What Can I Do With A Major In Psychology

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Overview	Career Titles	Employers	Skills	Salary Information
Graduate Data	Alumni/Intern Profiles	Links of Interest	Additional Information

Overview | Return to top

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Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes. It shares with the natural sciences an orientation toward objective observation, experimentation and quantitative analysis, but it also has humanistic concerns about the total human experience and the dignity of each individual person.

By expanding and enriching our understanding of how people think, feel and behave, the study of psychology stimulates our intellectual growth. Personal growth comes through the self-understanding that develops by applying our understanding of people in general to our own thoughts, feelings and actions. The study of psychology also fosters moral awareness and growth. Psychology challenges students to safeguard the welfare and rights of others; establish relationships of trust; promote accuracy, honesty and truthfulness; and respect the dignity and worth of all people.

The psychology program emphasizes breadth, active or experiential learning and an empirical or scientific approach to questions about human thought, feeling and action.

Career Titles | Return to top

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Academic Advisor Account Executive  Activity Leader  Admissions Counselor Advertising Assistant Advertising Manager Alumni Relations Director Animal Behaviorist Arbitrator Armed Forces Officer Art Therapist Auditory Researcher Banking Analyst Behavior Analyst Biographer Business Manager Campus Minister Care Giver Career Counselor Case Worker Child Psychologist Child Support Officer Child Welfare Worker Clergy Member Clinical Manager Clinical Research Coordinator Clinician Commodity Manager Community and Social Service Worker Community Relations Director Community Relations Representative Community Service Agency Director Copywriter Correctional Caseworker Corrections Officer Cottage Parent Counselor: Alcohol/Drug Counselor: Career Counselor: Employment Counselor: Guidance Counselor: School Counselor: Vocational Creative Director Criminologist Crisis Intervention Counselor  Customer Service Director Customer Service Representative Customs/Immigration Officer

Document Release Representative Employee Assistance Director Employment Agency Counselor Ergonomist Financial Advisor Financial Aid Director Financial Analyst Firefighter Food and Beverage Assistant Manager Forensic Scientist Fraud Investigator Funeral Director Genetics Counseling Geriatric Case Manager Gerontologist Grant Writer Health and Wellness Coordinator Health Club Assistant Manager Health Educator Hospice Coordinator Hospital Administrator Hotel Event Management Human Resources Generalist Industrial Relations Manager Insurance Sales and Claims Representative International Student Advisor Investigator Junior Market Analyst Lab Technician Labor Relations Specialist Lawyer Market Research Analyst Marketing/Sales Manager Marriage Counselor Media Buyer Media Planner Mediator Mental Health Coordinator Mental Health Worker Minority and Race Relations Specialist Motivational Researcher Multicultural Student Services Coordinator Music Therapist Nursing Home Administrator Occupational Therapist Ombudsman Outpatient Therapist Paralegal

Physical Therapist Physician Police Officer Polygraph Examiner Prevention Counselor Probation Officer Professional Employment Recruiter Professor Profiler (CIA, FBI) Program Developer Psychiatrist Psychological Anthropologist Psychologist Psychometrist Psychotherapist Public Opinion Surveyor Public Relations Assistant Public Relations Manager Realtor Recreation Specialist Registered Nurse Rehabilitation Counselor Research Analyst Residence Hall Director Sales Representative Security Guard Sign Language Interpreter Social Service Manager Social Worker Sociologist Speech Pathologist Sports Psychologist Statistician Assistant Student Activities Director Study Abroad Coordinator Substance Abuse Counselor Suicide Prevention Services Specialist Teacher Technical Writer Television/Media Research Toxicologist Training and Development Professional Trauma Support Specialist Victim Advocate Wage/Benefits Analyst Youth Corrections Officer Youth Counselor Youth Services Specialist

Employers | Return to top 

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Abuse Center Adoption and Child Care Agencies  Advertising Agencies Air Traffic Control Alzheimer's Association Banks Big Brother/Big Sister Agencies Board of Education Business and Industry Career Services Offices Caseworkers Child Care Center Churches and Religious Organizations Civil Rights Commission College And University Counseling Centers Colleges/Universities Community Services Consulting Firms Consumer Affairs Office Correctional Institutions County Probation Department Division of Youth & Family Services Educational Institutions Employee Assistance Programs

Family Services Agency Federal Bureau of Prisons Financial Service Companies Foreign Service Government-State/Federal Agencies Group Homes Health and Human Services Hospitals and Clinics Insurance Companies Labor Department Labor Unions Laboratories Local, State, Federal Government Management Consulting Firms Market Research Firms Mental Health Institutions Mortgage Corporations National Science Foundation Newspapers, Magazines Non-Profit Organizations Nursing Homes Peace Corps/VISTA Prisons Private Corporations

