There are many graduate programs in psychology. The Pitt-Greensburg Psychology Program has a workshop every fall semester to help students prepare for graduate school. Millstein Library has multiple recent editions of the book Graduate Study in Psychology, which lists every accredited psychology graduate program in the United States along with application and funding information.
Typically psychology graduate schools are either Master’s programs (two years of full-time study) or Doctoral programs (5-7 years of full-time study; a Ph.D. is more research-based, and a PsyD is more practitioner-based). Here are some of the areas you could go into:
Helping Professions
- Applied Behavior Analysis: teaching new skills and assessing and treating problem behavior. Areas of specialty include autism treatment, substance abuse treatment, organizational behavior management, and behavioral medicine. Master’s or Doctorate. Example area programs: California State University, University of Pittsburgh at Oakland, Mercyhurst University, Ohio State University, West Virginia University, and Pennsylvania State University Harrisburg.
- Counseling Psychology: helping others with everyday mental and social problems. Master’s or Doctorate. Example area programs: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Waynesburg University, and Carlow University
- Clinical Psychology: conducting assessments and therapy with persons who have mental illness. Typically Doctorate. Example area programs: Duquesne University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- Social Work: working with individuals or organizations such as the government on creating policies and helping others. Master’s or Doctoral level. Example area program: University of Pittsburgh Oakland campus
Business
- Human Factors: examining how human sensation and perception impacts the use of tools such as computers and other machines. Example area program: Carnegie Mellon University
- Industrial-Organizational Psychology: helping businesses improve – how to hire the best worker, dealing with job stress, effective marketing and advertising. Master’s or Doctoral level. Example area program: Pennsylvania State University Park
- Organizational Behavior Management: uses behavior principles to help businesses improve productivity, increase profits, and retain employees. Master’s or Doctoral level. Example programs: University of Maryland Baltimore County, West Chester University, Western Michigan University, and University of North Texas
Academic
- Developmental Psychology: conduct research on mental, social, physical changes throughout the lifespan, though many focus on childhood and adolescence, teach at the undergraduate/graduate level. Typically Doctorate. Example area programs: University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania State University Park
- Experimental Psychology: uses experiments to understand human behavior, teach at the undergraduate/graduate level, consult with businesses and government agencies. Typically Doctorate. Example area programs: Kent State University
- Learning/Experimental Analysis of Behavior: conduct behavioral research to identify the factors that control human behavior, work in research facilities, teach at the undergraduate/graduate level. Example area programs: Kent State University, West Virginia University, Temple University
- Social Psychology: conduct research on how the situation/group affects the individual, teach at the undergraduate/graduate level. Typically Doctorate. Example area programs: Pennsylvania State University Park, University of Pittsburgh
- Neuroscience: conduct research on the interaction between behavior and biological processes, teach at the undergraduate/graduate level. Typically Doctorate. Example area programs: University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania State University Park, Kent State University, West Virginia University
