Jobs with Pyschology Major

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Bluemain

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I'm a psych major with plans originally to get into med school. However, I only got a 3.5 gpa so I guess I need start thinking about other alternatives. :D What kind of jobs are there for psychology majors that do not involve going into medical school? Also if you know, please include salaries, additional training, or links with more information.
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I work in market research. I started out making about 30K and now make about twice that. I design questionnaires, field them, analyze the data and write reports. You can do way more with a psych B.A. than academia will let you know.
 
I was accepted to med school with a 3.0. What you need is a good science background with good grades in tose courses; if not get them. You will need a good score on the MCAT, so focus on studying for that, and you can get into medical school. It is easier to get into med school than psych grad school, so make it happen.
 
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psisci said:
I was accepted to med school with a 3.0. What you need is a good science background with good grades in tose courses; if not get them. You will need a good score on the MCAT, so focus on studying for that, and you can get into medical school. It is easier to get into med school than psych grad school, so make it happen.
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How did you get accepted to medical school with a 3.0? Was it a DO program?

How is it easier to get into graduate school than medical school? This is certainly news to me.
 
Nope MD. It is widely known that it is harder to get into a good psych PhD program than it is to get into medical school.

PS. I chose not to go to med school.
 
Last stats I saw regarding acceptance rates for clinical psych programs was approximately 10.8% (although it goes up to 40+% for PsyDs), whereas med schools was much higher (closer to 50%?). These were listed in a book in our department that I browsed through not so long ago. I'll see if I can find it again to get the name.
 
Maroon said:
How did you get accepted to medical school with a 3.0? Was it a DO program?

How is it easier to get into graduate school than medical school? This is certainly news to me.
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Getting into medical school is no easy task. Also DO programs, while less competitive than the MD programs, have been increasing their overall GPA (3.6) , science GPA (3.4) , & MCAT averages (28 S) over the past few years.

Yet, its not always about the numbers...DO programs seek out well-rounded applicants with lots of previous clinical work experience.

Bluemain, if you are still interested in medicine you should strongly continue to explore that path. Definitely explore other psychology-related jobs during your undergrad. I found that behavior therapy for my clients has many applicable skills to medicine, especially listening/communicating & building trust & positive rapport with patients.

In the meantime, keep those science grades up & study hard for that MCAT.
 
If you're not interested in going to medical school, what can you do with a B.A. in Psychology?
 
ohno1235 said:
If you're not interested in going to medical school, what can you do with a B.A. in Psychology?
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Become a Behavior Analyst. Look into the psychology of Applied Behavior Analysis. There is a credential for B.A. psychology called BCABA (Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst). Also, there is the credential for M.A. psychology called BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst).

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Teach kids or adults with autism, PDD, ADHD, OCD. You don't need a graduate psychology or education degree to do that. Just need to be working on your B.A. psychology, education, or other therapy degree.

The field to get started in as an undergrad is called Applied Behavior Analysis. This is based on your basic Pavlovian & Skinnerian psychological theories of behavior modification.

In Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), you can learn how to do psychological testing & intakes, work with therapists & other psychologists/psychiatrists, learn how to do teaching & behavior modification & behavior therapy, learn how to manage clients' cases, and learn how to interact with clients & their family members. You can do all this in Applied Behavior Analysis before even graduating from college with a B.A. psychology degree.

You can do this part-time as an undergrad. And if you like it, there are full-time postions & ABA classes (BCABA certification) after you graduate. There are even master's-level programs in Applied Behavior Analysis (BCBA certification) that overlap with School Psychology, Marriage Therapy, & Family Therapy.

Later, if you find out that Applied Behavior Analysis is for you... there are many people with Autism, PDD, ADHD, OCD, & other behavior problems that need help through behavior modification & behavior therapy. If you find out that Applied Behavior Analysis is not for you, then at least you were able to get lots of clinical psychological exeperience as and undergraduate psychology major and use that information when applying to other graduate psychology degrees.
 
Ah, but I have a B.A. in Psychology already.
 
