Department of Psychology

PSYCHOLOGY

Pscyhology is the study of the mind, a scientific approach to understanding mental functions and behaviors. It is both an academic and applied discipline; it aims to both add to human understanding in general and help individuals in particular. Psychology students explore everything from perception to cognition, emotion, personality, relationships, and the unconscious mind. Psychology can also be either a very empirical study, such as with cognitive neuroscience studies in a laboratory; or a more humanistic field, such as with psychoanalysis or certain therapeutic aspects of clinical psychology.

Psychology graduates may find work in a variety of areas, either as a therapist, as a counselor, as a researcher or research assistant, in government or the non-profit sector, as a consultant or in human resources for business, or educating at any level. Psychology graduates may also take on any career that makes use of a well-rounded understanding of people and science, from journalism to law to writing.

A Master’s in Psychology can be either a Master of Arts degree (MA) or a Master of Science degree (MS). An MA in Psychology may have a stronger philosophical or liberal arts focus, while an MS in Psychology may often require greater credit hours in the lab and have a more empirical focus. Either prepares students for further study for the Ph.D in Psychology, which involves original research, advanced coursework, and qualifies graduates for teaching at the university level.

Psychology graduates may make anywhere from $40,000 in the non-profit or social justice sector, or as a professor upwards of $90,000 per year. Top university programs for Psychology graduate study include Harvard, Cambridge, Stanford, Oxford, and Berkeley (according to the Guardian, 2011).