What can I do with a psychology degree?

Psychology is one of the most popular degree courses in the UK. As a psychology student, you’re part of a large, diverse group – and your options for what to do after you graduate are just as varied.

So, what can you do with a psychology degree? Read on to find out about the best jobs for psychology graduates. Lots of roles are open to all grads so your career doesn’t have to link to your studies. But having a psych degree will give you an advantage for the following:

• Practising psychologist
• Teaching
• Marketing
• Human resources
• User experience design
• Research
• Careers advice

Although it seems like the obvious route, only a minority of psychology grads become chartered psychologists. So, you’ve got other options. However, if you’ve loved your degree and want to put your learnings into practice, you’ll be well-suited to the role – but you’ll need extra training first.

Becoming a chartered psychologist takes up to five years of training and supervised work experience, including a recognised PhD. The approved courses are competitive. To be a successful applicant, you’ll need six months to a year of work experience in a psychology-related role. You’ll also need to show dedication, academic excellence and soft skills. Don’t let all that put you off though. You’ve got to invest in yourself and the process, but it’s a rewarding role in the end.

Once you’re fully qualified, you’ll specialise in a particular area. Roles include:

• Clinical psychologist – helping people with mental health conditions like depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
• Educational psychologist – supporting young people with problems that affect their learning and school life.
• Sports psychologist – giving athletes the mental strength and skills to succeed.
• Occupational psychologist – using psychology to increase the job performance of people and teams.
• Forensic psychologist – using psychological methods to help with crime-solving or assess and treat criminal behaviour.

Another popular route for psychology graduates that requires further study is teaching.

Teaching psychology is one way to use what you’ve learned during your degree. To become a qualified teacher, you’ll need to do a one-year PGCE course (PGDE in Scotland) or take a school-based training route. Some companies offer grad schemes to attract students into teaching.

Although you’ve studied psychology, you don’t have to teach it. Doing an additional one-year conversion course will let you choose from other subjects. If you’re interested in teaching an in-demand subject, such as physics, look out for bursaries for conversion courses and teaching qualifications.

Alternatively, you’ve got the option of primary or early years PGCE if you want to teach younger children across the curriculum.

Whatever subject you teach, you’ll use your degree in the classroom. Insights from psychology will help you when it comes to understanding pupils’ learning styles, behaviour management and safeguarding.

Itching to stop studying and get to work? You’re in luck because psychology grads are highly sought-after for marketing graduate schemes. Why? Because marketing products successfully is all about getting inside the customer’s head – something you’ll be good at.

Marketers need to coordinate with multiple business areas, such as product management and web design, so you need well-developed communication skills to thrive here. Additionally, the critical thinking and analytical skills you develop during your degree will help you with the business side– company goals and the bottom line.

There’s a reason why some unis offer joint degrees that cover psychology and human resource management. The two disciplines interlink and require similar skills.

To work in human resources (HR), you need a good understanding of people’s motivations. Your role will involve hiring the right people to fit in with a team, mediating workplace disputes and managing personality clashes.

While you’ll find graduates from any discipline working in HR, a psychology degree will make your application stand out.

If you’re serious about HR, consider further training from the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. It’s not necessary to undergo this training while you’re at university though – you’ll be able to do it on the job later.

User experience (UX) design attempts to improve the way people interact with their environment through design. It covers everything from the layout of a supermarket to the user-friendliness of an app. Ever wondered who decides what buttons go where? It’s a UX designer. In the digital industries, UX design is a fast-growing field.

If you’re interested in UX, it’s up to you whether you learn on the job or at uni. If you’re keen to get earning, apply for junior UX roles. Gaining experience (ie. taking on freelance jobs or volunteering with design projects) and having enough for a portfolio will be a big help in getting the role. If you know it’s what you want but need support on your practical skills, consider a master’s in UX design. These courses will generally ask for a degree (usually a 2:1 or above) in a related discipline. And good news: psychology will likely fit the bill.

Even if you don’t want to be an academic, a research career is an option for psych grads. In addition to extensive knowledge of psychiatry topics, your psychology degree develops strong research and analysis skills. Research doesn’t mean you need a master’s or PhD. As a graduate, you’re able to go straight into work as a research analyst.

All kinds of organisations, from major corporations to government departments, are on the lookout for psychological research. It’s a varied sector. You might run a research project into worker productivity or analyse information to brief an MP.

Have you thought about a job that involves helping other people get a job? Careers advisors are employed by schools, universities, local authorities, charities and more. There are plenty of roles out there, and entry-level positions are open to graduates without further training – though you should be willing to gain professional qualifications on the job.

Employers value psych grads for this role because of their insight into people’s personalities, soft skills (like information-gathering and organisation) and ability to learn.

Only a small number of psychology graduates become psychologists. Most grads find jobs in other sectors, such as teaching, marketing, human resources, user experience design, research and careers advice. But don’t let us stop you there. Many grad jobs don’t require a specific degree, so the door is open for a wide range of grad schemes and jobs.

With a psychology degree, you’ll be eligible for grad schemes in varied industries including accountancy, business, supply chain management and publishing. Don’t put yourself in a box. Your degree doesn’t define you – but it’s taught you lots that you’ll take with you wherever you go.

Although your psychology degree won’t give you an advantage in unconventional routes, employers will still value your transferable soft skills. Get to know what these are and communicate them clearly in your applications. Here, we’ll help you get started: as a psychology graduate, you’re likely to be analytical, insightful, curious and flexible. So, call out the experiences that prove you’ve got those qualities. Whatever you do, good luck!