Jobs you can get with a psychology degree

So, you're keen on exploring the fascinating psychology career paths that lie ahead. It is important to note that many of these careers may require a postgraduate degree or further study to attain professional registration. So, let's dive in and discover the exciting prospects that await you after completing your psychology study.

Psychologist or counsellor | Health psychologist | Educational Psychologist | Forensic psychologist | Behaviour analyst

Psychologist or counsellor

As society gains a better understanding of mental health, the need for psychologists increases, both in private practice and within the NHS. But this doesn’t mean those aspiring to work in the field are restricted to these fields.

Companies are increasingly turning to in-house psychologists to help with their human resource departments. The focus on employee well-being is greater than ever, and businesses want to ensure they are doing their utmost to keep their workers healthy. Similarly, the use of sports psychologists has also increased as professional teams see the benefits of having players who are physically up for the challenge and mentally ready. Our MSci Counselling course (don't be fooled by the title!) is actually a four-year undergraduate route that can help you towards becoming accredited. 

Career Insights:

1. Making a Positive Impact:  The ability to directly impact people's lives by providing guidance, support, and coping strategies is the most significant aspect of a career as a psychologist or counsellor. This sense of fulfilment and purpose motivates individuals to pursue this profession and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

2. Versatile Work Settings:  The diverse work settings available to psychologists and counsellors are highly appealing. This flexibility allows professionals to explore various environments, from private practices to hospitals, schools, and corporations, providing ample opportunities to find a career path that aligns with their interests and goals.

3. Specialisation Opportunities:  Specialising in specific areas of psychology, such as clinical, counselling, or forensic psychology, offers a chance to focus on areas of personal interest and expertise. This specialisation empowers psychologists and counsellors to deepen their impact and contribute significantly to the fields they are most passionate about.

Health psychologist

Within the NHS, health psychologists play integral roles in various healthcare initiatives. They actively contribute their expertise to support public health programmes, such as aiding individuals in smoking cessation, enhancing dietary habits, or promoting positive behavioural changes. 

Outside of the NHS, health psychologists help with many health initiatives within the private sector. This exemplifies the abundance of options available to our Psychology graduates, not limited to traditional NHS roles. So, upon completing your psychology journey, you'll find many exciting and meaningful paths to explore both within and outside of the NHS.

Career Insights:

1. Promoting Holistic Well-Being:  As a Health Psychologist, your primary focus is understanding the interconnection between mental and physical health. You'll work towards promoting holistic well-being by identifying how psychological factors influence health behaviours, coping mechanisms, and overall wellness. This unique perspective allows you to develop interventions that address health's psychological and physical aspects.

2. Diverse Work Settings:  Health Psychologists have a wide range of work settings. They can work in hospitals, healthcare clinics, research institutions, public health agencies, universities, and private consulting firms. This diversity of work environments provides opportunities to collaborate with medical professionals, researchers, and public health experts, making it an engaging and dynamic career path.

3. Empowering Behaviour Change:  One of the most significant contributions of Health Psychologists is their role in empowering individuals to adopt healthier behaviours and lifestyles. By using evidence-based strategies, you can help clients manage chronic conditions, quit harmful habits like smoking, improve diet and exercise habits, and enhance overall health outcomes. Witnessing the positive impact of behaviour change on clients' lives is incredibly rewarding and reinforces the value of your expertise.

Educational Psychologist

Our MSc Psychology conversion course can be a great way for teachers, or anyone with experience working with children, to transition into educational psychologist roles, after completing your PhD.

By tapping into their wealth of experience, as well as their psychological training, educational psychologists help students with learning difficulties, intellectual disabilities, and social and emotional issues to find success at school. It can be a very rewarding profession, helping students both inside and outside of the classroom.

Career Insights

1. Supporting Student Success:  As an Educational Psychologist, your primary focus is on understanding the cognitive, emotional, and social factors that influence students' learning and development. You'll work closely with educators, parents, and other professionals to create interventions and strategies that support students' academic progress, emotional well-being, and overall success in the educational setting.

