Psychology, the study of the human mind and behavior, provides an avenue to delve into intriguing inquiries about the brain’s functioning, including its response to stress, language acquisition, memory processes, and the impact of mental disorders. Throughout your psychology degree, you can opt for specialization in various areas such as health, clinical, educational, research, occupational, counseling, neuro, sport and exercise, or forensic psychology.

So, what can you do with a psychology degree?

Psychology degree holders have a multitude of career pathways to choose from, contingent upon their specializations and interests. These options include roles such as:

psychologist,

psychotherapist,

social worker,

counselor,

educational psychologist,

Human resource manager,

teacher,

research positions,

and roles within the media industry.

While numerous career opportunities are accessible with an undergraduate degree in psychology, certain highly specialized roles may necessitate further education. For those psychology careers that do not demand additional academic qualifications, on-the-job training is typically provided to ensure ongoing career advancement and development.

Typical psychology careers

A psychology degree provides a versatile foundation for pursuing careers across both artistic and scientific domains, aligning with your individual interests. Diverse opportunities exist within the realms of public and private healthcare, education, mental health support, social work, therapy, and counseling. These roles can encompass advisory, research-oriented, treatment-focused, or therapeutic responsibilities.

Moreover, psychology graduates can explore less conventional career paths, including positions within the media and creative industries. Below, you’ll find an overview of both typical and unconventional careers available to those with a psychology degree.

Psychology careers in healthcare and therapy

Chartered psychologist

By pursuing additional study and training, you can achieve qualification as a chartered psychologist. In this specialized capacity, you’ll collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including patients and clients. Your role will involve scrutinizing behaviors, thoughts, and emotions to gain deeper insights into and provide guidance on various actions and psychological issues. As a chartered psychologist, you’ll also have the opportunity to specialize in various fields, such as occupational psychology, educational psychology, or sports and mental health.

(Important note: To become a psychiatrist, a medical professional specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders, you will need to complete a medical degree.)

Psychotherapist

As a psychotherapist, your role involves assisting individuals, couples, groups, or families in navigating and resolving a range of psychological challenges. These issues encompass emotional and relationship-related difficulties, stress management, and even addiction.

Your specialization during your degree and personal interests will guide your choice of therapeutic approach. These approaches may include cognitive-behavioral methods, psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies, as well as art therapy, drama therapy, humanistic and integrative psychotherapy, hypno-psychotherapy, and experiential therapy. This diverse array of therapeutic methods allows you to tailor your approach to best meet the unique needs of your clients.

Social worker

Social workers play a crucial role in assisting individuals and groups facing challenging life circumstances, including children, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and victims of crime or abuse. Their primary responsibility is to protect and support these individuals, enabling them to enhance their situations and safeguarding them from harm. Social workers often operate within diverse settings, such as schools, homes, hospitals, or public agencies, and they typically specialize in working with either children and families or vulnerable adults.

Counselor

As a counselor, your primary role involves assisting individuals in coming to terms with their lives and experiences by delving into their feelings and emotions. You’ll operate within a confidential setting, where attentive listening is a core skill. Key attributes of a counselor encompass active listening, empathy, respect, patience, and the ability to analyze the underlying issues, ultimately empowering clients to cope with their circumstances and make informed choices.

Counseling is often a form of talking therapy and can encompass a wide range of areas, including marriage and family counseling, health counseling, abuse counseling, rehabilitation counseling, educational counseling, grief counseling, mental health counseling, career guidance counseling, and pediatrics counseling. This diversity allows counselors to address a broad spectrum of personal and emotional challenges that clients may encounter.

Psychology careers in education

Psychology graduates interested in the education sector have a diverse array of career possibilities. Beyond roles in educational therapy, educational psychology, and social work within education, psychology graduates can also pursue careers as teachers at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level. They may alternatively work in social services to support learning within the community across various age groups or within the prison sector, offering support to young offenders.

Becoming an educational psychologist requires the same qualifications as any psychologist, including a master’s degree and additional specialized training. This role focuses on the development of young people in educational environments, aiming to enhance learning outcomes while addressing social, emotional, or learning challenges.

For those interested in teaching psychology, the specific level chosen will dictate the necessary qualifications. To teach at the tertiary level (colleges and universities), additional qualifications such as a master’s and/or PhD are typically required. Roles in higher education often encompass both teaching and research responsibilities.

Psychology careers in research

Careers in psychology research can be situated in various settings, including research agencies, public and private organizations, or universities. University-based roles often blend research and teaching responsibilities. On the other hand, research careers in other sectors span a broad spectrum, encompassing contributions to governmental policy development or addressing industry-specific concerns.

Working for a charity or nonprofit organization is another avenue, where your research efforts may be directed toward resolving challenges like speech impediments, brain damage, child development, or the impact of legal and illegal drugs on psychological well-being. These roles offer the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to society by leveraging psychological research to address pressing issues.

Fewer careers with a psychology degree

Psychology graduates at the bachelor’s level possess a wealth of transferable skills that open the door to a myriad of opportunities beyond healthcare and education. The diverse skill set acquired during your degree, coupled with the widespread recognition of the value of psychological and analytical expertise, allows psychology graduates to thrive in various sectors of society. These include media, criminal justice and rehabilitation, advertising, business and management, sports, public agencies, and the legal sector. Below, you’ll find some unconventional career options for psychology graduates:

• Media Analyst: Utilize your analytical skills to assess and interpret media content, providing insights and recommendations for media organizations.
• Forensic Psychiatric Technician: Work within the criminal justice system, assisting in the assessment and rehabilitation of individuals involved in criminal activities.
• Advertising Researcher: Apply your understanding of consumer behavior and motivation to help advertising agencies create effective campaigns.
• Organizational Consultant: Advise businesses on optimizing employee performance, team dynamics, and workplace culture.
• Sports Psychologist: Assist athletes and sports teams in enhancing their mental and emotional performance.
• Policy Analyst: Contribute to the development of government policies and programs by conducting research and providing recommendations.

• Legal Assistant: Combine your analytical skills with legal knowledge to support lawyers in their work.
• Human resources and communications careers: Psychology’s core focus on understanding human behavior and thought processes aligns seamlessly with careers in human resources and communications. These roles, prevalent in both the public and private sectors, revolve around various aspects, including employee satisfaction, professional development, training, recruitment, public relations (PR), payroll management, and internal communications. Psychology graduates’ deep insights into human psychology and behavior make them well-suited to excel in these positions, where interpersonal skills and an understanding of human dynamics are invaluable assets.
• Business and management careers: Psychology graduates possess a unique blend of skills that make them well-suited for business and management careers. Their aptitude for handling data and understanding human behavior positions them as valuable assets in various business-related roles. While managerial positions may require further training and work experience, you can embark on a rewarding career path in business consultancy, marketing, sales, advertising, or business development, allowing you to gain experience and gradually progress toward leadership roles. Psychology graduates’ ability to analyze data and interact effectively with people provides a solid foundation for success in the business and management arena.