<p>D’s friend just graduated as an OT. It was a 5-year degree program at Boston U. She will now do internships and residencies, which will take her a bit longer before she lands a job.</p>
<p>At least they haven’t made that career PHd only like they have with PT, yet.</p>
<p>^
PT has the DPT, which is a professional degree, like an MD or DDS, not a heavily research degree (PhD)</p>
<p>Thanks for clarifying, I wasnt sure.</p>
<p>
You certainly don’t need a masters or PhD to get a job. The Georgetown paper at <a href=“http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/unemployment.final.update1.pdf[/url]”>http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/unemployment.final.update1.pdf</a> lists a 7.3% rate for recent college grads who majored in psychology (general psychology, not specialized fields such as clinical psychology), which is one of the majors with the lowest unemployment rates for recent grads in the study, lower than both computer science and engineering majors. However, like the vast majority of humanities majors, average salary is low, particularly for recent grads without advanced degrees. I’d expect this relates to many going into fields that do not have a very strong connection to their concentration in school, leading to a larger pool of eligible jobs. The paper says that ~half of the psychology majors go into health care or education. I have a relative who majored in psychology, then worked in corrections. It was the perfect career for him, as it fit his personality well. Some emphasize careers that they enjoy over a large starting salary, and some focus on a high salary over the career they’d most enjoy. There is no right or wrong answer.</p>
<p>
A high school junior? She’s not even in college yet and probably has only taken 1 high school psychology class. Odds are she will choose to major in something else at some point before graduating college. It’s far too early to be worrying about this. I’d recommend giving her unbiased facts about the field and career prospects, while being supportive of her decisions.</p>
<p>My friend’s D graduated w/a psyc. degree in May. So far she’s had no luck finding a job.
She interned at the local Office of the Aging last spring but there were no openings for her to continue there.
She’s working in the deli at a local grocery store. She went to a private university that probably no one on CC has ever heard of. She has to start paying back her loans in the Fall. My friend is getting nervous.</p>
<p>Data10: I’m not worried about it. I’m curious - and as you said, would like to learn more about the possibilities. </p>
<p>I’ve been upfront with my daughter: I can’t afford more than state school, and cannot put her through grad school. So she needs to know what the real deal is if she’s still interested in psych in a couple years.</p>
<p>Also tell her to look into colleges if she decides to do grad school, that help cover expenses. My son had very few applications for his grad schools but they were all ones he found that were good and covered Masters and/or PhD programs with grants, internships, etc. It wasn’t easy to find them, forums helped, emails,looking at small print on websites, etc. but he also knew, I couldn’t take out any more loans and he had his staffords to pay…he was lucky, out of his 3 years grad program, only had to pay half a year.</p>
<p>As it happens, I ran into the daughter of my kids’ former babysitter last night. She graduated a few years ago from a SUNY with a psych BA. After several years of underemployment she’s going back for a degree in elementary education.</p>
<p>For a high school junior I wouldn’t worry too much. Plenty of time for her to change her mind …or not.</p>
<p>"I’m surprised you let your S go into Graphic Design, it does not pay well either. Median salary is about $45,000! I pity his future children. "
-You read completely out of contest. My S. had a choice based on his desire to be somewhat connected to his artistic ability. He could be an artist, sustaining himself selling his art or as he found, he could be a graphic designer. I did not make any decision for him, not even talk. He decided himself at about 14 (sometime in 8th grade) that selling his art would not be financial sound, so he went to a graphic design. He has been having a job ever since graduation. whatever his and his wife (also a Graphic designer) compensation level, they are completely fine and so far were able not only raise couple great kids but also spoil them rotten, which is a normal goal in our family. Spoil rotten kids seem to develop a great ambitions, including but not limited to be a very helpful individuals to others around them and outside, very very hard working kids who are praised by all teachers for their academics and sensitivity to others’ needs. yes, if you want to raise kids who are sensitive to others, then you better be sensitive to them. To be able to be sensitive to your kids, you need funds, cannot do it in low income situation.</p>
<p>Now that’s something I’ve never heard-that spoiling a kid rotten, which I take to mean giving them everything they want, whether they need it or not, and then some more on top of that, will help them grow to have empathy for others. Usually in my experience, it turns kids into selfish, self-centered brats whose parents excuse every misstep they make and make life hell on anyone who crosses them. Learn something new every day.</p>