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Not a lot of people will tell you what is available, but from experience I can tell you the following

Business management
Marketing
Law Enforcement (state level, what I did)
Military Officer (good pay)
Law school
Lackey in a psych hospital
Work in a psych research lab

And the highly-coveted Administrative Assistant
 
Bluemain said:
I'm a psych major with plans originally to get into med school. However, I only got a 3.5 gpa so I guess I need start thinking about other alternatives. :D What kind of jobs are there for psychology majors that do not involve going into medical school? Also if you know, please include salaries, additional training, or links with more information.
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There is always McDonald's, Taco Bell, etc :lol:

Really though, if you are interested in medicine but think that you can't get into medical school have you thought of allied health/mid level? (i.e. PA school?)
 
SupergreenMnM said:
There is always McDonald's, Taco Bell, etc :lol:

Really though, if you are interested in medicine but think that you can't get into medical school have you thought of allied health/mid level? (i.e. PA school?)
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Ha, Ha, that's exactly what my mom told me my Junior year, " What are you going to do with your Psychology degree? Work at McDonalds?"

You are extremely limited with a BA or a BS within the field of psychology, fortunately, psychology is useful in many fields especially business or human resources. However while looking at most job postings they all want 3-5 years of experience, which is the tough part about getting a job.
 
Bluemain said:
I'm a psych major with plans originally to get into med school. However, I only got a 3.5 gpa so I guess I need start thinking about other alternatives. :D What kind of jobs are there for psychology majors that do not involve going into medical school? Also if you know, please include salaries, additional training, or links with more information.
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Several of my undergrad friends got into med school in the 3.2 to 3.6 range. If that's what you want to do don't give up so easily.
 
For osteopathic schools, the average entry gpa is 3.5 range with 3.3 in cumulative sciences. the mcats average 8.8ish per section, but you'll need a recommendation letter from a DO physician.
 
I got close to finishing my BS in Psych when I realized that the career options were limited.

So I picked up a second degree in Molecular Biology and now am in pharmacy school.

There are options out there. Just get another degree first.
 
Therapist4Chnge said:
:laugh:

This reminds me of a comic from "PhD Comics" (Piled Higher and Deeper) where the protagonist finally gets his degree, and does a, "Now What?"

-t
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Seems to be the popular thing to do. During my last semester of undergrad, I saw loads o' students in May of their last semesters who were in the "now what" phase. Some of them thought it would be a grand thing to attend that thing called "graduate school" they just heard about from someone else. They could not grasp why they would actually have to wait a whole year before they could start a program. No one seems to listen to their advisors anymore.
 
How do you get a psychology major off of your front porch???





Pay him for the pizza!
 
Thor2211 said:
How do you get a psychology major off of your front porch???





Pay him for the pizza!
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:laugh:

You almost made me bust out in the middle of the speaker...then I would have had to explain I was reading SDN and this Thor guy posted a funny joke. At least the group would have laughed at the joke.

-t
 
If you only have a bachelors in psychology, you should probably give up on working in the mental health field - any job in that area that pays much more than minimum wage will require at least a masters. However, there are plenty of employers out there who will be impressed just by the fact that you have a degree, especially if you have a good GPA and went to a good school. I know people working in marketing, advertising, sales, banking - maybe not the career they dreamed of, but they still make good money.

This is a seperate rant, but there aren't a whole hell of a lot of bachelor degrees that prepare you for anything other than more school. How many people do you think actually use their bachelor degrees in philosophy, physics, political science, or english? I think most of them just go get jobs in the business sector.
 
Hard Sciences and Engineering/Computers....they all do well out of undergrad. Everything else is training for something else. Some biz I guess....but MBA's make the real money. Or you can do what some of my friends did....Biz + Econ....then investment banking.

-t
 
It's really hard swallowing the fact that you're getting a BSc or BA in Psych and it amounts to nothing. Working in a dollar store maybe...SIGH
 
scienceisbeauty said:
It's really hard swallowing the fact that you're getting a BSc or BA in Psych and it amounts to nothing. Working in a dollar store maybe...SIGH
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Most (notice I didn't say all) undergrad degrees, not just psych degrees, amount to practically nothing nowadays. They're the new high school diploma. Everyone's got one and they don't mean jack. :rolleyes:
 
I have to say one big exception to this is a nursing degree because you can become an RN with a bachelor's degree. Many nurses do go on to get Master's degrees in a specialty, but if you want to be a nurse, you can make some pretty decent money for someone coming straight out of undergrad. It's also a very popular second bachelor's degree.

