Psychology

Psychology degree programs teach students to understand how and why people think and act the way they do. By leaning a combination of humanities and scientific study, psychology students can then go on to contribute to society in a variety of ways: they can be clinical and counseling psychologists or they can work within a corporation as industrial-organizational psychologists, for example. Because those who have studied psychology can do so much good in the world and can help people learn to interact with each other, they are often in great demand and can earn a living in a number of ways.

Common Career Paths:

Clinical Psychologist

Clinical psychologists essentially meet with patients, assess their conditions, diagnosis their mental disorders, and then help them deal with treating their symptoms through a host of different methods. Clinical psychologists prescribe medications, work with other health care specialists, and create and administer behavior modification programs. They can set up group therapy sessions, individual sessions, and family and relationship therapy sessions. Because of the complexity of their job, clinical psychologists must generally have a doctoral degree in psychology that gives them the opportunity to both deeply understand the discipline of psychology while also focusing on an area of specialty within the field. Clinical psychologists also are often required to apply for certification and to become licensed in order to practice and interact with patients. Because of how the health care industry has boomed recently, and as populations age longer and better, clinical psychologists will see an increase in demand. Clinical psychologists will also be needed to help fill a need within the health care system to help people deal with unhealthy lifestyles, such as those of smokers and alcoholics. Furthermore, the rise of employee assistance programs will mean that clinical psychologists will be needed to help companies as their workforce grows. Finally, clinical psychologists are always in need in order to help people deal with depression and other mental disorders, as well as family trouble, employment trouble, and other stresses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that from 2008 to 2018 employment growth for clinical psychologists will be around 11 percent. This is good news for those interested in this career pathway. Further good news comes in the great earning potential of clinical psychologists: in 2008 they made on average around $64,140 a year.

School Psychologist

School psychologists work within all kinds of schools to support students, faculty, and other staff with psychological counseling and advice regarding how to create the best learning and work environment possible. School psychologists can focus on helping young children and their teachers develop effective learning schedules. They also meet with students' parents to talk about childhood education development. School psychologists can also help treat behavioral and learning problems among the student body. They often collaborate closely with teachers and school officials to handle educational policy decisions at all levels, from classroom management to the school's long-term objectives. They also help analyze and evaluate the results of various academic and other programs implemented in the schools by teachers and school administrators. In general, because they work in challenging environments that deal with children's education, school psychologists must have a doctoral degree and extensive experience in the field of psychology and education. In many states, school psychologists must also have a specialist degree, though other states simply require that the school psychologist be credentialed. Ideally, school psychologists will combine a strong knowledge of psychology with an understanding of current educational practices and theories. According to the Bureau of Labor, demand for school psychologists will improve as more educators become aware of how important it is to understand students' mental and behavioral health and how those affect their learning capabilities. The Bureau expects employment growth for school psychologists to be around 11 percent between 2008 and 2018. On average, psychologists made around $64,140 dollars for a yearly salary in 2008.

Industrial-organizational Psychologist

Industrial-organizational psychologists basically work to help companies and other organizations improve their employee's productivity at work. Industrial-organizational psychologists analyze how workers work within a company, try to figure out ways to improve their work environment and workflow, and advise companies as what measures they can take to increase productivity and boost retention rates. Industrial-organizational psychologists can also help companies deal with diversity in the workplace, as well as cases of discrimination or harassment. Finally, industrial-organizational psychologists can turn their attention outwards to help companies develop effective surveys, promotions, research and development tools, and other marketing strategies, as well as help them analyze the results of that marketing. In order to do this kind of work, industrial-organizational psychologists most often are required to have earned at least a master's degree in psychology; however, they can make themselves more attractive candidates by also having studied some aspect of the industry to which they are applying, so degrees in business might be helpful as well. In addition to having a solid academic background, industrial-organizational psychologists will also need to keep up with the latest trends regarding psychology in the workplace. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, competition for this job field will be stiff, despite the growth of the industry. Candidates will want to make themselves stand out as much as possible, so it might take more than a master's degree to make that happen. The Bureau projects that growth for industrial-organizational psychologists will be around 26 percent between 2008 and 2018, and on average psychologists made a salary of around $64,140 in the year 2008.