director of Admissions, St. Paul's School, Concord, NH
Physician, Internal Medicine, St. Luke's Hospital, Duluth, MN
- Psychiatric Social Worker, Kaiser Permanente, Vallejo, CA
What sort of graduate study have majors in Psychology pursued?
Listed below are some of the graduate schools attended, and degrees attained, by Middlebury alumni who majored in Psychology.
Michigan State, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D.
Case Western Reserve University, M.D.
McGill University, Ph.D.
Northwestern University, M.B.A.
University of California, Berkeley, M.S.W.
Princeton University, Ph.D.
Indiana University, Ph.D.
- Harvard University, Ph.D.
How can you learn more about careers that might interest you?
Read a book.The following books, available for your perusal in the CSO library, may be of particular interest to Psychology majors:
Great Jobs for Psychology Majors,Julie DeGalan, Stephen Lambert
Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology,New York : Guilford Press, c1990-
Cracking the GRE Psychology Exam, Princeton Review
Getting In: A Step-by-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology. American Psychology Association,
- The Social Work Graduate School Applicant's Handbook, Jesus Reyes
Use the Web. The following Web sites may be useful:
More Resources and Services
Stop by CSO for a Drop-In, or call to make an appointment with a counselor to talk about contacting alumni, assessing your career interests/preferences, and other actions you can take to prepare yourself for the transition from Middlebury to the professional world