I agree with the college-degree-as-new-high-school-diploma theory in the sense that many people have them, except that the types of jobs are still more white-collar than the previous "you just need a high school diploma" positions. Apparently, nowadays, there isn't much difference in pay between not finishing high school and getting the diploma in terms of the jobs you can get, so there's very little motivation to actually "stay in school" unless you're headed to college, which many people cannot afford. Also a huge difference is that most high schools are *free* while most colleges (even community colelges) are not.

That said, you can do quite a few jobs with a pscyhology bachelor's degree, especially in business. Most are entry-level, but you have to start somewhere.
 
paramour said:
Most (notice I didn't say all) undergrad degrees, not just psych degrees, amount to practically nothing nowadays. They're the new high school diploma. Everyone's got one and they don't mean jack. :rolleyes:
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Someone should tell this to my dad. He seems to think that just because I graduated (undergrad) with a 3.94 gpa, I should have everyone banging down my door waiting to hire me, or that it should be a piece of everloving cake to get a fantastic well-paying job now. Pssht!
 
I'm using my psychology degree to enter into nursing. I too chose against medical school.

I have found that I can do no more or less with a psychology degree than I could with my science degree. They are all just essentially stepping stones to graduate school.

It seems the only degrees left that don't require any graduate education are engineering, BSN, and some business degrees. And even then, a lot of nurses and business majors go to graduate school.
 
paramour said:
Most (notice I didn't say all) undergrad degrees, not just psych degrees, amount to practically nothing nowadays. They're the new high school diploma. Everyone's got one and they don't mean jack. :rolleyes:
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foreverLaur said:
....I have found that I can do no more or less with a psychology degree than I could with my science degree. They are all just essentially stepping stones to graduate school.

It seems the only degrees left that don't require any graduate education are engineering, BSN, and some business degrees. And even then, a lot of nurses and business majors go to graduate school.
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You guys are forgetting computers and teaching. Even some AA degree or certificate holders are making 6 figures managing networks, maintaining servers, designing websites, etc. Teachers are also still in demand, esp with all the private and magnet schools around now... a lot of primary or secondary education jobs starting at over $30k are out there for people with a BA in education (particularly math, science, or foreign language... but pretty much any kind of teaching). Those 2 fields - along with previously mentioned business, nursing, and engineering - allow you to have a pretty solid job nearly anywhere in the country with just a 4yr degree (maybe 5yr for engineering lol).

I just happened to see this tread from the main page since it's right below my pod forum. My little sis has a dual degree in womens' studies and social justice (graduated summa cum laude). It's good to see she's not the only one having trouble finding a job that will get her above around $30k and the poverty cutoff. Growing tired of the $18k salary job offers from non-profit organizations, she recently went back to school to get a nursing assistant certificate just to pay the rent :oops:.

GL to all of you... although it's far from an exact science, at least a psychology degree probably gave you some skills on dealing with people, and that'll help in the long run. I do agree that unless your degree is in an true science or math field, it's tough. There are options out there, though. The 1yr BSN conversion programs (for people with a previous bachelors degree) are a solid option for those of you who can't get into health professional programs. If I was 18 again, I'd probably do a BSN since I have plenty of good buddies who are making a killing in nursing and already own a house, car, investments, etc while still in their 20s. I might be singing a different tune once I finally finish residency and pay off my loans, but for now, it's just a glorious life of all-nighters, renting, and student loans. I guess the grass is always greener lol.
 
anybody can give me more info about behavioral analysist?
I am holding MS in psychology, it might be a good alternative way for me.
sigh,,,or I will work in McDold's
 
I don't know much about Behavior Analysts, though I do know that a popular area of employment is working with people who are autistic (or along the autistic spectrum). I'd think a lot of focus would be with children, though probably applicable to MR and some other groups.

-t
 
I have about 7 years of experience working with toddlers/kids/teens/adults with autism, all in the educational field in Applied Behavior Analysis. Behavior Modification did wonders for these kids to (almost) recover from autism and lead productive lives.

Send me a message if you have questions about working with kids with autism. Autism education can be an intense, emotionally & physically challenging field; but most special education is challenging & rewarding for the therapist.

For diversity, work with many different populations (MR, learning disabilities, ADHD, speech & language, behavior & socially-challenged). That's what I did.

There are many routes to becoming an autism specialist. In addition, there are many "therapy models" for autism. I happen to be a behaviorist with an emphasis on language, play, and social skills.

