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.