2. Diverse Work Settings:  Educational Psychologists have diverse work settings available to them. They can work in schools, colleges, universities, educational consulting firms, research institutions, and government agencies. This versatility in work environments offers the opportunity to collaborate with educators and policymakers, contributing to improving educational systems and practices.

3. Enabling Inclusive Education:  A significant aspect of an Educational Psychologist's role is promoting inclusive education. By conducting assessments, identifying learning disabilities, and providing personalised support, you can help create an inclusive learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of students. Your expertise ensures that all students have equal opportunities to thrive academically and socially.

Forensic psychologist

Forensic psychologists tend to work within the criminal justice system, either working with victims or offenders. Their work can include developing and evaluating interventions, conducting risk assessments, supporting the mental health needs of those impacted by crime, counselling offenders to help in their rehabilitation, providing expert witness testimony at court, consulting/training staff, and conducting applied research.

Career Insights

1. Understanding Criminal Behavior:  As a Forensic Psychologist, you'll delve into the minds of individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Your expertise in psychology enables you to analyse and understand the factors that contribute to criminal behaviour, such as motives, personality traits, and mental health issues. This understanding is essential in providing valuable insights to legal professionals, law enforcement, and the justice system.

2. Diverse Roles within the Criminal Justice System: Forensic Psychologists have a wide range of roles within the criminal justice system. They may work with offenders, victims, witnesses, or legal professionals. Tasks may include conducting risk assessments, providing counselling or therapy to offenders, offering expert testimony in court, and assisting in rehabilitating and reintegrating individuals back into society.

3. Contributing to Justice and Public Safety: A significant aspect of a Forensic Psychologist's career is their contribution to the pursuit of justice and public safety. By applying psychological principles and research to legal contexts, Forensic Psychologists play a vital role in ensuring fair trials, making evidence-based recommendations, and promoting effective interventions to reduce recidivism rates.

Behaviour analyst

Behaviour analysts make plans to improve or change human behaviour. They might work in hospitals, schools, correctional facilities or government departments. There are a variety of patients or clients that a behaviour analyst might see, including brain injury patients, psychiatry patients, children and veterans.

Career Insights

1. Improving Behavior and Quality of Life:  As a Behavior Analyst, your main focus is understanding human behaviour and its relationship with the environment. By conducting behavioural assessments and implementing evidence-based interventions, you play a pivotal role in helping individuals improve their behaviour, learn new skills, and enhance their overall quality of life. Your work has a direct and positive impact on the lives of your clients.

2. Diverse Work Settings:  Behavior Analysts have diverse opportunities for employment across various settings. They may work in hospitals, schools, clinics, residential treatment facilities, organisations serving individuals with developmental disabilities, research, and academia. This versatility allows Behavior Analysts to choose a career path that aligns with their interests and expertise.

3. A Focus on Data and Evidence:  Behaviour Analysis relies heavily on data collection and analysis to inform interventions and measure progress. As a Behavior Analyst, you'll utilise objective and measurable data to assess behaviour, identify patterns, and make data-driven decisions. This emphasis on evidence-based practices ensures that your interventions are effective and tailored to each client's unique needs.

The world is your oyster

A psychology degree offers a surprisingly wide array of career opportunities beyond the traditional paths, including some in areas like marketing. With a solid understanding of human behaviour and motivations, psychologists can excel in market research, helping companies gain insights into consumer preferences and behaviours. Their ability to analyse and interpret data enables them to craft effective marketing strategies and targeted campaigns that resonate with the intended audience. Psychologists with a user experience (UX) design background possess a unique advantage in creating user-friendly interfaces and products that cater to users' psychological needs and preferences. In human resources, psychology graduates are adept at assessing and managing personnel, fostering a positive and productive work environment. This adaptability of psychology graduates to diverse fields underscores the value of their expertise and highlights the numerous professional roles they can pursue.