A Psychology degree provides you with an understanding of the science behind human behavior, the tools to research the human mind, and the skills to communicate effectively with other members of the scientific community.

A lot of people hear Psychology and think Psychologist. That’s one career path, but there are actually many different things you can do with a degree in Psychology,including careers in other health-related fields, social work, counseling, law, journalism, political science, education and business.

Psychology is a wide field so it’s important to find the right program for you. Does the school you are interested in offer a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.)? (And what’s the difference?)

Daemen University offers both. Here’s a brief description of each:

Choosing the B.A.:

• The Daemen Psychology B.A. is designed for those drawn to the arts and humanities (e.g., philosophy, art, languages) and other social sciences (e.g., political science, history). It’s an ideal degree for those transferring with a broad array of liberal arts courses or changing majors from a social science or humanities field.
• The B.A. degree has more flexibility regarding electives and can lead to an array of positions on the social side of psychology – such as law, social work, political science or education.

Choosing the B.S.:

• The Daemen Psychology B.S. is perfect for those drawn to the natural sciences and mathematics and can be an ideal fit for those transferring in with a strong natural sciences background or changing majors from another natural science program.
• The B.S. has more coursework (including labs) in the natural science side of psychology, like cognitive and biological topics. This focus replaces the four semester foreign language requirement associated with the B.A. It’s a great base for those interested in medicine, health-related fields, and graduate studies in research fields and Psychology.

Strong coursework is important for any degree, including Psychology. But, because you are interested in the study of human behavior, it’s really important that you have an opportunity to get appropriate hands-on experience.

Be sure to ask admissions counselors about opportunities for field placements and research. How soon will you be able to participate in such experiences and how much one-on-one attention will you get?

Daemen prides itself on a strong focus on experiential learning, including strong field placements in the community, research opportunities with experienced faculty and hands-on projects.

Plus, with an average 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, you’ll have a lot of support for whatever you decided to pursue!

Interested in the field but not sure yet what is the best fit for you? Make sure to talk to your counselors about various programs, electives, subfields and other options to ensure the degree you get is a perfect fit for you.

A college that offers both a B.A. and a B.S. may be a better fit for you if you’re fascinated by the mind but not sure what you want to do yet.