Private Practice Private Psychiatric Facilities Probation Departments Psychological Services Public Health Services Public Relations Firms Publishing Companies Radio and TV Stations Real Estate Agencies Rehabilitation Agencies     Religious Organizations Research Programs/Centers School Districts Science Research Laboratories Social Service Agencies Substance Abuse Clinics Test Development Corporations Trust Administrators United Way Agency Veterans Administration Vocational Rehabilitation Units Women's Center YMCAs and YWCAs Youth Homes/Guidance Centers

Skills | Return to top 

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Ability to communicate and present ideas and information Ability to research and write reports Ability to understand and improve human relationships Ability to work in teams Able to promote healthy relationships Analyze, synthesize and interpret information Concern for and sensitivity to others Critical and inferential thinking

Decision making Empathy Engage in ethical practice Evaluates personal problems and makes appropriate decisions Good listener Insight to deal effectively with people Interpersonal communication (oral and written) Interviewing techniques

Knowledge of community resources Knowledge of human development & behavior Problem solving Recognize cultural differences/similarities Resolve/mediate conflicts Understanding of group dynamics Understands socio-cultural forces impacting human behavior

Salary Information | Return to top   

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NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Summer 2012 Average Starting Salary:

• Psychology Bachelor's Degree: $33,500

Average Salary of SNC Psychology Graduates:

• 2009: $30,001 - $35,000
• 2010: No salary data available
• 2011: $15,001 - $20,000

For additional salary information, please visit salary.com


Graduate Data | Return to top   

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The job titles and employers listed below are a sample of the results from the annual St. Norbert College Career Services graduate follow-up survey for the Classes of 2003-2011.

Job Titles

8th Grade Teacher Account Manager Benefits and Claims Representative Case Manager Claims Representative CSRII Customer Service Representative Customer Service Specialist Director of Marketing Employee Benefits Account Manager

Family Resource Team Human Resources Representative IT Systems Analyst Line Therapist Manager Pension Plan Coordinator Program Coordinator Residential Coordinator Residence Hall Director Sales Associate Senior Therapist

Social Studies Teacher Social Worker Student Liaison Teacher's Aide Teaching Assistant Transition Assistant Treatment Counselor Youth Counselor

Employers

Beyond Boundaries of Autism Bonduel School District Chicago Public School System Compass Development Family Services First National Bank Fort Howard Family Resource Center Fox Valley Autism

Humana Insurance Johnson International Lawrence University Rogers Memorial Hospital Roundy's St. Anthony School St. Vincent de Paul United Health Care United States Army

Webster Design Associates Wheaton Franciscan Services Wisconsin Early Autism Project

Graduate Programs

Child/Adolescent Specialization Child Life Clinical Mental Health Counseling Community Counseling Counseling Department

Counseling Psychology Educational Psychology Law Special Education for Indiana Schools Today

Graduate Schools

Indiana University Marquette University Phoenix School of Law Unversity of La Verne

University of Iowa UW Milwaukee UW Oshkosh Valparaiso University

Alumni/Intern Profiles | Return to top   

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Alumni Profiles
David Borgealt
Michael Brennan
Tammy Evers
Jennifer Jirschele
Bernard Micke
Mary Soens Platner
Joseph Steiner
Kimberly Lopas Sullivan
Leo Wisniewski

Intern Profiles
Alicia Bunnell
Alicia Bunnell
Teddy Fleming
Emma Townsend

Links of Interest  | Return to top   

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Career Information
Accredited Graduate Programs in Counseling (from CACREP)
Career Information on Psychology
Corporation for National & Community Service (includes AmeriCorps)
Graduate Programs in Psychology - Counseling and Mental Health
Graduate Programs in Psychology - General
Mental Health Career Paths
Non-Academic Careers in Psychology
Psi Chi (National Honor Society in Psychology)
PsychGrad
Psychology Careers
Psychology Career Center
Psychology Degree Guide

Professional Associations
American Counseling Association
American Psychological Association
Association for Psychological Science
Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Social Workers

Jobs & Internships
American Psychological Association Career Center
AmeriCorps
Idealist
Nonprofit Times Jobs
OnPhilanthropy
Opportunity Knocks
PeaceCorps
US Department of Health & Human Services


Additional Information | Return to top 

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SNC Psychology Department
Major Requirements
Academic Advising
Career Services Job Search Links

Disclaimer: The information included on this page is not all-inclusive. You are encouraged to utilize additional online and print resources when researching majors and careers.  Some of the careers listed may require additional education, training, development, licenses and/or certifications.  If you feel something should be added, changed, updated or removed, please contact Career Services.  The content included on this page will be updated annually each summer.  Please contact Career Services if you have any questions about the information on this page or to schedule an appointment.