Assignment Paper

This assignment is designed to help you engage in semester-long academic and career planning that will

help you better understand yourself and your major, with a particular focus on exploring Psychology’s

many sub-disciplines, and their associated career paths. The purpose is to help you better understand your

career options and to plan potential career pathways that are best suited to your interests, strengths, and

goals.

The assignment has 5 parts, and although all are due during Week 13, it is important for you to work on it throughout the semester. We will cover topics in class that are related to this assignment, and that will assist you in completing it. The assignment will be submitted on Canvas as your final exam project, and should be typed, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, and should be a minimum of 7 pages long.

Who am I (my personality, interests, and strengths)?
Complete the assigned self-assessments (Strengths Quest and PathwaysU) and write a 1-2-page summary (minimum) of what you have discovered about yourself. Include a consideration of how this self-understanding informs or is related to your relationship to your academic, sub-discipline, and career plans, as covered in Parts 2, 3, and 4 below.

What sub-disciplines in Psychology am I most interested in?
We will be learning about the major sub-disciplines in Psychology throughout the semester (chapters 3-12 in text). For this assignment, consider how compatible each is with your personality, interests, strengths, and goals. Write a 1-2-page summary of the TWO sub-disciplines that you are most interested in pursuing, and why.

What career opportunities are open to Psychology majors, with a baccalaureate degree and a graduate degree?
We will be learning about the many career options that are open to Psychology majors throughout the semester. For this assignment, conduct research on 2 careers that require only a B.S. degree and 2 careers that require a graduate degree. Write a 3-4 page summary of what you discover, including how the careers relate to your sub-disciplinary interests in #2 above. You should include all aspects of each career, including specific work activities/ tasks performed, degree requirements, work settings, starting salaries/ earning potential, non-financial rewards, undesirable aspects, projected demand, and attributes needed for success.

What about graduate school?
After reading and discussing chapter 15, carefully consider the commitment, time, and resources needed to get into and complete graduate study. Then, explain why or why not you believe you will pursue graduate study. How is it related to your career goals? Write a 1-page summary of your thoughts on graduate school in your future.

Which career is “the best fit for me” at this time?
Choose ONE job/career from #3 above and explain why this is “the best fit for me” now. Link this to your sub-disciplinary interest (#2 above), your work interests and values (from #1 above), and your thoughts about graduate school (#4 above). Next, describe some specific things you can do during your college career to help you prepare for this career/job opportunity (specific courses to take, related minors or double majors, extra-curricular activities, internships, volunteer work, part-time employment, job shadowing, networking, etc.). This part of your paper should be 1-2 pages.