A psychology degree from Mount Mary University prepares you for graduate study and for entry-level psychology positions. We encourage psychology majors to explore diverse career options through course activities, research projects, internships and community service projects.

The average starting salary for entry-level positions that require a bachelor’s degree in psychology is $37,100 per year, according to a 2013 National Association of Colleges and Employers survey. The annual median salary for a clinical or school psychologist (usually with an advanced degree) is about $66,810, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Create Graduate Study & Career Opportunities

A master’s or doctoral degree is required for most psychology positions. All states require clinical psychologists and professional counselors to be licensed or certified.

As a psychologist you could work in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation facilities, government agencies, schools, research organizations or social service organizations. You also could start your own private practice.

Psychologists work in specialty areas to:

• promote psychological health
• conduct research in medical, corporate, and school settings
• diagnose and treat mental, emotional and behavioral disorders
• advise people on how to deal with family, marriage, personal, substance abuse or mental health problems
• help individuals with learning and behavioral problems
• work with organizations to improve quality of work, including productivity and morale

Mount Mary graduates have a 100 percent acceptance rate to graduate school throughout the past three years. With an advanced degree you could pursue a career as a:

• Clinical psychologist
• Health psychologist
• Industrial-organizational psychologist
• Mediator
• Professor
• Professional counselor (clinical mental health, school counseling)

Mount Mary offers a Master of Science in Counseling program to prepare you to become a licensed clinical mental health or school counselor.

Get Real-World Experience in College

Although internships are not required, we strongly recommend them for psychology majors. You can earn college credit for completing an internship. Typically you’ll earn 2 credits per semester for working 6-8 hours per week in the field.

You can choose the location of your internship and work with a faculty supervisor to develop a learning plan and identify an on-site supervisor. During the semester, you’ll interact regularly with your faculty supervisor. The faculty supervisor will visit you at least two times at the internship location.

Mount Mary students have interned at the following organizations in the past:

• Milwaukee Center for Independence
• Milwaukee Public Schools
• Milwaukee Women’s Center
• Pathfinders
• St. Francis Children’s Center
• St. Rose Youth and Family Center
• Walker’s Point Youth and Family Services
• Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Sexual Predators Unit
• Wisconsin Early Autism Project
• Women’s Center, Inc. (Waukesha)

Research Psychology Topics

Mount Mary provides opportunities for you to participate in research projects with faculty members. The new Cognitive Neuropsychology laboratory is available for students to conduct research. The lab has a computer and physiological monitoring equipment and programs. You also can present your work at a regional or national psychology conference or the conference held on campus.