Where
Are Psychology Majors Employed and How Does a Liberal Arts Education Help
Graduates in Their Careers?
A report from the National Science Foundation (1986)
on employed bachelors level graduates in psychology revealed that the following
percentages were employed in five major areas one year after graduation.
50% Business and industry
27% Science and engineering
15% Educational institutions
10% Nonprofit organizations
8% Federal, state, or local government
The work that these graduates performed in these
various areas included the following broad range of areas, skills, and
responsibilities.
30% Management and administration
28% Sales and professional services
16% Teaching
12% Production and inspection
14% Other
These data clearly demonstrate that students who
graduate with a psychology major are versatile individuals capable of gaining
and maintaining meaningful employment in many different career areas.
More than 2,000 graduates of the University of Virginia
recently identified the following five skills as critical factors in their
current job success (Benner & Hitchcock, 1986). More than 91% of the
respondents in this study confirmed the value of a liberal arts education
as the best preparation for their current careers.
Oral Communication
-- presenting ideas to others orally, both one-on-one and in groups.
Written Communication
-- writing effective letters, reports,
and other documents.
Interpersonal
-- understanding and dealing effectively with the behavior of others.
Critical Thinking
-- identifying and analyzing problems, formulating and testing ideas.
Problem Solving
-- thinking and solving problems effectively.
These are the same skills that psychology majors can
master if they take full advantage of the curricular and extracurricular
opportunities that are available to them at Elmhurst College. It is important
to note that many of those surveyed by Benner and Hitchcock were employed
in areas not normally associated with the liberal arts, but it was the
broad skills of a liberally educated person that helped them to succeed
in their professions instead of the technical methods or information they
gained in their specific disciplines (e.g., accounting or business).
Benner, R. S., & Hitchcock, T.
C. (1986). Life after liberal arts. Charlottesville: University
of Virginia.
National Science Foundation. (1986).
Characteristics
of recent science/engineering graduates: 1984. Washington, DC:
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