When you choose to pursue a degree in psychology, people around you including family members, professors, classmates and counselors might tell you that you need to have a graduate degree to get a job using the degree. However, in reality, it is possible to work for years in academic research before actually going to a graduate school. When it comes to psychology, there are various research careers that one with a bachelor’s degree in psychology can pursue.
Career Options With a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology
Research assistant
This is the entry-level research job for those having a bachelor’s degree in the field of psychology. There are jobs such as research support specialist, program assistant and research technician. Basically, the research assistants will work towards taking the research project to the next level. They will visit the participants’ homes, interview people and collect behavioral observations in public places or labs.
If you are interested in this career option, then you should look out for opportunities wherein you can work on research projects when you are in school. Especially, you should take up projects that provide you a chance to recruit people, prepare IRB (Institutional Review Board) application and interview participants.
Research analyst
This is another career option for psychology graduates and is called data manager, data analyst or research analyst. Basically, research assistants will work with data in this carer option. The roles and responsibilities of a research analyst include managing data – collection and entering accurate data and running statistical analyze to prepare reports and answer hypotheses. It requires the professional to work with stakeholders to analyze their needs.
If you aspire to become a research analyst, then you should have an interest in computer science and statistics. You should take up classes in health informatics, statistics, computer science and database management to help you gain additional knowledge and skills. You need to look for internships in the industry to get hands-on experience on the skills that you have learned in the classroom.
Research coordinator
A research coordinator supervises the operations of a study and research assistants and analysts involved in the project. The coordinator ensures the timelines are met and the presentations and reports are delivered on time. Also, the professional has to make sure that the study procedures meet the state and federal regulatory guidelines. Coordinators working with triaging, managing and IRB applications are called project managers or research managers.