Psychology

Career potential

A major in psychology at the University of North Texas can prepare you for a career in consumer advertising, market research analysis, personnel management, public relations for large corporations, or for teaching high school psychology. Or you may work as a psychologist's assistant in a clinic, hospital or community mental health agency. Psychology is a good major if you plan to work in law enforcement or to enter law school, medical school or a seminary.

To become a practicing psychologist, you will need to earn at least a master's degree. Some alumni who earned their master's and doctoral degrees work:

• in clinics, hospitals, community mental health agencies, universities or private practices
• as school psychologists, industrial or organizational psychologists for large corporations, or experimental psychologists
• in behavioral medicine helping people improve their health
• as researchers studying psychological conditions associated with health and illness

UNT's Career Center can help you prepare to pursue your career. The center has information about jobs and employers, and the staff can help you with resume and letter writing, job search strategies, and interview preparation.

Majoring in psychology

As a psychology major, you may study personality development, human relationships, people's adjustment to different environments, learning and memory, and mental illness. You will explore the history of psychology and study the behavior of certain groups such as criminal offenders. You can learn basic experimental procedures and techniques for interacting with patients or clients.

If you plan to earn a master's degree, you may want to take electives in the field you wish to be a practicing psychologist. Undergraduate courses are offered that will prepare you to enter graduate programs in behavioral medicine or clinical, counseling, experimental, industrial and school psychology.

Psychology faculty members are outstanding practicing psychologists and researchers. In 2008, one faculty member was awarded the Florence Halpern Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Clinical Psychology. The award honors psychologists who have made distinguished theoretical or empirical advances in psychology leading to the understanding of important practical problems. Other faculty members have served on national boards and worked with U.S. Olympic teams.

Faculty members are also outstanding teachers. One was named Regents Professor for excellence in research and teaching. Regents Professors devote at least half of their teaching load to introductory-level courses. Others have been named "Top Prof" by Mortar Board, a senior honor society, or received the President's Council University Teaching Award.

UNT has a chapter of Psi Chi, the national psychology honor society. Exceptional psychology students may be inducted into the chapter.

Getting hands-on experience

As a psychology major, you may conduct a research project under the direction of a faculty member through a senior honors thesis program. This program is aimed at students who plan to enter a doctoral program in psychology. Our undergraduate students have published research in major psychology journals and have won undergraduate research competitions.

Upon completion of 12 semester hours at UNT with at least a 2.5 GPA, you may work in a job related to your major through UNT's Cooperative Education and Internships office. You may earn academic credit and money and gain valuable work experience.

More than 1,800 employers work with the office to provide excellent learning opportunities, many of which become permanent full-time positions upon graduation.

Preparing for UNT

If you are a high school student, we suggest you prepare for college by becoming computer proficient and taking:

• English … 4 years
• Math … 4 years
• Social science — economics, geography, government, history … 4 years
• Science … 3 years
• Foreign language … 3 years
• Fine arts … 1 year

You will need to take courses in most of these subjects under the university core curriculum required of all undergraduates, in addition to your major courses. Talk with your high school counselor about preparing for college, including the entrance exams (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT) that you should take during your junior year.

As a benefit for transfer students, UNT participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This system makes it easier to transfer credits for general academic courses from one Texas institution to another.

If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult the UNT Transfer Guide, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor/ advisor to discuss your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Charting your path with academic advising

The Department of Psychology has undergraduate advisors to help you each semester select courses necessary to earn your degree. The department office is in Terrill Hall, Room 351.

Curious about courses and other features of this major?
See the current catalog.