Psychologists are interested in answering a variety of questions related to the way people act and think. For example, a clinical psychologist would be interested in knowing why some people exhibit behaviors such as compulsive gambling or continuous depression. A developmental psychologist is interested in understanding how our ability to think develops as we mature. A social psychologist would be interested in understanding the role of advertising when we make a selection at a grocery store while an industrial psychologist would be interested in how to select the best person to be the supermarket's manager. The answers to these and other equally interesting questions are central to the job of psychologists as scientists and as professionals.
Many students choose to major in Psychology because they are interested in people.
Typically, they want to prepare for a career in business, industry, social services, or government, where knowing how to interact with people is important. Other Psychology majors are preparing for graduate school in business, law, social work, or education, where the various areas of Psychology provide an important background to their professions. Finally, other students majoring in Psychology are preparing for graduate studies that will allow them to pursue careers as psychologists in clinics, hospitals, private practice, industry, or colleges and universities. The Psychology major is designed for students who desire a comprehensive liberal arts education in the fundamentals of Psychology. This major prepares students for a variety of professional and business careers as well as graduate study in Psychology.