Psychology is now among the most popular subjects to study at undergraduate level. Not only does a psychology degree offer the first step towards becoming a professional psychologist, it also offers a broad range of knowledge and skills that employers in many different professions are looking for. You do not have to be planning a career in psychology to benefit greatly from the training you will receive as a psychology student.
Psychology is a dynamic discipline and new areas such as Environmental Psychology are being developed to reflect growing knowledge and expertise. Similarly, there is a diversifying range of professions in which psychological skills and knowledge are essential.
In a recent survey presented by Prospects for 2008 Psychology Graduates,
According to the (External) British Psychological Society (BPS) website, " A third of graduates who go into permanent employment as psychologists enter public services (such as the health service, education, the Civil Service, and the Armed Forces), and a third go into industry or commerce (market research, personnel management etc). Of the remainder, about a tenth teach and research in schools, colleges and universities. " (December 2006) .
Psychological knowledge is prized in a range of professions. Knowledge of how people behave in various circumstances and an understanding of their motivations and goals might help you empathise with others better or at least help you cope with others in everyday family or working life. If you understand others and understand yourself a bit better, you will find your social interactions much more positive.
Communication skills . The ability to communicate through written documents and verbal presentations are vital tools for professional life. You will gain valuable experience through preparing essays, scientific reports and PowerPoint presentations for professional purposes.
A critical, analytical attitude . BPS accredited courses ensure you have a thorough grounding in critical and evaluative skills in relation to the research process. You will learn about the nature of scientific enquiry, and be able to critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of past theories and research. You will manage a large-scale psychological project in conjunction with a research supervisor; generating your own research questions, taking responsibility for research design and ethical considerations, and gaining practical skills in data collection, analysis, and theoretical interpretation.
Data analysis and statistical techniques . You will develop knowledge and skills in a range of statistical tests and their applications to relevant research questions. You will become proficient in using the industry-standard SPSS statistical software, and gain experience of NVivo software for analysing qualitative research data.
If you wish to pursue a career as a professional psychologist, you need to study a degree which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), offering the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR). Our programmes are accredited by the British Psychological Society as conferring eligibility for Graduate Membership of the Society with the Graduate Basis for Registration, provided the minimum standard of qualification of second class honours is achieved. This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. The BPS is the professional body for psychologists in the UK, offering professional standards, training, and ethical guidelines for all professional psychologists.
Training to become a chartered psychologist can take a number of forms which vary for different branches of professional psychology. These include studying for accredited Masters degrees, completing the BPS's own Diplomas, and periods of supervised work experience. See the (External) BPS careers flowchart for further information on training and experience necessary to follow your chosen career path.
The BPS offers specific advice for following careers in all of the main areas of psychology:
A degree in psychology offers a range of skills that are useful in many professions. (External) The Prospects website lists possible career paths as including counselling, personnel/human resources, psychotherapy, management, and careers/personal advice.
" Market research, social work, nursing, advertising, sales, personnel management and career guidance are all areas for which a psychology degree will provide a good basis. "
A 2004 article from the Times online ( (External) Use your head: psychology may be a clever career starter ) gives many examples of the diverse paths psychology graduates can take, including working with Olympic athletes, business consultation, staging dream workshops and helping people suffering from nightmares, rehabilitating mentally disordered life-sentence prisoners, helping people make sense of religious and mystical experiences, workplace design and health & safety issues for business.
While these are unusual examples, they highlight the fact that a good grounding in psychological knowledge and research skills will open up a huge variety of doors for you.
For more general information please see the University of Bradford careers website .
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Last modified: Thursday 8 July 2010.
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