What can you do with a bachelors in psychology?

A bachelor’s degree in psychology will not only help you develop an understanding of human learning, emotions, and behaviors, it will also help you acquire skills valued in a wide range of professions. While many people with a bachelor’s in psychology go on to work in a field related to behavioral or social services, career opportunities in business, health care, government, and nonprofits are more diverse than you might realize.

There are many concentrations to choose from in the psychology bachelor’s program at Capella University that can help you further define the career path you want to take upon graduation.

Capella has bachelor-level psychology concentrations grouped into three distinct pathways associated with different career paths. These illustrate the wide application of psychology in a variety of occupational settings.

Note: Only qualified professionals with a graduate degree and required state license are able to provide counseling, therapy or treatment.

BUSINESS

A bachelors in psychology can open the door to careers in the business sector. The understanding of human behavior and soft skills that come with a degree in psychology, especially paired with one of the concentrations below, meet the requirements for numerous positions.

Marketing

An understanding of human psychology can be invaluable to marketing firms. A bachelor’s degree can lead to work as a market research analyst, which involves collecting and analyzing data related to consumer behavior. It’s also possible to work as a marketing manager, which involves helping companies set marketing strategies. Another avenue is working as a sales rep, using knowledge of human psychology to develop and implement sales strategies. 

Management & Leadership

Because management roles require people skills, a bachelor’s degree in psychology can be a bonus. Combining the psychology degree with business coursework can provide students with a solid, multifaceted foundation.

Human Resource Management

Human Resources is a business department that works on hiring and retention of staff and as an intermediary between staff and management. Understanding psychology is an asset in this human interaction-focused field.

HEALTH CARE

Psychology bachelor’s degrees can provide the educational background for getting started in the health care space, especially in the field of addiction treatment.

Addictions

Along with general psychology education, this concentration focuses on theories, training, and current research techniques for the psychological and behavioral aspects of addictions. While a master’s degree is needed to conduct one-on-one treatment, a graduate with an addictions concentration could potentially work in a group setting, although that may require some additional certifications as well. This concentration is also foundational work for someone who wants to go on to get a master’s degree and work with people struggling with addiction one-on-one.

Beyond that, this concentration prepares students for roles at treatment centers that work with addicted populations, or in social services positions that focus on addiction identification and treatment.

Behavioral Health

A behavioral health concentration leads to several different career options within and outside of health care. Job titles include such roles as intake worker, crisis hotline associate, victim advocate, and homeless shelter employee. Potential workplaces are as diverse as hospitals, nursing homes, insurance companies, behavioral health centers, community mental health centers, and criminal justice settings, to name a few.

While the bachelor’s degree provides a good foundation for a career in counseling or psychology, it alone does not qualify someone to conduct one-on-one counseling, therapy, or treatment. For students interested in that type of career and who don’t plan to work in addiction, starting with the behavioral health concentration before moving onto a master’s program is recommended.

PUBLIC SERVICE

A psychology bachelor’s degree can be a platform for jobs such as corrections officer, parole or probation officer, and victim services advocate.

Forensic Psychology

A concentration in forensic psychology focuses on criminal behavior and the roles forensic psychology professionals play in legal proceedings and treatment. Students with this concentration will look for work in roles like probation officer or victim advocate, or they may work within the prison system. This concentration could offer the opportunity to move into case management, where various aspects of a person’s life are managed through a central resource.

Further your career in psychology with an advanced degree

If you’re interested in continuing a career in a psychology-related field, you may pursue an advanced degree, such as a master’s or doctoral degree in psychology. A master’s degree in psychology can open the door for leadership or consulting roles in business, research roles at the state or government level, or counseling positions in health care or mental health facilities.

In addition to licensure, a PhD or professional doctorate in psychology is the pathway to becoming a psychotherapist or other licensed professional in the field, such as a child psychologist, clinical psychologist, or psychology professor.

Learn more about Capella University’sBachelor of Science in Psychologyprogram.