What can you do with a psychology degree?

Things to consider when choosing a career or considering further study

MPsych Clinical Psychology - image courtesy of Getty Images

Psychology graduates are appealing to a wide variety of employers due to the transferable skills acquired during their studies. This blend of scientific skills (such as analytical thinking, objectivity, and research abilities) and humanities expertise (such as understanding human behaviour and relationship building) provides a versatile foundation for numerous career paths.

Knowledge and skills

Your study of psychology will provide you with knowledge and skills that are valuable to employers:

written and verbal communication through report writing and presenting
analytical research and data handling through conducting psychological experiments
problem solving and scientific reasoning through real-world research investigations
team work and leadership skills through group projects
planning and project management through independent research tasks
awareness of and sensitivity to interpersonal factors.

Furthermore, if you want to qualify as a psychologist or mental health professional then building up experience in a clinical, community or educational setting is crucial for many jobs, post-graduate study or training programmes. It will enable you to discover your strengths, passions and interests, as well as gain broad experience for your CV to discuss with potential employers.

Psychology students can chose to take a placement year in the UK or abroad, to gain experience and build their networks within public and private sector companies.

Career options

15 months after graduating*

93% of our psychology graduates are in work or further study

83% of our psychology graduates said their current activity is meaningful

80% of our psychology graduates say their degree was a formal requirement for their job or gave them an advantage

Undergraduate psychology programmes at the University of Plymouth are approved by the British Psychological Society and provide students with the Graduate Basis for Chartered membership (GBC). This is a requirement for postgraduate training leading to Chartered Psychologist status in occupations such as clinical, educational, forensic, counselling, health and occupational psychology.

Entry to Chartered Psychologist training is fiercely competitive and successful applicants typically have a range of relevant employment experience in addition to a first class honours degree. In healthcare settings the Chartered workforce is Increasingly supported by a range of new psychology professions. These include various Psychological Practitioner roles as part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme and related roles such as the Clinical Associate Psychologist.

Nationally, most psychology graduates do not train as professional psychologists, however their broad skillset opens up opportunities across a variety of employment sectors including public services, industry and commerce and not-for-profit organisations. Health and social care, education and criminal justice are popular choices, but psychology graduates are also found in the business services sector, for example in marketing, public relations, human resources and data analytics roles. A small number of graduates pursue research-based career pathways.

*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys covering the three years of 2019/20 – 2021/22. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data displayed is for UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are working, studying or looking for work.

Researching your career options

Given the diversity of career options open to psychology graduates, it is important to research and explore these fully so that you can make informed decisions about your future.

The following websites provide helpful information for career research:

Employment opportunities

Below is a snapshot of what some University of Plymouth psychology graduates told us they were doing 15 months after graduation. For some graduates, these jobs serve as stepping stones to professional posts by providing relevant workplace experience.

Activities Coordinator
Adult Social Care Practitioner
Assistant Clinical Psychologist
Assistant Psychologist
Assistant Research Psychologist
Background Screening Analyst
Band 4 Recovery Coordinator
Housing Support Worker
Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (Camhs) Access Team Support Worker
Children’s Social Care Practitioner
Clinical Programmer
Cover Supervisor / Trainee English Teacher

Customer Experience Team Manager
Debt And Energy Adviser
Deputy Manager For Health Care - People With Disabilities
Disability Advisor
Family Support Worker
Graduate Human Factors Engineer
Health Advisor
Higher Level Teaching Assistant Autism Specialist
Hypnotherapist
IAPT Support Worker
Interventions Facilitator
Junior Data Analyst

Lab Technician
Lecturer In Psychology
Management Trainee
Marketing Assistant
Mental Health Recovery Practitioner
Nursing And Health Information Officer
Personal Trainer
Police Officer
Probation Service Officer
Trainee Psychological Well-being Practitioner
Recovery Coordinator
Research Assistant

Social Media And Marketing assistant
Social Prescriber
Trainee Social Account Executive
Statistical And Risk Analyst Officer
Substance Misuse Specialist
Trainee Childrens Wellbeing Practitioner - Child And Adoloscent Mental Health
Trainee Mental Health And Wellbeing Practioner
Trainee Psychological Well-Being Practitioner
Trainee Social Worker
Work Coach In Employment And Wellbeing Services
Youth Engagement Advisor

