Psychology is the study of behavior - human as well as animal. Psychologists are individuals with advanced training who study behavior and apply their knowledge and skills in a variety of ways. For example, some psychologists are employed as:

Teachers - who teach classes in psychology at universities, colleges and high schools;

Researchers - who are employed by universities, businesses, government agencies, and the military to conduct basic and applied studies of human behavior;

Service Providers - who work with people of all ages and backgrounds who are coping with every imaginable kind of problem, by assessing their needs and providing appropriate treatment;

Administrators - who work as managers in hospitals, mental health clinics, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, schools, universities, and businesses; and

Consultants -who are hired by organizations to provide consultative services on a subject or problem in which the consultant is an expert. These services can include designing a marketing survey, organizing outpatient mental health services for adolescents, or working with teachers to facilitate children's learning and mental health.

Whether you are interested in human services, computers, management, education, high technology, sports, or many other fields, you are likely to find psychologists working in that field.

Following are brief summaries of some of the major specialty areas within psychology which you can pursue:

Clinical Psychologists assess and treat people with problems which may range from the "normal" psychological crises related to biological growth (e.g. rebellion in adolescence) to less common conditions such as schizophrenia or depression. They may also study the characteristics of psychotherapists associated with patient improvements, or they may investigate the factors that relate to high self-esteem, or to the development of schizophrenia. They work in academic institutions and health care settings such as clinics, hospitals, community mental health centers, or private practice, and focus their interests on special populations such as children, minority groups, or the elderly. Others specialize in the treatment of certain types of problems such as phobias, eating disorders, or depression. Still others prefer to work as generalists, working with all ages and problems rather than restricting their practice.

Community Psychologists are concerned with behavior in natural settings - the home, neighborhood and the workplace. They seek to identify factors that contribute to normal and abnormal behavior in these settings. Community psychologists also emphasize the importance of preventing problems before they occur.

Counseling Psychologists foster and improve normal human functioning across the life span by helping people solve problems, make decisions, and cope with the stresses of everyday life. Typically, with people who are having difficulties coping with a particular event or aspect of their lives. They work with clients individually or in groups, assessing their needs and providing a variety of therapies, ranging from behavior modification to interpersonally oriented approaches. An increasing number are being employed in health care institutions such as community mental health centers, Veterans Administration hospitals, and private clinics. Those with master's degrees are often found in educational institutions, clinics, business, industry and government, and other human service agencies.

Developmental Psychologists study human development across the life span, from newborn to aged, and are interested in the description, measurement, and explanation of age-related changes in behavior; stages of emotional development; universal traits and individual differences; and abnormal changes in development.  They often consult on programs in day-care centers, pre-schools, and hospitals and clinics for children, and evaluate intervention programs such as Head Start and Follow Through. Persons with bachelor's and master's-level training work in applied settings such as day-care centers and in programs with youth groups.

Educational Psychologists study how people learn, and they design the methods and materials used to educate people of all ages. Many work in universities, in both psychology departments and schools of education, while some conduct basic research on topics related to the learning of reading, writing, mathematics and science. Some also develop new methods of instruction including designing computer software while others train teachers and investigate factors that affect teachers' performance and morale. They may also be employed by governmental agencies or the corporate sector to analyze employees' skills and to design and implement training programs.

Environmental Psychologists are concerned with the relations between psychological processes and physical environments. These environments range from homes and offices to urban areas and regions. They may do basic research, for example, on people's attitudes toward different environments or their sense of personal space. Or their research may be applied, such as evaluating an office design or assessing the psychological impact of a government's plan to build a new waste-treatment plant.

Experimental Psychologist is a general title applied to a diverse group of psychologists who conduct research on and often teach about a variety of basic behavioral processes. These processes include learning, sensation, perception, human performance, motivation, memory, language, thinking, and communication; and the physiological processes underlying behaviors such as eating, reading, and problem solving. They study the basic processes by which humans take in, store, retrieve, express and apply knowledge. They also study the behavior of animals, often with a view to gaining a better understanding of human behavior, but some times also because it is intrinsically interesting. Most work in academic settings, teaching courses and supervising students' research in addition to conducting their own research. They are also employed by research institutions, business, industry and government.

