Psychology Careers
Find out what careers you can achieve with a Psychology degree from MBU, and how you can get there!
Psychology Careers
These are just some of the many careers a Psychology BA can prepare you for. Select a career to learn about the job, average salary, employment outlook, required education level, and more.
Clinical Practice
- Child Development Specialist
- Counseling Psychologist
- Educational and School Psychologist
- Experimental Psychologist
- Forensic Psychologist
- Industrial/Organizational Psychologist
- Neuropsychologist
- Psychiatric Technician
- Qualified Mental Health Professional
- Registered Behavior Technician
- Rehabilitation Counselor
- Sports Psychologist
Social Services
Use the resources below to find more career profiles on these and hundreds of other jobs you could achieve with a Psychology BA.
Career Spotlights
Clinical Psychologist
Studies cognitive, emotional, and social behaviors at the individual level. Can work directly with patients or in research settings.
Education: Bachelor’s required, master’s or doctorate highly preferred
Workplaces: Hospitals, schools, private practice, government and social service agencies
Median Pay: $94,310/year
Job Outlook: 6% (faster than average)
School Counselor
Helps students resolve academic and social problems and create plans for the next academic year or post-graduation.
Education: Master’s degree
Workplaces: Public, private, and charter schools, colleges and universities
Median Pay: $65,140/year
Job Outlook: 4% (average)
Marriage and Family Therapist
Assesses, diagnoses, and treats cognitive, behavioral, and mental health disorders in the context of couples and family systems.
Education: Master’s degree
Workplaces: Mental health centers, outpatient care centers, private offices
Median Pay: $63,780/year
Job Outlook: 13% (faster than average)
MBU Alumni Employers
Our Psychology majors have gone on to build impactful careers with hospitals and healthcare systems, non-profits, school districts, human resource agencies, marketing firms, and cultural organizations.
- WellCare Medicare
- Humana
- Liberty National Life Insurance Company
- DynCorp
- Capital One
- Riverside Family Support
- Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services Board
- Shamrock Foods Company
- Daikin U.S. Corporation
- University of Mississippi Medical Center
- COMPASSion Counseling
- Mental Health Cooperative
- Therapeutic Alliance
- EZETT Youth and Family Services
- Highlight Educational and Behavioral Services
- Fluvanna County Public Schools
- Richmond VA Public Schools
- Chesterfield County School District
- Brightview Senior Living
- Home Instead Senior Care
Alumni Story: Jordan Ellis, ’13
Jordan Ellis graduated from Mary Baldwin University with a Health Sciences degree, where a capstone project analyzing patient flow in Virginia hospitals sparked a focus on healthcare operations. “That’s when I saw how much systems design affects patient care,” Jordan says.
Now a Clinical Operations Analyst at a Richmond healthcare technology company, Jordan works with hospitals to streamline admissions and improve care coordination, including projects that reduce discharge delays and improve emergency department throughput.
What’s your path?
MBU offers dozens of complementary minors, majors, clubs and more to enhance your study of psychology and put you on the right path to your dream career.
Consider pairing your Psychology major with:
- A minor in:
- A double-major in:
Build one of these Skill Stacks to gain an edge in the job market:
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Inclusivity
- Collaboration
- Data Fluency
Join one of these MBU clubs or professional organizations for connection and networking:
- A Brighter Tomorrow
- Criminal Justice & Leadership Club
- Help Save the Next Girl
- Morgan’s Message at MBU
- Net Impact Environmental Group
- Psi Chi Psychology Honors Society
- Psychology Club
- Sociology Club
- Social Work Club
- American Psychology Association
- American Psychology Foundation
- Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychologists
- Psi Chi Honor Society
Pursue an internship such as:
Consider one of our outstanding MBU graduate programs:
Master of Arts
Master of Science
*We offer accelerated pathways in these programs. Earn two degrees faster!
