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Psychology

Life After Graduation

Careers in Psychology

Types of careers
  • FIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY A complete listing of psychology fields and specific information regarding these fields.
  • JOB DESCRIPTIONS Dr. Drew Appleby from IUPUI has collected a list of links to occupations of interest to psychology majors from the U.S. Department of Labor . These descriptions identify the skills people in these occupations must possess to perform their jobs successfully.
  • O*NET: The O*NET system is a national source of occupational information, providing comprehensive information on key attributes and characteristics of workers and occupations - you will need to search it by keywords or terms.
  • Social Work certification in Wisconsin: The WI Department of Safety and Professional Services is responsible for licensing of all different types of therapists. There are many opportunities for jobs in human services/social services that do not require the job applicant to be social work certified.  However, for the jobs that require social worker certification a student needs to be certified by the state.  Most students who get certified by the state have an undergraduate degree in social work (BSW) OR a MSW (Master's in Social Work). A MSW is different than LCSW. For students who want to be licensed to practice therapy as a social worker need to go to a program that has a degree to prepare you to be a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). To get an idea about the requirements, check out your state's department that regulates licensed. You can see Wisconsin's here: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Professions/SocialWorkerLicensedClinical/Default.aspx. UWL majors are eligible for certification BUT will need additional specific coursework as indicated at the site and this coursework needs to be completed at a school where it is taught by social workers.  Specific course work earned at UWL will not count toward the certification application despite the fact that the descriptions may read as highly aligned with UWL course content.
  • Addiction Counseling: Addiction-Counselor.org is an educational resource designed for those individuals looking to begin or advance a career in the substance abuse counseling field. From our state-by-state guides to licensure and education, salary guides and degree information, we help you understand what it takes to earn the licensure you need for the career you want.
  • INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES - Access Going Global through the Additional Resources menu in Handshake - it includes country career guides, employer directories and international job and internships listings. International experiences can really increase your competitiveness in the job market. However, if you want to practice as a licensed clinician in the U.S., you should plan on getting your terminal graduate degree at a U.S. institution to avoid any difficulties in meeting states’ licensing requirements.
Salary information
Job searching information
  • A sample of career searching sites (some may involve fees or subscriptions but you will be warned before you spend any money). Career Services provides information on several options for online searching including sites specifically associated with more psychology-related jobs.
  • LearnPsychology.org: Learn Psychology is focused on providing college students with information and resources on how to land and be successful in a psychology career. We've just updated our open-access guide to non-psychology careers for psychology majors. A psychology education opens a number of unique career opportunities, so we created this guidebook to help graduates better understand how to use their skills and degrees to land jobs in an array of industries.
  • PsychologyDegree411 Jobs Board(http://www.psychologydegree411.com/jobs/) is a free jobs board updated daily with psychology related positions that can be searched by keywords, degree type, and/or by state. Users can also search for internships. 
  • The College Student's Guide to Pre-Professional Psychology Opportunities: Classroom-based learning can only take a student so far, and eventually, psychology students need to seek out real-world training to make themselves more marketable to employers. Learn Psychology created this guidebook to help students find the best internships, work-study programs, and other pre-professional psychology experiences available. Some key elements of the guide are (1)  an exhaustive list of available pre-professional options
, (2) pros and cons for each of the opportunities listed
, and (3) tips for moving into a professional or academic career.
  • Forensic Psychology Online: Contains a wealth of information, including steps on how to become a forensic psychologist, career guides, state-by-state licensing information, educational opportunities, and much more.
  • The Ultimate Guide to Careers in Social Work: Includes interviews with social workers and clinical social workers and a directory of accredited online Masters in Social Work programs.

Human services job searching - additional information

  • Many employers in this area advertise in their local newspapers as they do not have large advertising budgets. Consequently, check to see if the job site you've chosen crawls newspapers for jobs and/or visit the classified ads of the paper in a town in which you'd like to work. 
  • The National Assembly of Health and Human Services Organizations(www.nassembly.org) has a link to jobs and internships across the nation.
  • The local United Way website for the geographical area for which you are interested will provide a list of agencies they support.
Useful links regarding careers in psychology

Several good sites from other universities

Psychology-related professional organizations

  • APA The American Psychological Association is a good resource that will also include information about joining as a student affiliate.
  • APA's Psychology as a Career
  • APS The Association of Psychological Science is more research oriented than APA. APS has excellent student resources too.
  • PSI CHI This is the international site for Psi Chi, an honors association for psychology undergraduates and graduate students. There is information about the organization as well as student grant opportunities.
  • MPA The Midwestern Psychological Association is an excellent regional group that puts on an annual meeting in Chicago every year. Several UWL students have presented papers through Psi Chi at the MPA conference. Information on membership and the conference is available at this site.

Graduate School

What are different ways to become a licensed therapist?

One of the most confusing parts about the pathway to becoming a licensed practitioner of clinical or counseling services is that there is no one direct path. The one clear piece is that you cannot deliver clinical services with a B.S. or B.A. in psychology--some additional training, education, and clinical supervision is required. To help clarify the different licenses and degrees, check out this summary document, Graduate School Training in Mental Health, jointly created by Ryan McKelley, a licensed psychologist (LP)/health service provider (HSP), and Jeff Reiland, a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT)/certified substance abuse counselor (CSAC). NOTE: The summary does not cover other clinical or mental health providers such as school psychologist, school counselor, or school social worker. That information can be found at Differences Among Helping School Professionals available from UWL's School Psychology Program homepage.