Industrial/Organizational Psychologists are concerned with the relation between people and work. Their interests include organizational structure and organizational change; workers' productivity and job satisfaction; consumer behavior, selection, placement, training, and development of personnel; and the interaction between humans and machines. Their responsibilities on the job include research, development (translating the results of research into usable products or procedures), and problem solving. They work in businesses, industries, governments, and colleges and universities. Some may be self-employed as consultants, or work for management consulting firms. In a business, industry or government setting, they might study the procedures on an assembly line and suggest changes to reduce the monotony and increase the responsibility of workers. Or they might advise management on how to develop programs to identify staff with management potential or administer a counseling service for employees on career development and preparation for retirement.

Consumer psychologists are industrial/organizational psychologists whose interests lie in consumers' reactions to a company's products or services. They investigate consumers' preferences for a particular package design or television commercial, for example, and develop strategies for marketing products. They also try to improve the acceptability and the safety of products and to help the consumer make better decisions.

Engineering psychologists are industrial/organizational psychologists concerned with improving the interaction between humans and their working environments, including jobs and the contexts in which they are performed. They help design systems that require people and machines to interact, such as video- display units; they may also develop aids for training people to use those systems.

Personnel psychologists are industrial/organizational psychologists who develop and validate procedures to select and evaluate personnel. They may, for example, develop instruments and guides for interviewers to use in screening applicants for positions, or they may work with management and union representatives to develop criteria for assessing employees' performance.

Jobs for industrial/organizational psychologists are available both at the master's and the doctorate level. Opportunities for those with master's degrees tend to be concentrated in business, industry and government settings; doctorate-level psychologists also work in academic settings and independent consulting work.

Neuropsychologists and Psychobiologists investigate the relation between physical systems and behavior. Topics they study include the relation of specific biochemical mechanisms in the brain to behavior, the relation of brain structure to function, and the chemical and physical changes that occur in the body when we experience different emotions. Neuropsychologists also diagnose and treat disorders related to the central nervous system. They may diagnose behavioral disturbances related to suspected dysfunctions of the central nervous system and treat patients by teaching them new ways to acquire and process information - a technique known as cognitive retraining.

Psychometric and Quantitative Psychologists are concerned with the methods and techniques used in acquiring and applying psychological knowledge. A psycho- metrician may revise old intelligence, personality, and aptitude tests or devise new ones. These tests might be used in clinical, counseling and school settings, and in business and industry. Other quantitative psychologists might assist a researcher in psychology or in another field design or interpret the results of an experiment. To accomplish these tasks, they may design new techniques for analyzing information. Both are well-trained in math, statistics, computer programming, and technology. Those with master's degrees often work for testing companies and private research firms.

Rehabilitation Psychologists are researchers and practitioners who work with people who have suffered a physical deprivation or loss, either at birth or through later damage such as resulting from a stroke. They sometimes help people adjust to the physical handicaps associated with aging. Typically, people treated by rehab psychologists face both psychological and situational barriers to effect functioning in the world. Many work in medical rehab institutes and hospitals while others work in medical schools and universities, serve as consultants to or as administrators in state and federal vocational rehab agencies, or have private practices serving people who have disabilities.

School Psychologists are concerned with the intellectual, educational, social and emotional development of children. They are also concerned with creating environments that facilitate learning and mental health. They may evaluate and plan programs for children with special needs, or deal with less severe problems such as disruptive behavior in the classroom. They sometimes engage in program development and staff consultation to prevent problems. Occasionally, they provide assistance to teachers in classroom management, consult with parents and teachers on ways to support a child's efforts in school, and consult with school administrators on a variety of psychological and educational issues.

