Psychology or Business
I am in a dilemma about which to go for. I have good points for both and have leaned towards business a lot but need different perspectives. The points I considered were:
Business:
Pros =
- High earning capacity
- More diverse career paths
- Entrepreneural opportunities
- Global demand
- Networking advantages
- Millions of roles
- Better University opportunity
Cons =
- High pressure
- Job instability
- Long hours
Psychology:
Pros =
- Meaningful impact
- Growing demand
- Varied setting
- Stable demand
- Intellectual fulfilment
- 1.1 million roles
- 'Sounds better'
Cons =
- Low starting salaries
- Emotional strain
- Limited corporate roles
Business:
Pros =
- High earning capacity
- More diverse career paths
- Entrepreneural opportunities
- Global demand
- Networking advantages
- Millions of roles
- Better University opportunity
Cons =
- High pressure
- Job instability
- Long hours
Psychology:
Pros =
- Meaningful impact
- Growing demand
- Varied setting
- Stable demand
- Intellectual fulfilment
- 1.1 million roles
- 'Sounds better'
Cons =
- Low starting salaries
- Emotional strain
- Limited corporate roles
Reply 1
Hi P0t4to👋
Both Business and Psychology can lead to successful and fulfilling careers.
I would suggest attending university open days to learn more about which subject area you feel most inspired by.
Another thing to consider when choosing a subject is the accreditation it provides. If you want to become a chartered psychologist, you need to obtain BPS Accreditation from the British Psychological Society.
Whichever subject you choose, you can always explore postgraduate study options in another subject area following your degree. For psychology, you would need to study the Graduate Diploma in Psychology for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC)
I wish you the very best of luck at university.
-Leanne🙂
Both Business and Psychology can lead to successful and fulfilling careers.
I would suggest attending university open days to learn more about which subject area you feel most inspired by.
Another thing to consider when choosing a subject is the accreditation it provides. If you want to become a chartered psychologist, you need to obtain BPS Accreditation from the British Psychological Society.
Whichever subject you choose, you can always explore postgraduate study options in another subject area following your degree. For psychology, you would need to study the Graduate Diploma in Psychology for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC)
I wish you the very best of luck at university.
-Leanne🙂
Reply 2
P0t4to
OP
2
Original post
by Leanne_USWHi P0t4to👋
Both Business and Psychology can lead to successful and fulfilling careers.
I would suggest attending university open days to learn more about which subject area you feel most inspired by.
Another thing to consider when choosing a subject is the accreditation it provides. If you want to become a chartered psychologist, you need to obtain BPS Accreditation from the British Psychological Society.
Whichever subject you choose, you can always explore postgraduate study options in another subject area following your degree. For psychology, you would need to study the Graduate Diploma in Psychology for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC)
I wish you the very best of luck at university.
-Leanne🙂
Both Business and Psychology can lead to successful and fulfilling careers.
I would suggest attending university open days to learn more about which subject area you feel most inspired by.
Another thing to consider when choosing a subject is the accreditation it provides. If you want to become a chartered psychologist, you need to obtain BPS Accreditation from the British Psychological Society.
Whichever subject you choose, you can always explore postgraduate study options in another subject area following your degree. For psychology, you would need to study the Graduate Diploma in Psychology for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC)
I wish you the very best of luck at university.
-Leanne🙂
Thank youuu
Reply 3
I actually had this exact same dilemma when I was applying for 2024/2025 - I'd traditionally studied business (at high school and at college), but I felt like I needed to go for something more traditional, with more job security. Choosing a degree is a deeply personal journey, and what is right for one person will not necessarily be what is right for another.
I understand that the perception is that a business degree will give you a broad number of careers to go into when you graduate, but this isn't necessarily the case - it can be difficult to stand out in a path like consultancy or trainee management due to the sheer volume of candidates competing for those same roles, and specialist business paths such as accountancy or marketing will prioritise graduates who've chosen degrees such as Business & Management with Finance or Business & Management with Marketing because they're more relevant. Similarly, job security may not actually be an issue in a business career (unless you go the entrepreneurial route). Consultancy standards do change rapidly, so that area is not the most secure long-term, but many other careers in that sector (including management) are no more or less secure than any other roles. I would say that networking potential is dependant on the university you're thinking of attending - my university's business students are generally quite traditional, whereas some other universities focus on entrepreneurialism and might be more beneficial if that is the end goal for you.
Some of your reasons for choosing psychology, such as the fact that you can make a meaningful impact, that the setting is varied, and that there is growing demand may be no more or less applicable to psychology than for business - many students that are entering the entrepreneurial space are focused on creating a positive social impact (via Young Enterprise and Enactus for example), and if you are successful in that route, you can shape just as many lives as you could as a psychology professional. In consultancy or marketing jobs, you can work with a very wide variety of clients on a very wide variety of projects, and it can really keep you on your toes. Similarly, although demand may shift from industry to industry, if you stay up-to-date on business practices, you can ensure there will always be a demand for you on the job market. When one industry's demand shrinks, another is likely to grow (as we have seen from the rise of artificial intelligence).
It's also worth noting that you can theoretically work in a career that explores both subjects - they are far more aligned than people realise. There are industrial psychology modules on many business courses, and I know that in my university's psychology undergraduate, there is a Dragons' Den competition as part of the course. Industrial psychologists, talented business negotiators, and even entrepreneurs can find both skills invaluable.
Ultimately, what matters most is what your genuine core dream is - ignoring expectations or how that career may be perceived. Purely from your original post (putting lack of corporate opportunities in psychology as a negative), I've assumed that your urge may be leaning towards business - but choose what's right for you.
I understand that the perception is that a business degree will give you a broad number of careers to go into when you graduate, but this isn't necessarily the case - it can be difficult to stand out in a path like consultancy or trainee management due to the sheer volume of candidates competing for those same roles, and specialist business paths such as accountancy or marketing will prioritise graduates who've chosen degrees such as Business & Management with Finance or Business & Management with Marketing because they're more relevant. Similarly, job security may not actually be an issue in a business career (unless you go the entrepreneurial route). Consultancy standards do change rapidly, so that area is not the most secure long-term, but many other careers in that sector (including management) are no more or less secure than any other roles. I would say that networking potential is dependant on the university you're thinking of attending - my university's business students are generally quite traditional, whereas some other universities focus on entrepreneurialism and might be more beneficial if that is the end goal for you.
Some of your reasons for choosing psychology, such as the fact that you can make a meaningful impact, that the setting is varied, and that there is growing demand may be no more or less applicable to psychology than for business - many students that are entering the entrepreneurial space are focused on creating a positive social impact (via Young Enterprise and Enactus for example), and if you are successful in that route, you can shape just as many lives as you could as a psychology professional. In consultancy or marketing jobs, you can work with a very wide variety of clients on a very wide variety of projects, and it can really keep you on your toes. Similarly, although demand may shift from industry to industry, if you stay up-to-date on business practices, you can ensure there will always be a demand for you on the job market. When one industry's demand shrinks, another is likely to grow (as we have seen from the rise of artificial intelligence).
It's also worth noting that you can theoretically work in a career that explores both subjects - they are far more aligned than people realise. There are industrial psychology modules on many business courses, and I know that in my university's psychology undergraduate, there is a Dragons' Den competition as part of the course. Industrial psychologists, talented business negotiators, and even entrepreneurs can find both skills invaluable.
Ultimately, what matters most is what your genuine core dream is - ignoring expectations or how that career may be perceived. Purely from your original post (putting lack of corporate opportunities in psychology as a negative), I've assumed that your urge may be leaning towards business - but choose what's right for you.
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