Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of thought, behavior, and experience. Many people associate psychology with psychological therapy and the practice of clinical psychology. There are also many other important areas of scientific psychology, such as cognitive, developmental, industrial/organizational, and social psychology. What these subfields of psychology have in common is the use of the scientific method to understand human behavior and apply that understanding to the development of theory and practice. Psychologists are increasingly making use of neuroscience methods and theories to understand psychological phenomena. As a profession, psychology is related to fields such as health, education, marketing, human resources, social work, and more. The principles of psychology are relevant to almost all areas of human endeavor, and the career paths of psychology students reflect this wealth of possibilities.
Degree Types: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Minor
Degree Options
Degree Concentrations
- Four B.S. options: Biological and Evolutionary Science, Business, Neuroscience, Quantitative Skills
Popular Double Majors or Minors
- Marketing
- Management
- Finance
- Criminology
- Advertising/Public Relations
- Spanish
- French and Francophone Studies
About the Program
Why should I pursue this degree?
You might like this program if…
- You want to better understand people’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
- You want to learn about how the brain works, how it malfunctions, and how it recovers.
- You are interested in child development, mental health, personality, social interactions, organizations, and neuroscience.
- You want a career as a psychologist, counselor, social worker, or other human services professional.
- You want a broad understanding of human behavior to help you pursue a career in any of many fields.
Transferable Skills
- Communication and Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Observation and Analysis
- Data Application and Practical Decision-Making
- Interpersonal and Social Skills
Coursework
Opportunities to explore the following topics:
- Clinical psychology
- Cognitive psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Industrial/organizational psychology
- Social psychology
Out-of-Classroom Experiences
Internships
- Bank of America and BofA Securities
- Camp Pegasus
- Centre Safe
- Institute for Organizational Mindfulness
- Strawberry Fields
- Research labs
- and many others based on student interests
Education Abroad Destinations
Cambodia
Greece
Italy
Netherlands
Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
Career Paths
Continuing Education
- Business
- Clinical/counseling
- Forensics
- Law
- Medicine
- Psychology specialties
- Public policy
- Social work
Job Titles
- Clinical Social Worker
- Human Resources Professional
- Advertising or Marketing Associate
- Victim Advocate
- Psychiatrist
- Career Counselor
- Probation Officer
- Forensic Psychologist
Industries
Behavioral Health, Consulting, Education, Human Resources, Management, Psychology analysis (FBI), Research, Service (Teach for America)
Employers
- Deloitte
- UPMC
- Vanguard
- Amazon
- Merck
- Penn Medicine
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
- University of Pittsburgh
Have questions about this program?
Future students, contact the Liberal Arts Recruitment Team.
Current students, contact your academic adviser.
This program is housed
in the Department of Psychology
at Penn State University Park and Penn State World Campus.