Careers in Psychology
A bachelor’s degree in psychology helps you understand how people think, feel, learn, and change, while building strong skills in research, communication, and critical thinking. It prepares you for meaningful careers in mental health, education, community services, policy, research, and human-centered fields like user experience and program evaluation. Psychology is both deeply human and rigorously scientific, today.
Carleton Career Services
Career Services is Carleton’s on-campus centre for career development and exploration, employment preparation, and the primary place to find experiential learning opportunities for all current students and alumni.
Skills You Will Gain
A degree in psychology builds practical, transferable skills for any people-focused career. Students learn to understand human behavior, think critically about evidence, communicate clearly, and make ethical decisions.
Undergraduate Practicum
Our practicum gives students professional work experience related to their program. Guided by an instructor and workplace supervisor, they build key skills, solve problems, and explore their profession.
Co-operative Education
Co-operative education blends classroom study and paid work. Students alternate terms at Carleton and in the workplace, gain job insight and employability skills, and graduate with a competitive edge.
Volunteering in a Psych Lab
Volunteers assist with data collection, coding data, and key research tasks. Labs at Carleton span key psychology areas: cognitive, developmental, forensic, health, personality, and social psychology.
Career Focused Courses
Transition to Career (PSYC 3802) helps students assess their psychology experience and values, connect them to careers, and navigate the dynamic world of work, including uncertainty and career change.
Career Resources
At any point during your degree program, you should be in a position to discuss the various skills that you are working on and the skills that you plan to acquire. Take ownership of your learning.
Carleton Psychology Career Resources
| Department | About |
|---|---|
| Co-op and Career Services | This Carleton service offers a variety of resources in-person and online, including job postings, career workshops, and career exploration tools. They are also available for one-on-one consultations that can involve job search coaching, resume review, interview preparation and a wide range of other services. |
| mySuccess Portal | – Available through Student Support Services in Carleton Central – Search for jobs, volunteer positions and internships – Book career advising appointments – Register for workshops, employer recruitment and information sessions – Create an online resume and portfolio |
| Career Assessment Tools | – Career Cruising – TypeFocus |
External Psychology Career Resources
| Resources | About |
|---|---|
| CPA – Planning a Career in Psychology: A Canadian Perspective for University Bound and Beginning University Students (2009) | – Subfields of psychology – How to become a professional psychologist – Is psychology the Right Choice for Me? – Occupational Outlook – How to Succeed in University |
| Counselling Psychology | Your Complete Guide to Careers in Psychology |
| CPA – A Career in Psychology | – What is a psychologist? – What do psychologists do? |
| American Psychological Association – Careers in Psychology | An introduction to psychology, the kinds of work psychologists do, and the training required to become a psychologist. |
| Careers In The Field of Psychology | Extensive lists of psychology careers presented by www.careersinpsychology.org |
Alumni Data
In an effort to help our students better understand where their degree may lead them in the future, we have collected information from graduates of our program over the last 15 years to determine which industries our alumni most often find employment.
Employment Sectors and Positions
- Administration and Management (Associate Director, Evaluation Officer, Project Manager)
- Human Services (Psychotherapist, Social Worker, Youth Support Worker)
- Human Resources and Finance (Human Resource Coordinator, Personal Finance Assistant, Technical Recruiter)
- Sales, Marketing and Entrepreneurship (Account Executive, Marketing Coordinator, Sales Manager)
- Education (Teacher, Learning and Development Advisor, Education Coordinator)
- Policy, Law and Public Safety
- Arts, Multimedia and Communications
- Hospitality, Retail and Tourism
- Graduate Studies
- Medical Profession
- Technology and Engineering
- Other (Post Secondary Education, Environment and Sustainability, etc.)
Job Titles
- Teacher
- Administrative Assistant
- Registered Psychotherapist
- Educational Assistant
- Executive Assistant
- Sales Associate
- Research Assistant
- Policy Analyst
- Occasional Teacher
- Real Estate Agent
- Early Childhood Educator
- Psychotherapist
- Registered Nurse
- Associate
- Operations Manager
- Customer Service Representative
- Project Officer
- Project Manager
- Human Resources Coordinator
- Account Manager
- Instructor Therapist
- Program Officer
- Social Worker
- Analyst