What are the characteristics sought by graduate schools?

Graduate schools are looking for strong students with the initiative and ability to do graduate work. In particular, they need to know that YOU know why you want that particular degree. Graduate degrees in psychology often take one of three options: (1) Masters, (2) PsyD, and (3) PhD. Below are general guidelines where the is overlap in materials, and where there are areas you should focus based upon degree. No grad program expects you to have actual therapy experience.

Common for all programs:

  • Grades and GPA minimums
  • Strong letters of recommendation (at least two should come from faculty; one can come from a work supervisor)
  • Personal statement or responses to program questions
  • Official transcript

Masters Degrees:

  • There are a wide range of masters programs in different specialities, some of which might also lead to licensure to practice therapy
  • Some applied experience in working with people, preferably in challenging circumstances (e.g., under resourced, special needs, minoritized social identity, etc.). This can be through volunteering, informal or formal internships, or paid work.
  • Acceptance rates are in the range of 45-55%
  • Very few require the GRE, so be sure to check individual programs

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Degrees:

  • PsyD programs are clinical/counseling degrees that prepare you to be a licensed psychologist
  • Some applied experience in working with people, preferably in challenging circumstances (e.g., under resourced, special needs, minoritized social identity, etc.). This can be through volunteering, informal or formal internships, or paid work.
  • Some extra research experience is a plus, but not often required. If you don’t have it, extra coursework can help develop skills you will need (e.g., PSY 451: Psychological Measurement, PSY 420: Advanced Research Methods)
  • The dissertation in a PsyD program tends to be less theoretical and more applied than in PhD programs, but you will still be completing one
  • Acceptance rates are in the range of 30-35%
  • Check individual programs for GRE requirement

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degrees:

  • PhD programs are available for different sub-specialties in psychology, and some are clinical/counseling that prepare to be a licensed psychologist. All of them train you for the option to become a college or university faculty member
  • You cannot get into an PhD program without extra research experience beyond what is required in our major. Look for opportunities to take PSY 308: Research Apprenticeship with a faculty member, PSY 481: Independent Project for your own idea under faculty supervision, the Psychology Honors Program, the McNair Scholars Program, or other research opportunities with graduate students or through paid work. It does NOT have to be in psychology or directly related to the program specialty—any participation in the scientific method is a plus.
  • It is strongly recommended you also take additional coursework in this area (e.g., PSY 451: Psychological Measurement, PSY 420: Advanced Research Methods). Check programs if they have specific course requirements.
  • Applied experience in working with people is not required, but doesn’t hurt
  • Acceptance rates are in the range of 8-15%
  • Check individual programs for GRE requirement
  • Some programs may require a writing sample
                                           
Steps involved in applying to graduate school

There are five major steps involved in applying to graduate school, each with a general recommended timeline. For schools on a standard academic calendar and admissions, most applications will be due sometime between Dec 1 and Jan 31 of your last semester. Some masters programs have rolling admissions, so check due dates for specific programs. Doctoral programs tend to have earlier due dates.

Year 1-3:

  • Decide whether graduate school in psychology is right for you
  • Define the area of concentration and degree that you will pursue (especially by the summer leading into your last year)

Year 3:

  • Fall and Spring semester: Research schools and programs and choose a range of places to which you want to apply
  • Spring Semester: Meet with potential recommenders to share your plans and ask for strong letters of support
  • Summer after Year 3: Finalize your list of programs and begin personal statement and other materials

Year 4:

  • Share your required materials with your recommenders
  • Complete the applications to these programs
  • Attend interviews (if applicable) and make a final decision regarding which program you will attend.

*It is an excellent idea to save copies of strong papers you have written for courses to serve as writing samples that may be requested by graduate schools.

Letters of Recommendation - what psychology faculty require

1. Set up a meeting to discuss the recommendation in person. It is best to have this meeting in the spring semester before your last year. If that doesn't happen, make sure you meet first thing in the fall semester of your last year.

2. Provide complete information to the faculty member 2-4 weeks PRIOR to the deadline.  Provide all of the information/forms for each school at one time.

3.  Student information

  • an unofficial transcript with any/all courses completed with the instructor highlighted.
  • an up-to-date resume
  • a draft or final copy of a sample letter of intent
  • notes regarding anything special you wish for them to note

4. School information: 

  • A table with information about teach school including the name of the school, the type and name of the graduate program, and the due date.  Indicate if the reference is electronic or paper.
  • Make sure to complete the information about the faculty member on each form and sign the waiver provided by the school.

If you will need letters after graduating, we recommend you provide a short update to your faculty regarding your current and future plans every ~6 months.

How to find graduate schools

If you are looking to get licensed to provide mental health services, it is STRONGLY recommended that you go to a nationally accredited program as that means it meets the requirements to be licensed in all 50 states. If you choose to attend a regional or state-accredited program, you might have a harder time obtaining a license if you leave that state. Below are two main sources to find nationally accredited programs:

  • Masters degrees to become a Licensed Professional Counselor are accredited through CAREP: https://www.cacrep.org/. You can search by state, online vs in-person, and some other characteristics
  • Doctoral degrees (PsyD and PhD) to become a Licensed Psychologist are accredited through the American Psychological Association: https://accreditation.apa.org/accredited-programs 

General Information for other Graduate Options