AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

There are so many choices of areas to specialize in. It is suggested that you research the areas that appeal to you most. Here are just some of the areas you could specialize in.

Clinical Psychology:

Clinical psychologists assess and treat people with psychological problems. They may act as therapists for people experiencing normal psychological crises (i.e. grief) or for individuals suffering from chronic psychiatric disorders. Clinical psychologists may be generalists who work with a wide variety of populations or work with specific groups like children, the elderly, or those with specific disorders. They may be found working in academic setting, hospitals, community health centers, or private practice. For job opportunities: A Student's Guide to Careers in the Helping Professions or Clinical Psychologists Jobs

Counseling Psychology:

Counseling psychologists do many of the same things that clinical psychologists do. However, they tend to focus on people with adjustment disorders. They are found employed in academic settings, community mental health centers and private practice. For job opportunities: PH. D. in Counseling Psychology or A Student's Guide to Careers in the Helping Professions

Developmental Psychology:

Developmental psychologists work with studying how the human develops intellectually, socially and emotionally over their lifetime. Areas of interest are: children's peer relations, language comprehension, computational models of cognitive development, parent-infant interactions, social and communicative behavior in infants, and language acquisition across languages and cultures. They can be found in areas of research, teaching or consultants to day care centers, schools or social service agencies. For job opportunities: Sample Jobs for a Developmental Psychology Major

Educational Psychology:

Educational psychologists conduct research and develop theories about teaching and learning. They attempt to understand the basic aspects of learning and then develop materials and strategies for enhancing the learning process. They are typically trained in Schools of Education and employed in academic settings. For job opportunities: Careers in Educational Psychology

Environmental Psychology:

Environmental psychologists focus on the relationship between people and the physical environment they live in. They are interested in the effects of the environment on people's behavior and mental processes. For job opportunities: Careers in Environmental Psychology

Experimental Psychology:

Experimental psychologists do research in the most basic areas of psychology (i.e. learning, memory, cognition, perception, motivation and language). Most experimental psychologists work in academic settings. For job opportunities: Job Market by Area in Psychology

Forensic Psychology:

Forensic psychologists study questions and issues relating to law and the legal system. They offer an expert psychological opinion in a way that impacts one of the adversarial arenas, typically the courts. Forensic psychologists evaluate various areas, such as expert testimony, jury selection, child testimony, pretrial publicity, represses memories, the death penalty, battered woman syndrome, domestic violence, drug dependence and sexual disorders. Forensic psychologists are also involved in analyzing crime evidence and aiding law enforcement agencies in criminal investigations. For job opportunities: Forensic Psychology or The Forensic Psychologist

Health Psychology:

Health psychologists are concerned with psychology's contributions to the promotion and maintenance of good health and the prevention and treatment of illness. They may design and conduct programs to help individuals stop smoking, lose weight, manage stress, and stay physically fit. Hospitals, medical schools, rehabilitation centers, public health agencies, academic institutions and private practices employ them. For job opportunities: Mental Health Jobs

Human Factors Psychology:

Human Factors psychologists study safety related issues in the design of machinery, airplane controls, computers and other mechanical devices to insure the safety of individuals. For job opportunities: Job Market by Area of Psychology

Industrial/Organizational Psychology:

Industrial/Organizational psychologists are concerned with people and work environment relationships. They are employed in business, government agencies, and academic settings. For job opportunities: Job Market by Area of Psychology

Neuropsychology:

These psychologists are concerned with brain-damaged patients and assess them in a clinical setting and relationships between cognitive and brain activity in the brain. For job opportunities: Job Market by Area of Psychology

Physiological Psychology:

Physiological psychologists study such things as how brain cells function, behavioral changes as a function of drug use or the roots of psychiatric disorders. They often work in academic standings. For job opportunities: Job Market by Area of Psychology

School Counseling:

School Psychology:

School psychologists enhance the development of children and adults in educational settings. They assess and recommend actions to help the student to learn. They act as consultants, parents, and teachers. For job opportunities: Employment in Counseling Psychology

Social Psychology:

Social psychologists study how other persons affect our beliefs, feelings, and behaviors of others. Such topics include: attitude and formation change, aggression, prejudice, and interpersonal attraction. Social psychologists work in academic settings but can also work in federal agencies and businesses. For job opportunities: Guide Picks

Sports Psychology:

Sports psychologists study the psychological factors associated with participation and performance in sport, exercise, and other types of physical activity. They focus on helping athletes use performance and to further understand how the participation in sports affects their psychological development, health and well being. For job opportunities: Guide Picks

Social Work:

Social work is the helping other people improve their lives. They help people deal with their relationships and deal with family and personal problems. Social workers can be found at hospitals, mental health and community centers. For job opportunities: Job Market by Area of Psychology

For a list on possible salaries please click here: Salaries

NEW EXCITING PSYCHOLOGY FIELDS

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY– Some job requirements include assessing clients and building programs. Someone in this field gets to work in many different settings. Earnings range from $30,000 to $48,000.

PSYCHOLOGY LAW– Some job requirements include selecting juries, treating mentally ill offenders, and criminal profiling. Working within a correctional facility, earning possibilities range from $20-25,000.

MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY– Some job requirements include improving the lives or service personnel, doing research for recruiting, and analyzing missions. The earnings with the career depend on which branch of military one is in, and where one is stationed.

CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY– Some job requirements are finding out why people buy what they do, and working in advertisement or marketing. Earning range from $30-40,000 depending on which field one is in.

AVIATION PSYCHOLOGY– Some job requirements include rating pilot performance, finding ways to reduce flight crew errors. Entry level earnings for this job start at $40,000. This is very competitive.

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY– This field is a very new field, having developed over the past 10 – 15 years. This is a rapidly growing field with possible starting earnings at $29,600.


TEACHING AND RESEARCH– Work in a university setting. Will likely focus on both teaching and conducting research. Can work for government agencies. Can get job with masters, but less likely.