Consider pairing your Psychology major with:
A minor in:
- African American Studies
- Applied Behavior Analysis & Autism Studies
- Busines
- Communication
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- English
- Healthcare Administration
- Human Resource Management
- Leadership Studies
- Management
- Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Religious Studies
- Sexuality & Gender Studies
- Spanish Language & Hispanic Cultures
A double-major in:
- Applied Behavior Analysis & Autism Studies
- Business
- Criminal Justice
- Elementary Education
- English
- Healthcare Administration
- History
- Public Policy
- Social Work
- Special Education
- Strategic Communications
Build one of these Skill Stacks and gain an edge in the job market:
- Communication
- Leadership
- Inclusivity
- Collaboration
- Problem-Solving
Join one of these MBU clubs for connection and networking:
- A Brighter Tomorrow
- Criminal Justice & Leadership Club
- Help Save the Next Girl
- Morgan’s Message at MBU
- Net Impact Environmental Group
- Psi Chi Psychology Honors Society
- Psychology Club
- Sociology Club
- Social Work Club
- American Psychology Association
- American Psychology Foundation
- Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychologists
- Psi Chi Honor Society
Pursue an internship such as:
Consider one of our outstanding MBU MEd graduate programs:
Master of Arts
Master of Science
*We offer accelerated pathways in these programs. Earn two degrees faster!
Consider pairing your Psychology major with:
A minor in:
- African American Studies
- Applied Behavior Analysis & Autism Studies
- Biology
- Business
- Chemistry
- Communication
- Creative Writing
- Criminal Justice
- English
- Film
- Human Resource Management
- Leadership Studies
- Management
- Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Religious Studies
- Sexuality & Gender Studies
- Spanish Language & Hispanic Cultures
A double-major in:
- Applied Behavior Analysis & Autism Studies
- Biology
- Business
- Criminal Justice
- English
- Health Sciences
- History
- Marketing
- Public Policy
- Strategic Communications
Build one of these Skill Stacks and gain an edge in the job market:
- Communication
- Creativity
- Data fluency
- Collaboration
- Problem-Solving
Join one of these MBU clubs for connection and networking:
- A Brighter Tomorrow
- Criminal Justice & Leadership Club
- Help Save the Next Girl
- Morgan’s Message at MBU
- Net Impact Environmental Group
- Psi Chi Psychology Honors Society
- Psychology Club
- Sociology Club
- Social Work Club
- American Psychology Association
- American Psychology Foundation
- Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychologists
- Psi Chi Honor Society
Pursue an internship such as:
Consider one of our outstanding MBU MEd graduate programs:
*We offer accelerated pathways in these programs. Earn two degrees faster!
What makes a great
Psychology student?
Being a psychology student at MBU has meant far more than earning a degree—it has transformed the way I view both others’ and my own experiences. The program taught me to look beyond behavior and ask why people think, feel, and act the way they do. Through studying topics such as neuroscience, social psychology, and abnormal behavior, I learned to think more critically and empathize more deeply.Jeremiah Emmons-Mayo
Planning for Graduate School
If you plan to continue your education in psychology or are interested in a career that requires a graduate, terminal, or medical degree, thinking about graduate school early can save you a lot of stress in the future. While every graduate program will have its own prerequisites and application requirements, there are consistent elements across them.
Depending upon the field of psychology in which you want to specialize, you should choose your undergraduate elective courses carefully.
For example, if you plan to study family counseling in graduate school, it would be helpful to have taken classes in child, adolescent, and adult development psychology, whereas someone interested in forensics should take forensic psychology, abnormal psychology, and drugs and behavior.
Most graduate programs do not require clinical experience in the form of shadowing or hands-on internships prior to applying but may favor applicants who have some. Knowing what programs you would like to apply to lets you learn about that school’s requirements and allows you to plan in advance.
In addition to application requirements such as transcripts and recommendations, your application may include taking entrance exams such as the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations).
These tests are much like the SAT or ACT, but at the graduate level, covering general knowledge, though you may have the option to take a subject-specific test on psychology. Students taking these exams often take weeks or months to study the material and take practice tests. Knowing early if one of these exams will be included in your application will give you more time to prepare.
McCree Center for Career Success
Students are encouraged to meet with advisors from the McCree Center for Career Success to explore, prepare for, and secure meaningful internship and work-based learning opportunities aligned with a Psychology major.
Through individualized advising and resources like Handshake, students can identify opportunities, connect with employers, and apply for experiences that build their skills and professional networks.
