Is a Degree in Psychology Worth It? (In-Depth Guide)
A psychology degree opens doors to many career opportunities, though it does require an investment of time and money. This article takes an in-depth look at the pros and cons to help you decide if majoring in psychology is the right choice.
The Popularity of Psychology Degrees
Psychology is a popular college major, ranking within the top 5 majors in the United States. Over 117,000 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2019-2020. This popularity speaks to the interest many students have in understanding emotions, behaviors, and mental processes. A psychology degree equips graduates with a solid foundation of knowledge to work in various fields.
Career Opportunities With a Psychology Degree
There is a common misconception that the only career path for psychology majors is to become a psychologist. In reality, the skills gained can be applied in various settings. Here are some of the most common career opportunities with a bachelor’s degree in psychology:Human Resources – HR specialists utilize knowledge of psychology to recruit, screen, interview, select, train and develop staff. Understanding people is crucial.Social Work – Social workers help people solve issues and live fuller lives. Psychology knowledge informs this role to understand clients’ behaviors.Marketing and Advertising – Understanding consumer motivations and decisions makes psychology graduates ideal for marketing roles.Education – Knowledge of learning processes, cognitive development and behavior help in roles like school counseling.Research Assistant – Assistant psychologists aid with academic, organizational and market research to apply psychological principles.Administration & Management – In fields like healthcare, psychology grads have relevant insight into personnel, processes and service improvement.A bachelor’s degree can open doors, but further study boosts options. A graduate degree enables specialization and eligibility for roles like clinical therapy, forensic psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, experimental psychology, developmental psychology, counseling psychology and school psychology.Psychology knowledge is versatile for application in human services, sales, business, social sciences and more. Securing internships and choosing minors strategically expands possibilities.
Salary Potential With a Psychology Degree
The average salary for someone with a bachelor’s degree in psychology is around $42,000 per year according to Payscale.com. However, salaries vary significantly based on factors like further certifications, specific career path, level of experience, location and work setting.For example, a marketing manager with a psychology degree earns an average salary of around $71,000, while a human resources specialist earns around $48,000 annually. Social workers average approximately $44,000, whereas forensic psychologists earn over $90,000 on average.With a master’s or doctorate level of education, salaries increase substantially. Licensed counselors and clinical psychologists with doctorate degrees have potential to earn over $75,000 per year or more depending on credentials and specializations.In summary, a bachelor’s degree alone has limited earning potential, but combined with experience, certifications or graduate study, psychology graduates’ salaries grow markedly.
Pros of a Psychology Degree
1. Transferable Skills
Psychology students build an adaptable set of skills applicable across settings:
- Research skills – Collecting, analyzing and interpreting data methodically
- Critical thinking – Assessing ideas logically and solving problems systematically
- Empathy & emotional intelligence – Understanding diverse perspectives and responding sensitively
- Communication skills – Expressing concepts clearly to diverse audiences in speaking and writing
- Teamwork & leadership abilities – Collaborating, motivating and delegating effectively
- Technological competence – Using tools and technologies appropriately for tasks
This well-rounded skillset allows psychology graduates to adapt into roles across sectors.
2. Personal Development
Learning about mental, emotional, behavioral and social processes intrinsically fosters personal growth. Students gain insight into:
- Their own motivations, personality and relationships
- Healthy coping strategies and stress management
- Effective learning methodologies and productivity hacks
- Cognitive biases and influence of context on behavior
- Stages of human development and aging mechanisms
This self-knowledge translates to emotional intelligence which aids career advancement and life success.
3. Helping Others
At its core, psychology seeks to understand people, provide help during difficulties and promote wellbeing. Graduates can apply this drive to help others in human services roles or interactions in daily life. Knowledge of psychology facilitates empathy, compassion and service.
4. Continuing Education
While a bachelor’s degree offers entry-level access to opportunities listed above, further certifications and specializations boost options. Psychology is great for students seeking higher learning. Master’s degrees allow practice as counselors, therapists, industrial-organizational psychologists or researchers. Doctorates permit clinical practice or teaching.
5. Career Satisfaction
Psychology-related occupations consistently rank highly for job satisfaction. Gallup polls found 79% of social science workers feel their job has purpose and meaning. This passion stems from positively impacting people’s lives during difficulties and witnessing their progress.
Cons or Challenges of a Psychology Degree
1. Further Education Often Needed
A bachelor’s degree alone has limited applicability. Many roles require a Master’s, PsyD or PhD. This graduate study is costly and time-intensive. However, scholarships and assistantships ease costs and specialized graduate programs accelerate degrees.
2. Licensing Requirements
Psychologists who diagnose conditions, provide therapy or conduct assessments require state licensing:
- 1000-4000 internship hours
- Passing national and state exams
- Continuing education
These mandates ensure competency but present an investment. Some human services roles necessitate extra certification too like school counselors or social workers. Always verify requirements.
