College of Arts & Sciences
Department of Psychology
Department of Psychology

What are you interested in?

Biological psychology and/or neuroscience

Biological psychology is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the biological or physiological basis of psychological and behavioral processes, as well as their reciprocal relations. As a broad field, biological psychology includes many subfields including behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, psychoneuroendocrinology, and psychoneuroimmunology. Topics of study in the field include how genetic factors interact with environmental factors to influence behavior and psychological processes and neural underpinnings of decision-making, memory, and other cognitive processes.

Career paths in biological psychology are diverse, spanning research, clinical and applied practice, and industry. Research roles can be found in colleges and universities, medical centers, hospitals, and government agencies (e.g., National Institutes of Health, CDC). Applied opportunities exist in healthcare systems, neurology clinics, pharmacology, and industry settings like health tech, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical companies. Entry-level roles for those with a BA/BS include paid research assistant, lab manager, clinical research coordinator, or positions in neuroimaging and data science. Many advanced research and applied roles require graduate degrees, such as a PhD, MS, or specialized clinical training.

For students interested in this field, gaining hands-on laboratory experience is especially important. Working in a research lab, completing an honors thesis, or assisting with data collection (e.g., EEG, fMRI, or biospecimen collection) develops critical thinking and technical skills. Volunteer positions in neurology clinics, neurorehabilitation centers, or biotechnology firms are also highly valuable. Developing strong skills in research methods, neuroscientific techniques, statistics, and scientific communication is advantageous.

Professional organizations:  Connecting with any of the professional societies below can be a great way to explore the field:

Relevant courses in Psychology:  To prepare for a career in biological psychology, consider any of the core courses in area B, such as:

Other relevant courses may include those in Biology, Chemistry, Neurobiology, and the School of Health.

Want to learn more? Chat with Profs. Dick Dubbelde, Ian Lyons, Adam Green, Abigail Marsh, Chandan Vaidya and Jessica Chiang.

Clinical psychology

See also:  Mental health field, Forensic psychology, Sport, exercise, and performance psychology

The field of Clinical Psychology is dedicated to the integration of science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction. While many associate this field strictly with “therapy,” Clinical Psychology—particularly at the doctoral level—is deeply rooted in the Scientist-Practitioner model. This means that practitioners are not just consumers of research, but often producers of it.

Career pathways and graduate school Becoming a licensed Clinical Psychologist requires a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD). A PhD program places a heavy emphasis on research production and data analysis, while a PsyD places more emphasis on clinical practice. These programs tend to differ in cost and duration as well as research emphasis, with PsyDs tending to be more expensive and shorter, whereas PhDs tend to provide a stipend and take 6+years to complete.

Career opportunities with a Bachelor’s Degree While you cannot practice as a psychologist with a B.A., there are plenty of industry positions available in consulting or tech, and there are many jobs that provide crucial experience to improve graduate school applications:

Preparation: Research and practical steps Because Clinical Psychology PhD programs are among the most competitive graduate programs in the country, undergraduate preparation is vital.

Professional organizations:

Relevant courses in Psychology To be competitive for this field, students should demonstrate strength in statistics and methodology, as well as core clinical content. Relevant Georgetown courses include:

Cognate courses in the Biology department (Neurobiology) or Statistics department can also be helpful. A background in computer science (coding for data analysis) is also increasingly attractive to research-heavy clinical programs.

Want to find out more?  Chat with Profs. Andrea Bonior, Casey Brown, and Yulia Chentsova-Dutton.

Developmental psychology

The field of developmental psychology is broad and interdisciplinary.  Potential careers in this field would include those in research, policy/advocacy, and practice. Developmental psychology encompasses the entire lifespan, ranging from infancy through older adulthood, with increasing career opportunities in the study of aging and longevity.

Research positions can be found in colleges/universities (including the Cognitive Developmental Society listserv and the Infant Congress listserv and many other university research centers focused on developmental psychology), but also in think tanks and other research organizations, many of which also focus on policy (e.g., the ZEROTOTHREE.org, Society for research in child development).  Positions in these research and policy centers vary in their degree requirements – some would be accessible with a bachelor’s degree, while others would require a graduate degree.  

Practice in this field could include careers in mental health (e.g., becoming a child therapist, or family counselor), research (e.g. Mathematica) policy and advocacy (e.g. Zerotothree, Children and Screens) as well as jobs in education (e.g., childcare provider, teacher).  Some of these would require a graduate degree, but some are accessible with a bachelor’s degree.  

Relevant internships and volunteer positions would include research assistant positions, as well as positions in advocacy or social service organizations.

Research and policy careers focused on aging include work in cognitive aging, health disparities, dementia risk, and factors that promote healthy aging. Positions can be found within universities or medical centers, and within aging-focused research organizations (e.g., National Institute on Aging–funded centers, RAND). Practice-oriented careers in the realm of aging include work in geriatric mental health, caregiving support, health systems, community aging services, and program evaluation for older adult programs.

