Psychology Career Map

Awareness

First Year

• Enroll in CAS 100: First Year Experience during your first term to successfully transition into the higher education environment at South.
• Begin with PSY 120 (Introduction to Psychology) to gain a foundational understanding of the discipline as a science.
• Learn about the Psychology Core Basic requirements, including research design and biological psychology.
• Review the Psychology Advising Guide to understand the three major goals of the department: graduate school preparation, flexible career paths, and liberal arts education.

Second Year

• Complete PSY 220 (Res Design and Analysis I) and PSY 280 (Professions & Careers in Psychology) to identify specific career and graduate school tracks early.
• Awareness of the Psychology Core Writing (W) course, specifically PSY 320 (Res Design-Analysis II-W), which is a degree requirement.
• Identify your Minor requirement, as all Psychology majors at USA must complete a minor in another discipline to broaden their academic development.
• Monitor your GPA to ensure you maintain the competitive standards required for programs like the Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's (ABM)

Last Years

• Ensure all upper-division core electives in Experimental/Learning and Personality/Social/Abnormal domains are satisfied.
• Verify that you have met the residency requirement of at least 30 credit hours at USA and a minimum of 15 hours of 300/400 level psychology courses.
• Awareness of the competitive application process for graduate study, including the need for a personal statement and letters of recommendation.
• Confirm that your total credit hours reach the 120-hour graduation threshold set by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Exploration

First Year

• Utilize Involve South to discover student organizations like the Psychology Club to connect with peers and faculty.
• Meet with a career consultant at the USA Career Development Center to explore the broad range of career opportunities available to psychology majors.
• Explore the USA Psychological Clinic to see how graduate students provide psychological services to the Mobile community

Second Year

• Join Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, to network with high-achieving students and access specialized resources.
• Investigate the Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's (ABM) program options, particularly the emphasis in Behavior and Brain Sciences.
• Attend departmental seminars and "Where Are They Now?" events to learn about the career paths of USA Psychology alumni.

Last Years

• Seek out undergraduate research opportunities through PSY 494 (Directed Studies) to gain hands-on experience in discovery and knowledge dissemination.
• Explore internship placements in community mental health or other community agencies to gain field-based experience.

Preparation

First Year

• Build a strong profile on Accelerate South to begin tracking potential part-time roles in human services or research.
• Focus on developing foundational research and analytical skills in your introductory coursework.
• Start a professional resume that highlights early academic achievements and any volunteer work related to community service.

Second Year

• Participate in the Participant Pool to understand the psychological research process from the perspective of a subject.
• Gain competencies in statistical software and computational modeling if pursuing a research-heavy career path.
• Practice professional communication and interview skills using resources like Big Interview or through mock sessions at the Career Center.
• Seek out tutoring or teaching assistant roles if you are interested in pursuing the "Teaching of Psychology" at the post-secondary level.

Last Years

• Prepare for graduate entrance exams (e.g., GRE) and compile your portfolio of undergraduate research projects.
• Apply for the ABM program if eligible, which allows you to count up to 12 graduate credit hours toward your undergraduate degree.
• Finalize a targeted resume that emphasizes transferable employer-valued skills such as data analysis, ethical decision-making, and social attributions.
• Utilize the USA Career Center for a final review of your job application materials and to practice "robot-proof" interview techniques.