Analyze Opportunities at Psychology Schools
by Vicki Salemi
Name: Scott Thompson
Title: Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology
Education: University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC), Bachelor of Arts; University of Maine (Orono, ME), Ph.D.
Think of all you can learn at psychology schools and apply to a career in psychology. Your main job is figuring out why people fall in love and what attracts them to one other, and you spend your time analyzing the power of influence, like how to convince your 'rents to give you a later curfew? For Dr. Scott Thompson, who has already done what it takes to develop a career in psychology, that's a typical day on the job (well, minus the whole "curfew" thing).
As a clinical assistant professor of psychology at Indiana University (IU, Bloomington, IN), one of the top-notch psychology schools, Thompson conducts research and teaches courses like social psychology, which incorporates psychological theories into real-life situations. He asks questions such as "How are people influenced by the presence of other people?" and "Why do we conform to others?"
"At a professional level, we do what people do on an amateur level in their daily lives," he notes. "Why people do what they do is the basis of our research." In fact, Thompson's specific interests are interpersonal attraction and intimate relationships, cognitive aspects of infatuation, and the influence of affect on social judgment and perceptions.
A Wide Range of Options at Psychology Schools
In addition to social psychology, other branches taught at psychology schools include clinical (studying and/or treating people who suffer from psychological disorders like depression), and developmental (how people form reasoning skills as well as social, moral, and physical development over a lifetime).
So, how do you figure out which path to take in psychology schools?
Thompson advises taking classes at psychology schools in a variety of areas and identifying a professor who's done research that seems interesting to you (you may be able to work alongside him or her). He also recommends internships in the field of psychology, although counseling internships are limited due to the ethical limitations on ob serving confidential sessions.
To pursue a career in psychology further, you'll need to research psychology schools that offer master's degrees (typically takes two years to complete) or Ph.D. programs (takes about four to six years), Thompson says. "Some people work in academia for a combination of teaching and research, whereas others set up their own counseling practice."
Psychology Schools Take You Beyond Freud
Other career options that can be pursued via psychology schools that may not require postgraduate education include human resources, marketing, sales, and criminal justice, which are all applicable since a career in psychology focuses on how people behave.
The best part of the doctor's job? Standing in the classroom realizing a light bulb just went on in a student's head, he says. "I hope whatever my students do in life, in some social situation they'll remember this and understand and explain it to others."
Title: Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology
Education: University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC), Bachelor of Arts; University of Maine (Orono, ME), Ph.D.
Think of all you can learn at psychology schools and apply to a career in psychology. Your main job is figuring out why people fall in love and what attracts them to one other, and you spend your time analyzing the power of influence, like how to convince your 'rents to give you a later curfew? For Dr. Scott Thompson, who has already done what it takes to develop a career in psychology, that's a typical day on the job (well, minus the whole "curfew" thing).
As a clinical assistant professor of psychology at Indiana University (IU, Bloomington, IN), one of the top-notch psychology schools, Thompson conducts research and teaches courses like social psychology, which incorporates psychological theories into real-life situations. He asks questions such as "How are people influenced by the presence of other people?" and "Why do we conform to others?"
"At a professional level, we do what people do on an amateur level in their daily lives," he notes. "Why people do what they do is the basis of our research." In fact, Thompson's specific interests are interpersonal attraction and intimate relationships, cognitive aspects of infatuation, and the influence of affect on social judgment and perceptions.
A Wide Range of Options at Psychology Schools
In addition to social psychology, other branches taught at psychology schools include clinical (studying and/or treating people who suffer from psychological disorders like depression), and developmental (how people form reasoning skills as well as social, moral, and physical development over a lifetime).
So, how do you figure out which path to take in psychology schools?
Thompson advises taking classes at psychology schools in a variety of areas and identifying a professor who's done research that seems interesting to you (you may be able to work alongside him or her). He also recommends internships in the field of psychology, although counseling internships are limited due to the ethical limitations on ob serving confidential sessions.
To pursue a career in psychology further, you'll need to research psychology schools that offer master's degrees (typically takes two years to complete) or Ph.D. programs (takes about four to six years), Thompson says. "Some people work in academia for a combination of teaching and research, whereas others set up their own counseling practice."
Psychology Schools Take You Beyond Freud
Other career options that can be pursued via psychology schools that may not require postgraduate education include human resources, marketing, sales, and criminal justice, which are all applicable since a career in psychology focuses on how people behave.
The best part of the doctor's job? Standing in the classroom realizing a light bulb just went on in a student's head, he says. "I hope whatever my students do in life, in some social situation they'll remember this and understand and explain it to others."
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