Earning Your Bachelor Degree in Psychology
Majors Overview August 30, 2013Psychology Major Coursework
Individuals interested in the behavior and mental functions of people may want to study psychology at a university. A college student majoring in psychology will learn how to understand mental and behavioral concepts such as interpersonal relationships, personality and cognition. While in high school, students can enroll in psychology, sociology and communication courses to assist with entering a university’s psychology major program. Students typically begin by working toward a bachelor’s degree taking general coursework such as mathematics, English and history. In addition, a student begins to take an assortment of generalized and specialized psychology classes. Many online and brick-and-mortar universities offer Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees with an emphasis on psychology.
Practical Learning Experiences
College students are required to attend classroom lectures online or in person while receiving passing scores on evaluations. Universities will also require students to visit practical laboratory settings on campus or in the community. At practical settings including clinics or private practices, students will observe professional psychologists working with clients to understand this occupation. Eventually, psychology majors will advance to actually working with clients under the authority of professors or working psychologists. A practicum is an unpaid work experience that is part of a bachelor’s degree program requiring that a student participate and receive a passing score. Every student will also learn how to research psychological methods by writing numerous papers for university classes.
Entry-level Careers
After graduating, an individual can work in entry-level occupations such as human resources to assist companies with hiring employees. A psychology degree is helpful with working in government or private social work programs that assist individuals with issues including homelessness, alcohol abuse or poverty. Most graduates of a psychology program begin careers in the business sector working in occupations such as marketing, insurance or real estate. Retail establishments frequently hire individuals with a bachelor’s degree in psychology to work in management positions. Students also have the option of returning to a university to receive additional education at the master’s degree level to become attorneys, school psychologists or university professors.
