Psyc 294: Seminar
on Careers in Psychology To return to my home page, click here. |
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TOPIC |
REFERENCES and RESOURCES Note: references are to the first authors of books cited at the end of this table. |
Initial Overview |
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| A four-year timetable for undergraduate students. Overall timetable for students throughout four years of college. | Landrum, pp. 39ff. |
| Visiting Career Services to see an overview of services offered. | |
| Using the internet. | Morgan, pp. 69ff. has many sites listed, but may be somewhat out of date. |
| The importance of writing ability. | Mentioned in Landrum and Morgan and almost everywhere else. Important for both graduate school and employment immediately out of college |
| Trip to the writing center | General resources on writing well |
Career Options |
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| Career options for the Psychology Major: Careers available for any B.A. | Landrum, Ch.2 |
| Career options for the Psychology Major: Careers available with a B.A. in Psychology. | Landrum, Ch.2 |
| Career options for the Psychology Major: Careers available with a masters degree in Psychology. | Landrum, Ch.3 |
| Career options for the Psychology Major: Careers available with a doctorate in Psychology. | Landrum, Ch.3 |
| Career options for the Psychology Major: Careers available with a M.S.W. degree. | Landrum, Ch.3 Kuther, Ch. 9 |
| General references on career options and opportunities for psychology majors: | Landrum, Ch. 2 and 3 |
| Finding what’s right for you | |
| Your strengths and weaknesses | |
| Your interests | |
| The importance of money | |
Graduate school |
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Deciding whether to go to graduate school (Should you go to graduate school). Issues include: am I an attractive applicant (grades, GRE, other strengths);
interest, motivation, and initiative; finances; etc. |
Morgan, pp. 87-102. |
| --- a related consideration: what about taking a year off before applying? | Morgan, pp. 100-101. |
| Finding out about kinds of graduate programs: -- M.A. -- Ph.D. -- Psy.D. -- M.S.W. |
Kuther, p. 176-181, including notes on different degree options (Psy.D.) |
| Full time vs. part time programs | Keith-Spiegel, p.21 |
| How to apply to graduate school. Steps and timetable for applying to graduate
school. |
Landrum, Ch. 3 |
| Finding out about specific graduate schools | Keith-Spiegel, Ch. 11 |
| Paying for graduate school | Keith-Spiegel, Ch. 13 |
| Overview of criteria for admission to graduate school. | Landrum, pp. 42ff |
| Improving your chances - for those with some time! | Keith-Spiegel, Ch. 6 & 7 |
| Getting good grades - and what to do if they're not so good | Keith-Spiegel, Ch. 14 |
| Special undergraduate opportunities that enhance your credentials: Research assistantships, teaching assistantships, internships, involvement in organizations. | Landrum, Ch. 4 |
| The GRE. | Kuther, pp. 184-186 Keith-Spiegel, Ch. 10. |
| Obtaining and filling out application forms. | Keith-Spiegel, ch. 18 |
| Writing your vita or resume. | Landrum, p.47ff. Also additional guidelines and sample resumes in Appendix
B. |
| Letters of recommendation – for admission to graduate school. | Landrum, pp. 48-49 Morgan, pp. 110-112 Kuther, pp. 188-190 Keith-Spiegel, ch. 17 |
| Personal Statement for admission to graduate school. | Landrum, pp. 49-50 Morgan, pp. 115-116 Kuther, pp. 186-188 Keith-Spiegel, ch. 19 |
| The admissions interview (also see section on the job interview, below). | Kuther, pp. 190-192 Keith-Spiegel, ch. 22 |
| Being accepted - what school should you choose? | Keith-Spiegel, ch. 15 & ch. 23 |
| and being rejected - what to do next. | Kuther, pp.192-193 Keith-Spiegel, ch. 25 |
Getting a job |
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| General skills and abilities that employers seek (reading, writing, problem-solving, work experience, computer skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, etc.). | Kuther, pp. 109ff. |
| Tips to help you find a job. | Landrum, Ch. 2 Kuther, p.124 on finding job openings |
| Job application cover letter. | Morgan, p.78 Kuther, pp.130-133 |
| The job interview. | Morgan, pp. 79-85. Kuther, pp. 134-138. Includes common questions asked, and questions for you to ask. |
Final thoughts |
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| Advice after you’ve gotten the job. Includes: balancing work and personal life; flexibility and adaptation to change; what if you become dissatisfied; asking for a raise; learning and keeping up to date on computer skills; etc. | |
| What do you want out of life | |
References:
American Psychological Association (1993). Getting in: a step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology. Washington, D.C.: Americal Psychological Association. NOTE: this book was not reviewed for entry into appropriate categories above. Although it is now over 10 years old, it does contain a great deal of useful information on many of the topics listed.
Buskist, W. & Sherburne, T. R. (1996). Preparing for graduate study in psychology: 101 questions and answers. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. NOTE: this book was not reviewed for entry into appropriate categories above. It contains information on many of those topics in a brief question-and-answer format.
Keith-Spiegel, P., & Wiederman, M. W. (2000). The complete guide to graduate school admission: Psychology, counseling, and related professions. Second edition. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Kuther, T.L. (2003). The psychology major’s handbook. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Landrum, E., Davis, S., & Landrum, T. A. (2000). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Morgan, B. L., & Korschgen, A. J. (1998). Majoring in psych? Career options for psychology undergraduates. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Note: page references are to this book but I later discovered a second edition (2001) which I did not review but assume has similar sections to the first edition.