3. Research Demands
Scientific inquiry is foundational in psychology. Competency with research methodology is expected in most roles, even outside academia. Coursework and assignments focus heavily on consuming scientific literature and writing research reports. This rigor suits some students better than others.
4. Emotional Toll
Helping trauma survivors or those with mental illness can negatively impact mental health through emotional exhaustion. Psychologists must develop healthy distancing techniques and self-care practices to avoid burnout. Workplaces differ in resources and support offered to counter this. Seek an internship to assess the culture.
5. Modest Salaries Initially
Bachelor’s-level income potential is limited, averaging around $45,000 annually. However, this increases substantially with specializations. For example, engineering psychologists average around $90,000 per year. Experience over time and high demand for certain fields also raises wages.
Tips for Maximizing Value of a Psychology Degree
1. Strategize End Goal
Identify an area of interest like clinical practice, research, business consultation or counseling. Map prerequisites and experience required. Construct a course plan aligning electives and minors accordingly. Revisit goals each semester and adjust as perspectives evolve. Remain open to discovering new niches!
2. Secure Applicable Experience
Relevant internships, volunteering and jobs develop skills and professional networks vital for employability after graduation. These placements provide exposure allowing informed career decisions. Seek placements every summer!
3. Develop Technical Capabilities
Employers desire psychology graduates with scientific literacy to interpret data plus technological skills for analysis. Pursue training in SPSS, R, Python, Excel, qualitative analysis applications and electronic health record systems.
4. Choose Minors Wisely
Minors offering complementary knowledge boost employability like human development, mental health studies, social work, special education, rehabilitation, business management or communications.
5. Make Professional Connections
Attend conferences like APA annual conventions to connect with psychologists in specializations of interest. Follow thought leaders on social media. Join associations, network consistently and consider a mentor for navigating career pathways.
6. Maintain Good Academic Standing
Earning scholarships for graduate programs requires a high GPA, often 3.5+ is expected. Similarly, entrance exams like the GRE weigh heavily so begin preparing early.
7. Publish Research
Collaborate with professors on studies for publication. This showcases research skills and thinking critically. Present posters at campus events and psychology conferences.
8. Develop Teaching Skills
Teaching assistant and peer tutoring roles build aptitude in explaining complex concepts simply, useful in many fields. This also enables professors to write strong recommendations.
9. Seek Diverse Training Settings
Between internships and part-time work, aim to train across settings like hospitals, prisons, rehabilitation centers, research labs, schools and community mental health clinics to discern preferences.Gaining exposure across specializations allows pinpointing strengths, weaknesses and best fit interests.
FAQs: Psychology Degree Questions
Should I major in psychology?
If you possess strong interests in understanding human behavior and mental processes, then psychology is likely an excellent major choice. An innate curiosity about people paired with scientific capabilities produces high satisfaction and success. Connect with department advisors and introductory professors to determine fit.
What jobs can you get with a bachelor’s degree in psychology?
Common roles include mental health technicians, career counselors, research assistants, rehabilitation specialists, child development workers, organizational development consultants, market researchers and more depending on minors and experience. Bachelor’s degrees offer entry-level opportunities with growth potential as skills develop.
Is psychology a useless major?
No. Psychology graduates develop versatile, transferable skills applicable in diverse settings. Knowledge of human behavior provides value across sectors. However, to access higher level opportunities in therapy, assessment or research, further certifications like a master’s degree are required, which is an investment of time and money.
Is it better to have a BA or BS in psychology?
In most cases, Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) in psychology degrees are comparable. Subtle differences in required course loads exist at some colleges. For instance, a BS may mandate extra lab science and statistics credits while a BA likely emphasizes more arts and humanities electives. Both prepare graduates sufficiently.
What courses do you take for a bachelor’s in psychology?
Typical curriculum includes introduction to psychology, research methods and statistics, biological psychology, personality psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, abnormal psychology and social psychology. Students choose varying electives. Common ones include industrial-organizational psychology, forensic psychology, sensation and perception, evolutionary psychology, positive psychology and counseling skills.
What can I do with a psychology degree besides be a therapist?
There are many alternatives to counseling or clinical therapy roles. Graduates often pursue careers in case management, human resources, rehabilitation, career counseling, academic advising, market research, public policy, advertising, public health education, child development, user experience research and criminal justice.
Should I double major in psychology?
Double majoring allows specialization in a complementary field like sociology, education, linguistics, business, pre-med, communications or computer science. For human services careers, consider social work, human development, special education or public health. Choosing applicable minors like these also expands skillsets efficiently.
Is majoring in psychology hard?
Psychology students complete significant reading, writing and critical thinking projects analyzing theories and studies. Courses apply scientific methodology spanning statistics, observation studies, surveys and experiments. Developing scientific literacy and research skills takes commitment but pays dividends in versatility of thinking.