Employers

Babcock International
Barnardos
Beat Eating Disorders
Change Grow Live
Child Assault Prevention (CAP UK)
Children And Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
Citizens Advice Plymouth

Deloitte
Mind
Devon Partnership Trust
Family Intervention Service - Children's Social Care
GSK
Harbour Substance Misuse Charity
Headway Plymouth

Jigsaw Trust
Livewell Southwest
Moonpig Group Plc
Mott MacDonald
NHS Talking Therapies
Pobl
Prison and Probation Service

PwC
Re-Cognition Health
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
The Jersey Childcare Trust
Trevi Charity
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
University of Plymouth

Things to consider when choosing a career or considering further study after studying a psychology degree

Discover employment and further study opportunities that you could consider once you graduate with a psychology degree and learn how you can stand out to graduate employers.

Throughout their degrees, we encourage our graduates to:

undertake career planning and research
build your networks, meet employers and graduates
gain essential work experience during your course
attend career fairs and events
continually develop your skills and knowledge
get involved with relevant clubs and societies
visit the Careers Service for advice.

Further study

Some of the careers chosen by psychology graduates will require or benefit from further study, so this should be considered carefully. The University of Plymouth offers the following postgraduate study options in psychology:

Many of the emerging psychology professions like Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, Childrens Wellbeing Practitioner, Education Mental Health Practitioner and Clinical Associate Psychologist have postgraduate qualifications integrated into their training pathways. Typically you would need to apply for a trainee role advertised on the NHS Jobs website.

For most other postgraduate courses you will need to apply directly to the relevant university. You should consider the financial implications of further study as well as selecting a programme that suits your interests, learning style and future career direction. The following websites are a good starting point for exploring postgraduate options, but you may also benefit from talking to a Careers Consultant about your particular situation.

Some useful websites to help you find a suitable postgraduate programme:

It is also worth investigating what further study options the University has to offer as you may find the perfect course for yourself in an institution you already know. There are also sometimes financial benefits of staying on such as a fee discount to Alumni – find out your funding options .

Careers Service support

Accessing support from the Careers Service couldn’t be easier, come along to the Careers Service Helpdesk in the Student Hub or access our 24/7 online resources .

There is a wide range of support available from skills workshops to events, placements and internships advice, 1-2-1 appointments and help getting started with LinkedIn.

Our bite-sized Skills Workshops can give your career the boost it needs. Choose from a range of topics:

effective career planning
job hunting techniques
finding part-time work
CVs and interviews
mastering LinkedIn
and more.

Workshops are delivered by the Careers Service, however they are also an opportunity to learn from your peers, share experiences and ask questions. Visit myCareer to see the full range of activities and to book your place.

Connect with graduates

Build your network and job sector knowledge using LinkedIn’s alumni tool. This will allow you to see the career journeys of graduates from your programme, the qualifications they completed, the skills they developed and employers they worked for. You can then ‘connect’ with people of interest.

search LinkedIn for ‘University of Plymouth’
select ‘Alumni’
filter the results by subject, sector, company or location.

For more information about the alumni tool select the LinkedIn alumni tool guide. If you are looking for help to set up or learn how to make the most out of your LinkedIn profile, select the LinkedIn guide for students or come to one of our workshops .

Other advice and guidance

Gain work experience

Undertaking work experience in your first and second years will help you stand out from the crowd when the time comes for you to complete applications for graduate employment and further study. Work experience develops valuable skills and qualities that employers are looking for and is essential for many roles. It can also help you to confirm or rule out particular career choices. Furthermore, experience in the workplace can bring you into contact with people who may be able to assist you at the beginning of your career.

You have plenty of options open to you. You could apply for a placement year , work part-time around your studies , undertake volunteering or approach organisations directly to negotiate short periods of work experience. Some organisations offer paid internships over the summer or of one year’s duration.

The University of Plymouth Students’ Union also offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities.

For those interested in training as a Chartered Psychologist or research-based careers, the School of Psychology runs the Research Apprentice Scheme which provides an opportunity for students to support academics with cutting edge research. Find out more information about the scheme.