As far as training, you can start out with your BA/BS, but after a couple of years in the autism education field, you want to get an MA/MS in education, psychology/counseling, speech & language pathology or applied behavior analysis. Obtaining a professional license in these fields (education, psychology, counseling, speech & language path) or obtaining a board-certification as a behavior analyst will make you more sought after as an autism specialist. Or you can get doctorate training in PhD, PsyD, MD/DO (child & adolescent psychiatry or behavior pediatrics) but this takes 7 school & residency years.

Here in CA, a therapist/instructor with a Bachelors earns between $11-17 /hour. And a senior-level instructor with a Bachelors or Masters earns between $18-25 /hour. I am estimating a certified behavior analyst makes more. These figures vary from state to state.

Therapist4Chnge said:
I don't know much about Behavior Analysts, though I do know that a popular area of employment is working with people who are autistic (or along the autistic spectrum). I'd think a lot of focus would be with children, though probably applicable to MR and some other groups.

-t
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i have to admit, my psych major as been pretty easy.

once i finally figured out my career path, i needed to get my bachelors in nursing which i will do accelerated after i graduate. so i switched from my microbiology major to a psych major, since my original degree didn't matter.

what a sigh of relief! an easy major that i enjoy and find interesting. :) plus, i think it will be useful for nursing!
 
I had to work a while before I started grad school. There are opportunites, but you will likely have to really know how to budget because the pay is nada and insurance was expensive. I did Case Management for a few years-they like students with Bachelors because they can't afford to pay Master's student. My salary never topped $20K and I paid out the wahoo for benefits, but I learned *a lot*. And because of the CM experience, you can move up into other positions. In my state, you only need a college degree in psych to work for CPS (though honestly most positions go to MSWs). I'm just starting at the bottom, going to grad school and in about thirty years maybe I'll break $40K. BUT, I am happy with my work. Good luck!
 
Anyone with a BA/BS in psych should consider becoming a speech-language pathologist.
 
cmtruman said:
I had to work a while before I started grad school. There are opportunites, but you will likely have to really know how to budget because the pay is nada and insurance was expensive. I did Case Management for a few years-they like students with Bachelors because they can't afford to pay Master's student. My salary never topped $20K and I paid out the wahoo for benefits, but I learned *a lot*. And because of the CM experience, you can move up into other positions. In my state, you only need a college degree in psych to work for CPS (though honestly most positions go to MSWs). I'm just starting at the bottom, going to grad school and in about thirty years maybe I'll break $40K. BUT, I am happy with my work. Good luck!
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God bless you for it. I couldn't do that.
 
exi said:
God bless you for it. I couldn't do that.
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That's why I plan to marry rich :love: Actually, I really do love my work so I'm OK with it as long as I can afford to live a decent lifestyle-also my state isn't very expensive to live in.
 
I was lucky enough to land a "psych tech" (a BA level mental health counselor) position that paid 14.00 an hour....There seems to be more psychology BA level jobs on socialservice.com and careerbuilder.com now these days, compared to when I got my BA a few years ago. They don't pay much, but I've seen a few that start at 30K a year. Some of the masters-level jobs also start a 30K.
 
ohno1235 said:
If you're not interested in going to medical school, what can you do with a B.A. in Psychology?
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Flip Burgers, Enterprise Rent-a-car might hire you, or entry level human resources work... Sometimes you can get a psychology tech position too.

It's worth about nothing on it's own to be honest, which is a shame. Expect $10-$16/hr on average depending where you live. I have seen people earn more and earn less with a B.A. in psychology.

Mark
 
I definitely understand that jobs in the psychology field are going to be low-paying and hard to come by with a bachelor's degree, but flipping burgers? Isn't that a little extreme? Why is psychology so hard off? Are the other liberal arts that hard off as well? I imagine that the hard sciences do well with a bachelor's, but what about history, english, philosophy, political science, comm arts etc? I don't see why psychology majors should be destitute any more that these majors. Depending on the program, a psych major could have a definite science tilt to their education and that seems an advantage over other social sciences and humanities.
 
With my B.S. in Psychology, I work as a research analyst..which means I get to play with SPSS and write statistical reports all day..fun (sarcasm) but it pays well and I get to use what I learned in my research methods class at least. I also received an interview to work in a psychology lab with a professor at one of the state universities in my city, but i opted for the research analyst job instead. However, I'm going back to school for my MPH in the fall
 
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