Why do people behave the way they do? Why do some people thrive under stress while others fall apart? How can we flourish in spite of adversities? What do we need to do in order to age well?
Psychologists have been providing answers to these and many other questions related to human functioning through basic and applied research. Psychology is a very broad and diverse discipline, spanning from biology, health care to organizational behavior.
Careers in Psychology
According to Canadian Government forecast, psychology is one of the four fastest growth areas. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also predicts growth over the next decade.
Psychology offers numerous career paths in health care, education, community/family services, industry/business and academe. Career opportunities in psychology are ever expanding because of the innovative ways of applying psychological knowledge to serve society.
Although most professional positions in psychology require a doctoral or master’s degree, psychology graduates can still find jobs directly related to their major, such as counselling, correctional services, community and family services.
Many psychology graduates also find jobs in education, administrative positions, business, sales, service industries, health care, the biological sciences, and computer programming.
Psychology remains the most popular undergraduate major in most universities, because it is relevant to so many professions, such as counselling, medicine, nursing, social work, teaching, and law.
Another reason for psychology’s broad appeal is its perceived relevance to people’s quest for self-understanding and personal development. Many non-traditional students including adult learners take psychology courses purely out of personal interest.