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Pschology unrespected degree?
Hey im considering taking psychology at uni but a lot of my friends are trying to put me off by saying that it is an unrespected degree and the only career i could do after is become a psychology teacher. I dont really want a career in psychology, more like in the city probably. Would this be possible? and is it an unrespected degree. Apparently there is a social stigma about it...
If you want to work in the city, then psych would be an OK degree, but wont give you any specific advantages. I know a lot of firms like psych, due to the balance of writing essays and using statistics on a regular basis. Remember, only 15% of psych students carry on into psych, so there definitaley a demand for graduates in other places.
Well, it does (rightly or wrongly) have that reputation. It's a fine social science and allows the student to develop good transferable skills. It's quite puzzling that you were told you can "only become a teacher" with it. I would have thought that, with an accredited degree, a psychologist! 
That said employment prospects, even from top ranked universities, is quite underwhelming.
If you want to go into the city then what about business, finance or, possibly, history or philosophy degree?
Bear with me, I'll be back with more!
That said employment prospects, even from top ranked universities, is quite underwhelming.
If you want to go into the city then what about business, finance or, possibly, history or philosophy degree?
Bear with me, I'll be back with more!
Nah, it's just very difficult to get into a career in Psychology, so unless you intend to do postgrad it's a bit of a "generic" degree. That is, you'll be eligible for plenty of graduate jobs that don't require a specific degree. You just won't be likely to get a psychology-specific job. Psychology involves a lot of statistics work, making graphs from spreadsheets etc, essay writing... plenty of transferrable skills.
River85
Well, it does (rightly or wrongly) have that reputation. It's a fine social science and allows the student to develop good transferable skills. It's quite puzzling that you were told you can "only become a teacher" with it. I would have thought that, with an accredited degree, a psychologist!
That said employment prospects, even from top ranked universities, is quite underwhelming.
If you want to go into the city then what about business, finance or, possibly, history or philosophy degree?
Bear with me, I'll be back with more!
That said employment prospects, even from top ranked universities, is quite underwhelming.
If you want to go into the city then what about business, finance or, possibly, history or philosophy degree?
Bear with me, I'll be back with more!
Nah, without postgrad there's absolutely no chance of becoming a psychologist.
Prospects give an idea of related careers, both directly and indirectly related
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Options_with_your_subject/Your_degree_in_psychology/Job_options/p!eaLfdfj
As for grad prospects then there are these starts (just be aware that they don't tell the full story, more about that later)
http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6439
As you can see from the above psychology is ranked lowly with 38% employed in a "non graduate job". However, some of these stats are misleading. 17% are undertaking further study and this is a fair number I think this is largely those grads looking to go into psychology as a career and doing either a masters or going into education and doing a conversion course. You'll find the same in law which has quite a poor employment rate and this is because it ignores that for those wanting to be a solicitor/legal executive/barrister they need to undertake further study (LPC/BVC) and not go straight into employment.
Psychology is also ranked quite low in terms of starting salary
http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6371
If you have a passion for the subject, and would find it difficult finding an alterative degree, then go ahead. I do appreciate your concern over future prospects and would advise that you are cautious.
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Options_with_your_subject/Your_degree_in_psychology/Job_options/p!eaLfdfj
As for grad prospects then there are these starts (just be aware that they don't tell the full story, more about that later)
http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6439
As you can see from the above psychology is ranked lowly with 38% employed in a "non graduate job". However, some of these stats are misleading. 17% are undertaking further study and this is a fair number I think this is largely those grads looking to go into psychology as a career and doing either a masters or going into education and doing a conversion course. You'll find the same in law which has quite a poor employment rate and this is because it ignores that for those wanting to be a solicitor/legal executive/barrister they need to undertake further study (LPC/BVC) and not go straight into employment.
Psychology is also ranked quite low in terms of starting salary
http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6371
If you have a passion for the subject, and would find it difficult finding an alterative degree, then go ahead. I do appreciate your concern over future prospects and would advise that you are cautious.
