We recognize the fact that most psychology majors will not go on to graduate school. Instead they will be looking for employment after they get their B.A. degrees. We also recognize that many of these students have a strong and abiding interest in psychology. They would like to find positions where that interest is relevant and where their B. A. major in psychology has value.

It is very easy for students to get the idea that there is nothing that they can do in psychology without the M. A., the Ph. D., or the Psy. D. degrees. This is wrong. There are many opportunities for those individuals with a BA in psychology. The greater issue is identifying a career choice and tailoring or education to be the best possible candidate for the chosen occupation. You need to ask yourself what skills can you learn that will allow you to become a well-rounded individual and a benefit to the company or agency with whom you wish to work? How might you demonstrate that you would be the individual of choice? There are jobs that potentially are open to college graduates and that might well be of interest to the psychology major. For example, the State of Michigan (a major employer) has a set of special job descriptions that require, among other things, a B. A. major in psychology or sociology. There is a wide range of positions. The student should consider working in community mental health programs, or working for State or private child welfare agencies, in programs for people with mental retardation, for people with drug or alcoholic problems, in homes for the aged, with the courts and correctional institutions, etc. He or she might find work as a probation or parole officer, as an AFDC-mother (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) caseworker, as a childcare worker, as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, etc. In industry the B. A. psychology major might get into personnel work by starting as a personnel assistant. In business, there are a number of training programs in management and sales. There are some market research firms that should be considered. There also are somewhat rarer opportunities in advertising organizations.

There are opportunities, but they must be found. You are urged to try to make some preliminary, broad decisions, and then to consult with the Oakland University Placement Office for additional job recommendations and more specific details. As your ideas develop, consultation with the faculty may be helpful to you in selecting psychology courses and charting your life direction.

Because the career choice you make is unique to you, we cannot recommend specific content courses for you to take. Yet, the following list provides several ideas that might be helpful in designing your academic career in readiness for your life career

First, get experience in the areas which you might conceivably find interest. (Try hospitals, "half-way houses," drug abuse and alcoholism centers, children's agencies, settings for the aged, day camps, play grounds, hot lines, teacher's aide, etc.) A few weeks or months of work in a field will often clarify things for you, and it counts as experience (and employers like that). Note that is as important to know what you DO NOT wish to pursue as it is to know what you DO wish to pursue.

Second, get some quantitative skills. Specifically, get some training in statistical analysis. The use of statistics in human-services agencies is already widespread, and it is rapidly growing. This trend will continue in the future. A psychology major with some statistics training looks more attractive to employers in human-services agencies and in industry. Our statistics course, PSY 251, now emphasizes use of the SPSS computer package; this is a marketable skill you should acquire and master.

Third, get involved in a faculty member's research project. In addition to giving you some valuable experience, you will get to know a faculty member better so that he or she can write you a strong letter of recommendation.

Fourth, be aware that there currently exist many programs that claim to train"human services personnel." Some claim, either explicitly or implicitly, to provide training that virtually guarantees a job in human services after graduation. Such claims are not justified! No program can "guarantee" a job upon graduation. Our department certainly does not claim that you will get a job by getting a degree in psychology. We do claim, however, that a psychology major is just as well trained for, and just as likely to get, a job in the human services field as are graduates of other programs. Furthermore, should you ever decide to pursue postgraduate work (in psychology, social work, or any other field for that matter) you are much better off having a psychology degree. A program in psychology is recognized by graduate schools as being more academically rigorous than many programs in "human services."

Last, attend our Careers in Psychology workshop. This workshop is offered each Fall Semester. We provide information about careers requiring a BA or MA, as well as information on how to present yourself to a future employer.