<p>Some of the most empathetic people I’ve met grew up in less than ideal circumstances-they experienced some kind of struggle that most of us could only imagine. They got where they are by being helped in some way by others, whether it was financial, advice, even a ride at an opportune time. Seeing others help THEM, led them to be willing to do for others. They’ve also been ambitious because they saw where they COULD be vs. where they are.</p>
<p>The message most of these people give to their kids is that whatever your circumstances, always be willing to help others because you never know when you might need help yourself. They also teach the kids that nothing comes to them for free, that it was their hard work that got them where they are, and that they expect the kids to then work hard for what THEY get out of life.</p>
<p>Going back to the OP-most parents I know, regardless of their status, allow their kids to make their own decisions about their path in life. Since what they do at 21 or 22 is rarely what they’re still doing even a few years later, that seems to be the sensible way to go.</p>
<p>Typically grad school (Psy.D. or Ph.D.) are needed to work independently as a psychologist. I have heard of people getting jobs with masters degrees in psychology, but an MSW (master in social work) is a much stronger masters degree. If grad school if not desired, I would consider an undergrad in psychology to be a general degree kind of like English or history - something you may really enjoy and want to learn, but not something that will lead to many jobs. People have listed some jobs, here in mental health, though, so it is possible. There is no real hard science to do in an undergrad in psych – there is learning theory, experimental and, of course, stats. To get in to grad school these days, though, is hard and good grades are needed. Someone else mentioned psychiatric nurse as a possibility; that might be a good alternative if your daughter doesn’t want to go to grad school.</p>
<p>I graduated college 23 years ago…but 2 of my friends had psych degrees. One is working as a top secret radioactive chemical disposer, then other is in state government</p>
<p>OP said “statistics and science are part of psychology…not her best subjects.”
In that case, would definitely not advise nursing. I have a BSN. The nursing curriculum at my university included statistics and a lot of science.</p>
<p>My daughter graduated two years ago with a BA in psych, and a job in advertising. She loves her career.</p>
<p>I know a psych major working for a survey research firm. The social science research skills you develop are actually pretty marketable. Another does consulting in organizational behavior for non-profits. You’d be amazed at the demand there is for people who can fix dysfunctional work teams.</p>
<p>I am a PhD psychologist, but, note, I was a philosphy major as an undergrad, and even went to grad school in that before changing careers. </p>
<p>A psychology major is about as useful or unuseful as any liberal arts degree. </p>
<p>Many businesses actually prefer the critical thinking skills that, supposedly, liberal arts majors develop–more so than narrowly focused STEM majors and, particularly, those who major in business: [Why</a> Businesses Prefer a Liberal Arts Education](<a href=“http://www.cnbc.com/id/100642178]Why”>Why Businesses Prefer a Liberal Arts Education)</p>
<p>Theo Epstein, now GM of the Cubs, and previously the architect, in 2004, of the first Red Sox championship since 1918, was an American Studies major at Yale.</p>
<p>Incidentally, I work with the elderly at nursing homes, and all the social workers have a bachelor’s degree in social work.</p>
<p>After seeing two girls through (and almost through) college, plus their friends, I have come to the conclusion that college is wasted on the young – and I don’t even mean all the great lectures, books, learning, I mean all the RESOURCES that even the smallest colleges now supply, which includes study counseling, writing centers, career counseling, research opportunities, internships. Kids want to contact their teachers strictly via e-mail and want opportunities to come to them. Or they think good grades are enough.
Whatever your daughter majors in (and as people have said, this may change many times), encourage her to develop relationships with professors, do some research with a prof, and do one or two internships. If she stays in psych, do an internship that is more psych-centered and one that is more business-centered.<br>
These are the experiences in college that can help direct someone, whatever her major, into a career she can enjoy, as well as providing something to put on that resume.</p>
<p>Psychology is a liberal arts degree, similar to other humanities degrees. Unless you do REALLY well in it, you are not going to get into a Ph.D. program. The demands of a Ph.D. or Psy.D. program are rigorous, and most people would not pursue them unless they really have a calling for that type of profession.</p>
<p>Don’t assume that a masters in psych will do much. The doctoral degree is what is expected now in most states. The other option is an MSW, or a masters in school psychology.</p>
<p>If she does not have the drive to go to grad school, a psychology degree will most likely lead her in other directions.</p>
<p>…and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. As people have listed, there are a variety of opportunities for liberal arts majors to get jobs, even jobs that pay well enough to support themselves.</p>