Psychologists study a broad range of thought and behavior, from normal to abnormal, in both individuals and social groups. What distinguishes psychology from other fields is its strong research orientation. Because psychology is relevant to virtually all professions, students who plan to enter professions such as medicine, law, business management, social work, education or counseling often elect to major or minor in psychology.

Career Opportunities

Most professional positions for psychologists require a master's or doctoral degree. In addition to pursuing graduate work in psychology, recent graduates have entered professional programs in medicine, counseling and guidance, business, special education, social work, law, dentistry, ministry and optometry.
Many of our majors seek employment immediately after completing their bachelor's degree. Employers seek out psychology majors for their combination of people and research skills. Some of our graduates have entered positions directly related to psychological services, e.g., mental health aide, psychological testing technician, behavior analyst, or medical research assistant. Others have taken positions not directly concerned with psychological services but related to psychology, e.g., sales, management, law enforcement, corrections, advertising, market research and statistical consulting.
Alumni surveys by the NDSU Career Center have consistently shown that our majors are very successful in obtaining good jobs or going on to graduate or professional school.