Curious about the inner workings of the mind, and want to help people deal with mental disorders? You may find this social science to be a satisfying career path. Psychologists diagnose and evaluate mental and emotional disorders. They study human behavior by observing, interpreting and recording how people interact with one another and their environments. Those observations help solve everyday problems.
The coursework prepares you to be a counselor, a school psychologist, industrial-organizational psychologist, researcher, and developmental or social psychologist. Work settings are varied too: you can work independently (either in research or with patients), as part of a healthcare team, such as physicians and social workers, in research centers, and in schools or offices, It’s usually a 9-5 job, but if you’re in private practice, you may work some nights and weekends.
Psychologists need a doctorate or specialist degree in psychology, but a master’s degree may be enough for some positions. A license or certification is also required. Courses are usually lectures and seminars on topics such as perception and sensation, cognitive psychology, social psychology, personality, statistics, and neuroscience.
Actress Natalie Portman, and political satirist Jon Stewart both earned B.A. in psychology.
North America's oldest college, founded in 1636 and located in Cambridge across the Charles River from Boston, Harvard is a remarkable place that considers itself a remarkable place. Crimson undergraduate life begs a bullet-proof ego to help ensure success, because ... learn more
Founded in 1701 by those who felt Harvard had lost its way, Yale took as its Latin motto Lux et Veritas, Light and Truth, to suggest that those in Cambridge could no longer see the Veritas. Thus was the Harvard-Yale ... learn more
Situated in an affluent New Jersey college town rather than a city, Princeton is bright, beautiful, and sometimes a little smug. It is no accident that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote This Side of Paradise about his years here. Those who ... learn more
Younger than the Ivies and sunnier, too, Stanford has become the nation's most selective institution by providing a world-class education to those dreaming of Silicon Valley riches, as well as those with Olympic medals on their minds. In fact, given ... learn more
Founded in 1754 as Kings College, Columbia needed a new name when students like Alexander Hamilton won the American Revolution. Benefitting from the Manhattan Renaissance of the past 20 years, Columbia now has single-digit selectivity. Its long commitment to the ... learn more
On a collegiate gothic campus built with Rockefeller money in a setting like the East Coast urban Ivies but in the Midwest on the Windy City's South Side, the University of Chicago is sometimes called "the place where fun goes ... learn more
The only Ivy with the feel of a college rather than a university, Dartmouth is a haven for undergraduates. Its idyllic setting in a classic New Hampshire town comes complete with Dartmouth’s own skiway. Famous for traditions like the Homecoming ... learn more
The bookstore apparently does not sell a t-shirt that reads, "Vanderbilt…It Even Sounds Expensive," but it could, because the campus, a registered arboretum, looks like it costs plenty. Great academics, southern charm, SEC football, and the bright lights of Music ... learn more
By contrast to Columbia's curriculum that includes courses required of all students, Brown has long offered the most open-ended Ivy program, with self-designed study leading to concentrations rather than traditional majors. The "choose your own adventure" ethos may contribute to ... learn more
Founded by practical polymath Benjamin Franklin in 1740, the University of Pennsylvania comprises the Wharton School of Business, Engineering, Nursing and the College of Arts and Sciences. Greek life and chants of "Let's Go, Quakers!" at spirited athletic contests contribute ... learn more
Using Archer Daniels Midland money to offer generous scholarships to National Merit Scholars starting in the early years of rankings 30 years ago, "Wash U"-as most call it—has attracted legions of students who have either fallen just short of the ... learn more
The most selective of California's Claremont Colleges, Pomona deserves its place amid the top liberal arts colleges in the nation; however, it does have distinct differences from the others in the top handful. Not as intensely competitive in intercollegiate athletics ... learn more