Practical steps: 

Internships:

Relevant research groups at Georgetown:

Professional organizations:

Relevant courses in Psychology:

Cognate courses can be found in  Education Justice and Inquiry minor as well as courses related to lifespan development and neurodevelopment in Pediatrics and Biology. 

Want to find out more?  Chat with Profs. Rachel Barr, Rebecca Ryan, Anna Johnson, Kristia Wantchekon and Casey Brown.

Forensic psychology

See also:  Legal field, Mental health field, Clinical psychology

Forensic psychology sits at the intersection of psychology and the legal system, applying the science of human behavior to questions of law, crime, and justice. Practitioners in this field might evaluate a defendant’s competency to stand trial, assess the risk of future violent behavior, provide expert testimony in court, consult with law enforcement on criminal investigations, or work with incarcerated individuals on rehabilitation. It’s a field that requires both rigorous psychological training and a working understanding of legal processes — making it genuinely interdisciplinary. While popular media often portrays forensic psychologists as criminal profilers, the day-to-day reality is more varied and often more clinically oriented than that dramatic image suggests.

The most common path into forensic psychology begins with an undergraduate degree in psychology, criminal justice, or a related field, followed by graduate education. Most practicing forensic psychologists hold either a Ph.D. (which emphasizes research) or a Psy.D. (which emphasizes clinical practice) in psychology, often with a forensic specialization built into the program or pursued through focused internships and postdoctoral work. Some professionals enter the field through a law degree combined with a psychology background, while others come from social work or counseling and develop forensic expertise over time. Licensure as a psychologist is typically required for clinical roles, and board certification in forensic psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) is a respected credential for those wanting to specialize further. Gaining hands-on experience — through internships at correctional facilities, forensic hospitals, or court clinics — is considered essential, as this is a field where supervised real-world exposure matters enormously alongside academic preparation.

Relevant courses in Psychology:  The Georgetown Psychology Department offers some courses that align with this field.

Want to find out more?   Chat with Prof. Jennifer Woolard.

Health psychology

See also:  Healthcare field

Health psychology and the psychology of well-being focus on understanding how psychological, social, and behavioral factors influence biological processes, physical health, illness, and well-being across the lifespan. Psychologists in this field study topics such as stress, coping, resilience, health behaviors (e.g., sleep, physical activity), social relationships, digital well-being, behavior change, mental health, health disparities, and the mind-body connection, with the goal of improving health outcomes and quality of life. It bridges psychology, medicine, public health, behavioral science, and data science, and has both research and applied career paths.

Career paths in health psychology are diverse, generally falling into three broad categories:

1. Research and academia

Positions in colleges and universities (e.g., SEED Research Institute, Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, Center on the Developing Child), research institutes, medical centers/schools, think tanks (e.g., RAND Corporation, Mathematica), and government agencies (e.g., National Institutes of Health, CDC, State Departments of Health). Researchers study topics such as stress and health, digital media and well-being, health behavior change, and intervention development.

Common settings include:

Many research roles require a Ph.D., but research assistant, project coordinator, and data analyst positions are often available with a bachelor’s degree.

2. Clinical and applied practice

Careers focused on improving mental and physical health through intervention and care delivery. Applied roles exist in hospitals, healthcare systems, social service, community organizations, nonprofits, and industry settings (e.g., health tech, wellness programs, program evaluation). Examples include:

Most clinical roles require a doctoral or master’s degree plus licensure.

3. Policy, industry, and behavioral science

This growing area applies psychological science to improve well-being at scale.

Examples include:

Some roles are accessible with a bachelor’s degree, especially if students develop strong research and data skills.

Advice for students interested in this field

For students interested in this field, gaining research experience is especially important. Working in a research lab, completing an honors thesis, or assisting with data collection and analysis develops critical thinking skills transferrable to a wide-range of positions. Internships or volunteer positions in hospitals, clinics, public health departments, nonprofits, or wellness organizations are also valuable. In short, developing strong skills in research methods, statistics, scientific writing, and communication is advantageous.

What does it take to become a practitioner?

If you are interested in becoming a clinical or health psychologist:

If you are interested in applied or industry roles:

For students with a Bachelor’s Degree

With a B.A. in psychology, you might pursue roles such as:

These roles can be stepping stones to graduate school or long-term careers in applied research and health settings.

Practical steps:

Professional organizations:

Relevant courses in Psychology:

Other courses in Psychology are also relevant, including those focused on human development (e.g., PSYC 2600 Lifespan Development; PSYC 3600 Early Child Development; PSYC 3650 Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood; PSYC 3610 The Psychology of Aging), clinical psychology (e.g., PSYCH 2700 Psychological Disorders), and physiological processes (e.g., PSYC 2200 Physiological Psychology). In addition, other pertinent courses include those in Medical Humanities andSchool of Health.  Students may also benefit from courses in Public Health, Biology, Data Science, Economics, and Sociology.