Toy Soldier
Nah, without postgrad there's absolutely no chance of becoming a psychologist.
I know that you need to take at least a masters (or, for a clincial psychologst, a doctorate). I didn't mean to give the impression that you could become a psychologst straight away after a bachelors, just that it was one career route open after further study. Although I do believe it's very competitive.
To be honest, if I didn't want a career in Psychology, I wouldn't be spending £9000 in tuition fees to get a degree in it purely out of an interest for the subject.
In that case, I would spend my free time reading books on the subject, and pursue a different degree.
I can see why people would question your desire to study Psychology if you arn't wanting a career in it, but meh, its your choice.
I agree with this.
In that case, I would spend my free time reading books on the subject, and pursue a different degree.
I can see why people would question your desire to study Psychology if you arn't wanting a career in it, but meh, its your choice.
River85
If you have a passion for the subject, and would find it difficult finding an alterative degree, then go ahead. I do appreciate your concern over future prospects and would advise that you are cautious.
If you have a passion for the subject, and would find it difficult finding an alterative degree, then go ahead. I do appreciate your concern over future prospects and would advise that you are cautious.
I agree with this.
Things to bear in mind if you want to study psychology and then work in the city/finance/corporate include:
- Choice of institution - These type of jobs DO care about what university you went to and psychology from UCL is treated very differently than say Bolton.
- The amount of stats/research methods you do- If you go above the basic minimum and have the option to do modules in advanced stats/ research methods, this path may make you more attractive than straight out business graduates who will not have had the same degree of quantitative training.
- Occupational psychology modules may be another way of gaining an edge in large organisations.
Ultimately its about how you sell yourself. Psychology in itself is neither respected nor unrespected, its much more about the surrounding context. I have found people are hugely respectful towards me because I studied psychology, but then again that may be due to my subsequent choices after my degree.
- Choice of institution - These type of jobs DO care about what university you went to and psychology from UCL is treated very differently than say Bolton.
- The amount of stats/research methods you do- If you go above the basic minimum and have the option to do modules in advanced stats/ research methods, this path may make you more attractive than straight out business graduates who will not have had the same degree of quantitative training.
- Occupational psychology modules may be another way of gaining an edge in large organisations.
Ultimately its about how you sell yourself. Psychology in itself is neither respected nor unrespected, its much more about the surrounding context. I have found people are hugely respectful towards me because I studied psychology, but then again that may be due to my subsequent choices after my degree.
So Now You Tell Me...
Your friends are totally wrong, Doing a psychology degree doesnt just lead you to becoming a psychology teacher.. There areso many avenues in psychology and beyond. The degree offers the advantage of a wide variety of key skills, english in essayn writing etc, science in the experiments and lab reports and maths in statistics. For example it was a great degree to getme into primary school teaching which Im about to embark on, and then possibly on to educational psychology
Personally I chose Psychology because I Loved the subject and had a huge interest in it, I didnt exactlly know if I wanted to go into the psych career set but wasnt sure and I beleived taking a degree I enjoyed and was good at was the best route, and I was right
Well for me anyhoo!
Anyway takw it from a freshly graduated psych student, were not all becoming psych teachers!
Your friends are totally wrong, Doing a psychology degree doesnt just lead you to becoming a psychology teacher.. There areso many avenues in psychology and beyond. The degree offers the advantage of a wide variety of key skills, english in essayn writing etc, science in the experiments and lab reports and maths in statistics. For example it was a great degree to getme into primary school teaching which Im about to embark on, and then possibly on to educational psychology
Personally I chose Psychology because I Loved the subject and had a huge interest in it, I didnt exactlly know if I wanted to go into the psych career set but wasnt sure and I beleived taking a degree I enjoyed and was good at was the best route, and I was right
Well for me anyhoo!Anyway takw it from a freshly graduated psych student, were not all becoming psych teachers!
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