Social Psychologists study how people interact with each other and how they are affected by their social environments. They study individuals as well as groups, observable behaviors, and private thoughts. Topics of interest include personality theories, the formation of attitudes and attitude change, attractions between people such as friendship and love, prejudice, group dynamics, and violence and aggression. Social psychologists can be found in both academic and non-academic settings such as advertising agencies, corporations, hospitals, educational institutions, and architectural and engineering firms as researchers, consultants, and personnel managers.

Remember that psychology involves the study of behavior. As a result, wherever you work with people, knowledge of psychology should make it possible for you to work more effectively with them. The knowledge you acquire in psychology can be put to work in a variety of employment settings. The key is recognizing how, when, and where psychology can be applied.

THE ADDED VALUE OF HAVING A MINOR

When planning your career, you might consider selecting a minor to complement your psychology major. Since selection can sometimes be difficult, to help you decide, the following are factors to consider:

Employability - If you are concerned primarily about future job prospects-, select a minor that is marketable. Fields to consider are:

Business Administration

Economics

Computer Science

Journalism

Technical Writing

Criminal Justice

Marketing

A Related Field - You may wish to choose a field related to psychology. Because psychology is concerned with human and animal behavior, a minor that pertains to more specific kinds of behavior and more specific populations can provide a more comprehensive picture. Such fields can also be marketable for professional entry- level positions. Examples include:

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Sociology

Anthropology

Child Development

Rehabilitation

Social Work

Employee Relations

Special Education

Counseling

Communications

EMERGING & UNCONVENTIONAL CAREERS FOR PSYCH MAJORS

Technological change is occurring so rapidly in our society that literally hundreds of careers become obsolete while hundreds of new careers are created. Such emerging careers do not have easily identifiable titles, partly because many have yet to become fully established. Highlights are as follows:

PSYCHOL0GY AND CHILDREN

Teen Suicide Prevention

The second leading cause of death among 15-19 year old

Counseling Children in Medical & Dental Settings

To reduce fear and stress

To teach what pain is and how to cope with it

Children being treated for cancer & other chronic diseases

Caring for Children of Working Parents

Day care services

"Phonefriend" and "warmline" services

Discovering & Nurturing Giftedness

Help for unmet emotional needs

Developing programs that challenge the gifted

Providing awareness programs for teachers

Promoting Animal Welfare

Programs for grade school children

Outdoor nature education

PSYCHOL0GY AND LAW

Assisting Victims of Crime and Violence

Including battered women, abused children, spouses and children of alcoholics, wives of prisoners & parents of murdered children

Forensic Psychology

You might help a judge decide which parent should have custody of the children, or

Evaluate the victim of an accident to determine psychological or neurological damage, or

Evaluate a defendant's mental competence to stand trial, or

Counsel inmates and probationers and victims of crimes to help them prepare to testify, cope with emotional distress, and resume their normal activities.

Moral Specialists

Help people resolve difficult questions regarding abortion, life support devices, organ transplants, artificial birth and other issues.

Treating Sex Offenders

Profiling for Apprehending Criminals and Selecting Juries

HEALTH PSYCHOL0GY

Treating Phobias

Behavioral Medicine & Behavioral Health

Making people aware that the way they live is making them healthy or ill

Biofeedback Therapy

To cure or control migraines, insomnia, epilepsy, asthma, stuttering, and sexual disorders

Profiling for Prediction

The use of profiles to predict which persons are prone to heart attacks or heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses.

Promoting Human Welfare Using Pets and Trained Animals

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

Recruiting Organ Donors

Counseling People with Special Needs

Homeless

Mentally Ill

Victims of natural disasters, family disasters & war

Family Psychology

Marital and family conflicts

Parent-child relationships

Profiling for Recruitment

Communities with medical personnel shortages

Admissions Counseling

For colleges and universities

PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN

The Field Includes:

The study of stereotypes about women

The development of gender roles & identity, sexuality, psychological problems of women and their treatment

physical and sexual abuse of women and girls

the causes of eating disorders such as anorexia

PSYCHOLOGY AND AGING

Researchers May Investigate:

How a person's style of coping with problems varies with age.