Career Options

Students graduating with a major (B.S./A.B.) in psychology will be well prepared for a variety of graduate (M.S./Ph.D.) education programs in psychology and related fields, including programs that focus on psychology research and on clinical practice (e.g., social work, clinical psychology). Completion of a Ph.D. in psychology would then facilitate a career as a scientist/educator in colleges and universities, government sponsored institutions or private industry. Psychology majors from Duke will also be highly competitive for admission to non-psychology graduate programs, such as medical, law, and business school. Even for those not interested in graduate training, psychology is excellent preparation for nearly any career in which an understanding of human behavior is important. Students who graduate with a degree in psychology go on to pursue a variety of professional paths, such as:

  • Academia, education, and teaching (teach psychology and other subjects; research and consulting; work to improve funding for science education)
  • Business and law (marketing; advertising; human resources; lawyer)
  • Health-related careers (clinical research; health education)
  • Global health (global health reporting and research)
  • Creative sector (product design; advertising)
  • Consulting (management; private company)
  • Non-profit research or foundations (discovery specialist for research foundation)
  • Government and policy (policy advisor; public policy)
  • Writing and publishing (scientific journalist; educational writer/producer)
  • Innovation/entrepreneurship (devices; social and other media, medical health)

More information about Career Options in Psychology

  • Career service specialists are waiting to meet with you to discuss potential career options even before you declare your major
  • Talk with psychology professors; ask them about their experiences and what their career path has been like.
  • As a Psychology major, you will have a ‘major advisor’ that you can also talk to about your career path.
  • The Office of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology shares information about jobs and other professional opportunities here.