{"id":2634,"date":"2024-08-16T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=2634"},"modified":"2025-08-15T11:44:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T18:44:47","slug":"what-can-you-do-with-a-psychology-degree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/what-can-you-do-with-a-psychology-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"What can you do with a psychology degree?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Your psychology degree is a solid investment in your future<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Earning a psychology degree means becoming a psychologist, right?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Not necessarily.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You may be surprised to learn that 50% of psychology bachelor\u2019s degree-earners<\/a> don\u2019t wind up working in health care at all. The skills gained in a psychology degree<\/a> program are widely valued by employers and applicable to a variety of settings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

According to Oregon State University senior instructor Kristen Yax, psychology is \u201cthe Swiss Army Knife of degrees\u201d \u2014 one that can lead graduates in countless rewarding directions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cFirst and foremost, it\u2019s a direct path to many career opportunities in the field \u2013 from clinical or social to research or education,\u201d says Yax. \u201cBut psychology is also relevant if not critical in almost every profession imaginable, and a psych degree opens many doors in many industries that more specialized degrees of study often do not.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

And as someone interested in studying psychology, you likely want to learn what drives people, whether that\u2019s in the workplace, social structures, or through their purchasing habits or technology usage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So, with a core focus on human behavior, what can you do when you earn a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology<\/a> online from Oregon State University? Let\u2019s explore.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Psychology’s role in social services jobs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Perhaps most related to health care work is the field of social services. While social services could<\/em> include mental health therapist and psychologist roles (with a master\u2019s or Ph.D. under your belt), helping people in your community can reach far beyond those two roles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

With skills like counseling techniques, problem-solving, communication aptitude and strong empathy responses, psychology graduates are primed for helping roles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cSocial services work revolves around a shared set of values and combines insights from cognitive science, advocacy, psychotherapy, and public policy,\u201d according to The Best Schools social services career guide<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Jobs in the field of social services for psychology bachelor\u2019s graduates include social and human service assistant<\/a>, probation officer or correctional treatment specialist<\/a>, community health worker<\/a> and social and community service manager<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Psychology’s role in human resources jobs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

One adjacent outcome for a psychology bachelor\u2019s graduate is working in the field of human resources. This career path requires interpersonal skills, data analysis and ethics and diversity knowledge \u2014 all competencies that you can gain through your coursework as a psychology student.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

According to Learn.org<\/a>, \u201cIndividuals with a psychology degree have diverse career opportunities in human resources.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This category of work includes a variety of entry-level and advanced positions, including\u00a0HR generalist<\/a>,\u00a0recruitment coordinator<\/a>, compensation and benefits manager<\/a>, human resources manager<\/a> and even career coaching.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Oregon State grad Tracey Campion said this of her experience<\/a> gaining the skills needed to become a career coach: \u201cA bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology could not be a more fitting education for a coach, and I am so appreciative that the OSU Ecampus [psychology] program was available for me to return to school online as an older, working student from outside the country.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Psychology’s role in marketing and communications jobs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Another field psychology graduates are qualified to enter is marketing and communications. At first glance, psychology and marketing may seem unrelated. But with core knowledge in areas like behavioral motivation, research skills and statistical analysis, the parallels shift into focus.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cPsychology majors are well-suited for careers in marketing. The courses you take in your undergraduate studies, such as\u00a0social psychology, human behavior, research design and statistics, directly apply to many roles within the umbrella of marketing,\u201d according to a report published by Psychology.org<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Career opportunities in marketing for psychology bachelor\u2019s graduates include advertising, promotions or marketing management<\/a>, public relations and fundraising<\/a>\u00a0or market research analysis<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Psychology’s role in careers in technology<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Psychology and technology<\/em>? Minus the final five letters, you may wonder what these two fields may have in common. The short answer is people. <\/em>The more precise answer is knowledge in topics like cognitive processes, evaluation development and the building and coding of qualitative assessments.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cUX designers make products and services more intuitive, enjoyable, and streamlined for users \u2014 often in a digital environment, like a business’s website or app,\u201d according to Psychology.org<\/a>. \u201cAn understanding of psychology fits well with this profession. Concepts like memory limitation, cognitive load and the psychology of colors all make for a better designer.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In the field of technology, psychology bachelor\u2019s graduates can look for job opportunities as a UX designer<\/a>, a cognitive scientist<\/a>\u00a0or an AI ethics specialist<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you decide to go on to graduate school, you can put a master\u2019s in human-computer interaction<\/a> to work in the field of research.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Explore a master’s degree in psychology<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Graduate school is a common next step for students who earn a psychology bachelor\u2019s degree. Because the knowledge gained in an undergraduate psychology program is so broad, students often choose to specialize after graduation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201c<\/em>Oregon State University and their rigorous psychology program did help me to [feel] really prepared.<\/em> I was always on time for early admissions applications and things of that sort. I look forward to going into my graduate school, and all thanks to everyone here,\u201d said Karen Baek, who earned her B.A. in Psychology online.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We\u2019ve already explored a few outcome-specific post-secondary degree options, but let\u2019s take a look at a few of the most common graduate degrees for psychology students:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n