Careers
Some of our students will go on to pursue graduate studies in psychology, while others will pursue careers in business, law, education, medicine, politics, counseling, and human resources to name a few.
Psychology is a relatively young field ripe with opportunities. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics ranked psychology as a fast-growing occupation for 2016-2026. The rise in preventable chronic illnesses, such as lung cancer, obesity, and heart disease, in the United States has increased the demand for individuals familiar with behavior modification. The MCAT includes a section devoted to social sciences because medical schools are recognizing the importance of psychosocial factors in healthcare.
Other private and public sector employers value psychology graduates ability to interpret and analyze data, communicate effectively, and write proficiently.
Because the field of psychology is so vast, it is important that students have a clear idea of where they want to go next. Students must be especially proactive in their education. Luckily, UAB has resources to make this happen. UAB Career and Professional Development Services is one resource that informs students and helps guide them on their career path.
Our Department also sponsors student groups that host career events for students, such as the UAB chapter of Psi Chi: the International Honor Society in Psychology and the UAB Psychology Club. Members of the Psychology Honors Program have additional exposure to the opportunities available to psychology students. Talk to advisors and make an appointment with the program director for additional guidance. Browse through the APA website to see all of the different areas of psychological practice and research.
Start with these websites for additional information:
- American Psychological Association
- Association for Psychological Science
- Careers in Psychology
- Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology
Careers in Psychology
Below you'll find some of the many careers and fields you can pursue with a degree in psychology.
-
Bachelor's Degree Careers
- Research
- Human resources
- Public relations and advertising
- Market research
- Teaching
- Retail and sales
- Politics/public service
- Law enforcement
- Military
-
Professional Schools
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Physician assistant
- Law
- Medicine (especially psychiatry and pediatrics)
-
Master's and Ph.D. Careers
- Counseling
- Educational psychology doctorate
- Clinical psychology
- Counseling psychology
- Community psychology
- Cognitive and Perceptual psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Educational psychology
- Engineering psychology
- Environmental psychology
- Evolutionary psychology
- Experimental psychology
- Forensic psychologist
- Health and Medical psychology
- Industrial-Organizational psychology
- Neuropsychology
- Performance and Sports psychology
- Quantitative and measurement psychology
- Rehabilitation psychology
- Social psychology
- School psychology