Psychology Major: Opens the Door to the Mind
A psychology major is a flexible degree offering a wide span of career options. At the undergraduate level, most psychology students will be able to choose whether they take an art or sciences approach. If they choose the arts, they will tend to focus on social service aspects of the field. Many of the students who utilize this approach envision continuing their education to become a psychologist. Other students choose the sciences path. This path works well for students who are interested in business too. Many of the people who choose this route also have an interest in human resources management, leadership development, marketing and advertising, and business management.
Psychology is essentially the study of the human mind, its inner workings, and human behavior. There are essentially six main areas of psychological study that a student will encounter. They are:
- Clinical Psychology: the study of psychological disorders, how they develop, their symptoms, and their treatment.
- Neuroscience: the study focusing on the anatomical and physiological functions underlying emotion, behavior, and thought.
- Social Psychology: the study of human relationships, self-esteem, attitudes, group behavior, and social perception.
- Developmental Psychology: the study of the development of the mind and behavior.
- Cognitive Psychology: the study of how the mind works, including creativity, imagination, intelligence, perception, sensation, and information processing.
- Industrial/Organizational Psychology: the study of organizational behavior, motivation, work satisfaction, training, and leadership.
In an undergraduate psychology major program, the student will encounter a number of classes that lay the foundation for understanding the human mind and human behavior. Among the classes they will likely be required to take are:
- Introduction to Psychology
- Introduction to the Brain and Behavior
- Attention and Memory
- Drugs, the Brain, and the Mind
- Visual Neuroscience
- Physiology of Motivated Behavior
- Abnormal Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Multicultural Psychology
- Perception
- Learning
- Judgments and Decision Making
- Cognitive Development
Required courses will vary depending upon the particular psychology major program to which the student applies. In some programs, the student will be able to concentrate on a specific part of psychological study, such as the developmental or cognitive aspects of psychology, while other students will follow a more general path.
If the student wishes to become a psychologist, then they must be prepared to continue their education for several years beyond the undergraduate level. However, many people find interesting, rewarding careers after earning only a four year psychology degree. For instance, people with a psychology degree may find employment as:
- Psychiatric Technician
- Career Counselor
- Rehabilitation Specialist
- Advertising Executives
- Probation and Parole Officers
- Market Researchers
- Laboratory Assistants
- Teachers
- Personnel Administrator
- Customs Inspector
- Technical Writer
- Director of Volunteer Services
Essentially, a person who has graduated from a psychology major program is liable to find employment in a number of different industries. Some people will finish their psychology degree, decide to enter the workforce for a few years, and then go back to school to become a full-fledged psychologist. Others find fulfillment in their work after earning a four year degree. Many psychology graduates find work with large business organizations where they are in charge of the human resources department or perhaps even take on responsibilities for training and motivating employees. These can be tremendously rewarding occupations that contribute a great deal to a company’s overall success.
Individuals with an interest in the mind and who would like to know more of the explanations behind why humans behave the way they do, would likely be fascinated by the psychology major. It is an ideal choice for curious people who want to learn about what motivates people and the disorders of, and treatments for, the human mind.