Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests College Question

So I'm working on getting my bachelor's degree (that I should have had years ago) again and while I have some time to decide exactly what to get it in I've come accross a bit of a dilema.

I had decided that I would go for Business Management thinking that a BA in that along with my mgt. experience from the military would be PRACTICAL and secure me any number of management jobs once I retire. BUT, I'm no so sure I want to go into mgt...lots of extra hours on that salary pay and whatnot. Plus, a lot of the classes I have to take for that degree are BORING looking like Econ, Stats etc.

Was looking at the degree program for Psychology (something I've always been interested in) and it's actually easier than the BM degree and has many more interest classes along the way.

My question is this: Anyone out there know what exactly you can do job wise with a BA in Psych? I'm assuming that you'd have to go through a LOT more schooling and internship to be an actual psychologist so I'm just wondering what kind of jobs and pay I could expect with a BA in psych. Any help would be nice. Thanks.

there are jobs to be had with a bs in psyc but not really anything specific. to be a counselor i believe you need atleast a ms iirc. my buddy got that and decided to get a ms in something else due to the lack of prospecs

That's kinda what I was thinking. The only thing I can even think of that a BS in Psych could get me is maybe like a career counselor or some sort of school counselor which would be cool but I doubt very good pay. Even if I could find something that pays decent after retirement to hold me off until I got my MS that would be ok...I've got the GI Bill to pay for school so furthering my ed after I get ou wouldn't be a problem but I want to be able to make enough money to live decent when I first get out..which is why the buiness mgt makes sense to me.

My GF has her BA in Psychology her minor was in business and she now works in HR.

There is not much that a BA in Psychology will qualify you for other than that you have a degree in something.

squat!

i just graduated last spring with a BA in psych, and without at least a masters (and more usefully, a PhD) you will not be working in the field save for some conseling positions (which won't pay well). it's a handy, fun, useful degree to have, but if you are going to school in order to have your degree work for you, psych is not the major to choose.

having said that, i got an amazing job right out of school as an account manager making a lot more money than i thought i would. i think a lot of it had to do with my previous experience and the fact that i am older than most recent graduates (and i think this will apply to you as well).

anyways, if you have any questions, feel free to ask them! (if you want to know pay specifics, pm me)

-dave

Thanks MX...that's pretty much the info I needed; from someone who's been there. Guess I'll have to ditch my dreams of applying shock therapy and go with the comfort of knowing I can make good money firing people Donald Trump style.

I would say go for Psychology, No joke... I actually thought about going into it... I think it would be fasinating to learn about the way our minds work. I also like the rewarding feeling of helping people out, and giving them the best advice that I can to make them feel less confused and get a better idea of whats going on.

my uncle got a psyche degree and became a manager for an insurance company. (worked his way up).
i got a business management degree (BS not BA) and also got a job in an insurance company, though not in managment.
it also got me a teaching job, if that at all interests you, but you will have to go back to school for a credential.
after giving teaching a few years, and no longer wanting to do it, i decided to go for law school.
a pscyhe degree is basically the same as every other bachelor's degree. only specialized degrees (accounting, engineering, chemistry, finance etc..) will really help a lot right out of school. your degree combined with your experience helps a lot more.

Police departments usually offer well-paying salaries (compared to everything else) and with a bachelors degree they typically pay about $5k more. many out-of-school jobs will pay about $35-40k or less where LAPD pays about $40k plus $5k for degree. FBI prefers only a few degrees, one of them being psyche. they start out at about $60k i believe and military experience would really help, so long as your background is squeaky clean.

just some fyi

I got a psych degree, and found it very nearly worthless in private sector employment. You need at least a master's in psych to work in the field.

Maybe you ought to take a look at federal government jobs. They are hard to get, but with a bachelor's degree and some military experience, you would have an advantage. You get a five or ten point veteran's preference. The pay is typically as good as (or better than) the private sector, with excellent benefits and decent job security.