What am I going to do with this degree?One of the most asked questions, in regards to psychology BA degrees, is "What do I do after graduation?" Our graduates are on many different career paths. Many of our alumni are in graduate school programs. Some of the graduate schools where Bluffton grads have been accepted include
Ohio State,
Cleveland State,
Xavier,
University of Indianapolis,
Bowling Green State University, Wright State, Ohio University, Elmhurst College and
Argosy University.
Many of our students choose to enter the job field after undergraduate studies and find interesting careers. 2001 Bluffton graduate Alberto Arroyo explains, "I became an Admission Counselor at Baldwin-Wallace College. After considering graduate school, I decided I wanted to work before returning to school. I thought it was the best "transitional" job for me after college and before graduate school." Our grads have a variety of careers. Some directly related to the psychology field include working as a Residential Specialist in a half-way house for mentally ill adults and working as a Pastoral Assistant, which involves lay counseling.
Other students find careers outside the concentration of psychology. However, alumni report that their education in psychology has helped them to be better at their career. Several of our psychology graduates went on to become educators, varying from junior high teachers to a director of Teaching and Learning Resources at COSI. 1999 graduate Angela Morris (Andulics) recognizes the importance of her knowledge in psychology when it comes to teaching. "I think that psychology, no matter what profession you have, can benefit you and help your interactions with people. With me personally, it helps me deal with my students, especially in counseling type situations and helps when dealing with administration, parents and fellow co-workers."
Other good things that our graduates have said about Bluffton's Psychology program include what Jackie Vickery had to say. As a 2002 graduate, Jackie found her education at Bluffton to benefit her in many ways. "I think a major strength of the department is that the faculty are working in the field and can teach about how psychology is changing and has changed throughout the years. Another strength of the department is the closeness of the department. I believe that while Pam, Phil and Will may have a difference of opinion on some issues they work well as a team." Nearly all the alumni emphasized the small classroom settings and the openness of the psychology faculty.
"I don't think I would have the confidence to do what I am without my time at Bluffton, especially in the area of counseling. I appreciate learning boundaries in lay counseling and knowing when I need to refer folks to others more knowledgeable. I think we were encouraged to find our way in the world even if the area we were interested in wasn't fully developed...we were shown that psychology is deep and wide and can take you many places. I thought of psychology very narrowly prior to my schooling, but now see that what we have learned is applicable almost anywhere." Charlotte Hefner, Psychology alumni
Want to see what other Psychology graduates are doing? Click here to find out!
