Hayley Smith
Editor-in-Chief
A career in the psychology field may interest students who are interested in people and the things that they do. Whether a student wants to be a social worker, psychologist, counselor, or many other careers, a psychology major may be the major to pursue.
At Butler, students can pursue an associate’s of science or associates of arts in psychology. Academic Advisor Gary Royse explained how realistically, most jobs in psychology will require that one has a master’s degree, although some careers will be available with a bachelor’s degree. There are very few jobs in the psychology field that would be available with only an associate’s degree.
Benefits to this field include having the knowledge that you have helped somebody, even if only in the smallest way. Monica Boknecht, who teaches psychology and is also a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist, explained how she feels about a psychology career.
“Going into psychology helps people expand their current understanding past the schemas that we develop as we experience life as a ‘child’,” Boknecht said. “For a lot of people, it challenges what they were taught and in some cases, helps them evolve as a human being. That doesn’t even touch on the myriad of ways you can be in service to others and help to make a better world.”
Pay for this field varies a great deal depending on what career is chosen. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, the median pay for a psychologist in May 2015 was $72,580. The job outlook for psychologists grows much faster than the average for other occupations.
Although the most popular majors at Butler, according to Royse, include business, nursing and education, it is beneficial that students are aware of what majors are available to them and what possible careers there are for them to enter into. Of course, there are certain traits one should exhibit when thinking about a career in the psychology field, as Boknecht explained.
“Students should know that doing jobs within this field requires passion for others, even as a researcher, which is sometimes less interactive depending on the study,” Boknecht said. “If a person doesn’t have a genuine interest in understanding and/or helping others, then psychology probably isn’t the best fit for them.”
For any interested major, students can go to the Career Coach, located on the Butler homepage or at butlercc.emsicareercoach.com to learn more about the major, degrees and careers.