Want to find out more?  Chat with Drs. Kosta Kushlev and/or Jessica Chiang, as well as other faculty working in health psychology, behavioral science, or well-being research. Reach out to explore research opportunities, career planning, and next steps.

Political psychology

Political psychology is an interdisciplinary field, spanning across psychology, policy studies, and political science.

Political psychologists work in a number of different domains where the focus is on political behavior. This includes government organizations, think tanks, universities, survey and polling companies.

Professional organizations:

Relevant courses in Psychology:

Government Department

Suggestion: Take research methodology and statistics courses, as a way to find work in private sector companies, research organizations and universities, engaged in field surveys and political polling.

Want to find out more?  Chat with Prof. Fathali M. Moghaddam.

Social psychology

Social psychology is sometimes called “the science of everyday life” because it studies relatable topics such as emotions and well-being, relationships and social interactions, and social norms and social influence. Social psychologists study how individuals think about, perceive, influence and interact with one another and how those interactions shape phenomena that range from emotions, romantic relationships, persuasion, friendship, altruism, and aggression.

Potential careers in this field include those in research, industry (e.g., behavioral science, UX, marketing), and policy.

 Research positions can be found in colleges/universities, as well as in research institutes, think tanks, and private-sector organizations (e.g., behavioral insights teams, consulting firms, tech companies). Examples include: The Pew Research Center, The Gallup Organization, Ideas42, the RAND Corporation, NORC, and many others. Social psychologists also work in the private sector as researchers, consultants, marketing directors, managers, political strategists and user interface designers. Social psychologists also work in government and nonprofit organizations (for example, The Lab @ DC, Arnold Ventures, The Brookings Institution, The American Enterprise Institute, and The Urban Institute) where they design and evaluate programs and policy on topics such as conflict resolution, law enforcement, urban design, and environmental protection. These roles may involve studying topics such as attitudes, social influence, group dynamics, decision-making, and well-being. Some research assistant and analyst roles are accessible with a bachelor’s degree, while advanced research roles typically require graduate training.

Applied and industry roles in this field include careers in user experience (UX) research, behavioral design, marketing and consumer insights, organizational behavior/human resources, and public policy (e.g., “nudge units”). Social psychology is also relevant to careers in education, communication, law, and public health. Some of these roles are accessible with a bachelor’s degree, while others benefit from or require graduate training.  For example, additional training in organizational behavior can be helpful for business career options. 

Relevant internships and volunteer positions would include research assistant positions in academic or applied settings, as well as internships in consulting firms, nonprofits, advocacy or social service organizations, government agencies, or companies focused on behavioral science, marketing, or user experience research.

Professional organizations:

Relevant courses in Psychology:

Cognate courses can be found in fields such as Anthropology, Biology, Sociology, Economics (especially behavioral economics), Political Science, Marketing, and Communication. Because social psychology is inherently interdisciplinary, students are encouraged to take courses that provide both methodological rigor (e.g., statistics, research methods) and domain-specific knowledge.

Want to find out more? Chat with Profs. Kostadin Kushlev, Casey Brown, Abigail Marsh, Yulia Chentsova-Dutton, Fathali Moghaddam, Gerrod Parrott, or Deborah C. Stearns.

Psychology of sexuality and gender

The field of sexuality and gender is broad and interdisciplinary.  Potential careers in this field would include those in research, policy/advocacy, and practice. 

Research positions can be found in colleges/universities (including the Kinsey Institute and many other university research centers focused on gender and/or sexuality), but also in think tanks and other research organizations, many of which also focus on policy (e.g., the Guttmacher Institute, SIECUS, Institute for Women’s Policy Research, Gender Equity Policy Institute, UN Women, NOW).  Positions in these research and policy centers vary in their degree requirements – some would be accessible with a bachelor’s degree, while others would require a graduate degree. 

Practice in this field could include careers in mental health (e.g., becoming a sex therapist, couples counselor, or feminist therapist), health care more broadly, other kinds of social service jobs with a focus on specific issues or populations related to gender/sexuality, as well as jobs in education (e.g., sex educator).  Some of these would require a graduate degree, but some are accessible with a bachelor’s degree. 

Relevant internships and volunteer positions would include research assistant positions, as well as positions in advocacy or social service organizations.

Professional organizations:

Relevant courses in Psychology:

Cognate courses can be found in Women’s and Gender Studies, as well as courses related to gender and sexuality in Anthropology, Biology, History, and Sociology.  Depending on your particular interests, this field can be quite broadly interdisciplinary.    

Want to find out more?  Chat with Prof. Deborah C. Stearns.