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What career pathways do students take from psychology undergraduate programs?

Many students are surprised to learn that undergraduate training is not prescriptive for one job path. Indeed, the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) analyzed data from the Canadian Household Survey (2011) regarding individuals’ undergraduate education and their current careers. Generally, this analysis demonstrated that no field of study in university has only one possible career path for graduates to follow, and students with a specific background tend to go on in varied paths. For example, those who reported studying within the fields of law, social sciences, or behavioural sciences in university were employed in a wide range of industries including business, finance, administration, policy, and program officers (HEQCO, 2015). HEQCO made a very helpful tool to help students visualize the many potential paths available to them, and you can access this here:  https://heqco.ca/edudata-where-graduates-work/

 

Although it can be reassuring to know that there are many pathways available, we know from psychology that too much choice can be hard!  Our intention in this next section is to open ideas related to career choices. An important consideration for potential pathways is whether you would like to pursue additional training beyond your undergraduate degree. We have created a flow-chart, provided below, that explores some career pathways based on whether you would like to pursue additional training. Please note that the flow chart illustrates only some of the potential education pathways for those with training in psychology. As you respond “Yes” or “No” to the questions provided, the chart provides you with potential advanced degrees (e.g., Masters of Social Work), the requirements to be completed in the progress of obtaining this degree (e.g., 1-2 years of school and a practicum), and potential job opportunities that may be pursued upon degree completion (e.g., child welfare, community development). This flowchart is not exhaustive. Our aim is to provide examples to help readers consider pathways that might not be readily apparent.

Do you want to do more school after undergrad? If no, see our graphic of sample applications of training in psychology. If yes, do you want to do more school in psychology? If yes, one option is a masters of psychology. Do you want to keep going? If no, you can apply your masters of psych to careers such as school psychology, counselling, data analysis, or research. If you do want to do more school in psychology you can do a PhD in psychology. The common career pathways include research, clinical practice, or forensics. If you want to do more school, but not in psychology other options include: 1. Law school. Requirements typically include the LSAT, 3 years of school, articling, and the bar exam. Common career options include being a lawyer or judge, politics, or business. 2. Business administration. Requirements typically include 1-2 years of school and work experience. Common careers include management, finance, technology, or marketing. 3. Medical school. Requirements typically include the MCAT and CASPer, 3-4 years of school, and residency. Common careers include research, teaching, healthcare or political advocacy. 4. Social work. Requirements typically include 1-2 years of school and a practicum. Common careers include child welfare, teaching, community development, or healthcare.

Figure 2

Flow chart: Considering undergraduate training in psychology for post-graduate training 

 

If you are considering graduate training in psychology, please be aware that not all programs are reputable. This is an important consideration: it is up to you to determine if your program meets the standards to which you aspire, and whether your program meets registration requirements if applicable. The Canadian Psychological Association maintains a list of Clinical graduate programs that it has accredited, and we share that here in case it is helpful: https://cpa.ca/accreditation/cpaaccreditedprograms/

 

Not every career path requires additional training!  

Undergraduate training in psychology provides a strong base for pursuing further training, but it also provides a strong base for transitioning directly into the workforce! Students develop many relevant and tangible skills throughout their undergraduate degree that are of interest to potential future employers and equip them to excel in several different work environments. Some of these skills include critical thinking, written communication, problem solving, interpreting research, and gaining an understanding and insight into behaviour (Norris & Herrewynen, 2023).

 

Just as with the flowchart above, we hope to provide students with information to help them consider just some of the career pathways available to students with undergraduate degrees in psychology upon graduation. The chart below includes examples of careers that are relevant for individuals with an undergraduate degree in psychology, and it includes some details pertaining what these jobs may entail, the skills and personal attributes that are frequently sought, and the average salary in Canada associated with these careers. Information in this chart was summarized from Job Bank, a central database created and maintained by the Government of Canada (https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/).

 

This table contains 6 sample ways to apply undergraduate training in psychology. Lab Assistant. Common tasks include: collecting and organizing data, data analysis, literature reviews. Common skills include: writing, numeracy, reading comprehension, communication. Common personal attributes include: attention to detail, adaptability, analytical thinking. Average wages range from 15 dollars per hour to 46.45 dollars per hour. Marketing consultant. Common tasks include: developing marketing strategies, conducting surveys, preparing reports or interviews. Common skills include: coordinating, time management, writing, reading comprehension. Common personal attributes include: attention to detail, innovativeness, social orientation. Average wages range from 20 dollars per hour to 53.30 dollars per hour. Corporate development planning advisor. Common tasks include: researching and analyzing policies, implementing programs to improve systems. Common skills include: evaluation, persuading, systems analysis, coordinating. Common personal attributes include: collaboration, adaptability, analytical thinking. Average wages range from 25.96 dollars per hour to 69.23 dollars per hour. Community and Social Services Worker. Common tasks include: assisting and supporting clients, implementing workshops and programs, coordinating volunteers. COmmon skills include: social perceptiveness, communication, negotiating, persuading. Common personal attributes include: service orientation, social orientation, stress tolerance. Average wages range from 18.50 dollars per hour to 35 dollars per hour. Social Policy Researcher. Common tasks include: working with the government and researching and developing policies. COmmon skills include digital literacy, writing, numeracy, and reading comprehension. Common personal attributes include: attention to detail, active learning, social orientation. Average wages range from 26 dollars per hour to 59.6 dollars per hour. University Admissions Officer. Common tasks include: administrative activities and evaluating procedures. Common skills include: time management, coordinating, instructing, and monitoring. Common personal attributes include analytical thinking, attention to detail, and active learning. Average wages range from 20 dollars per hour to 44.20 dollars per hour. All information in this section was summarized from Job Bank in January of 2025. Job Bank is a website created by the Government of Canada to help Canadians find jobs and better understand the labour market in Canada.

Figure 3 

Sample Ways to Apply Undergraduate Training in Psychology 

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