Undergraduate Psychology Alumni: Gender and Cohort Differences in Course Usefulness, Postbaccalaureate Education, and Career Paths

Abstract

We surveyed psychology majors who graduated between 1967 and 1986 to investigate gender and cohort differences in current perceptions of undergraduate course usefulness, postbaccalaureate education, and occupational achievements. We found that more women than men (a) obtained bachelor's degrees in psychology during the 20-year period; (b) earned advanced degrees in psychology and psychology-related fields; and (c) in recent years, worked in psychology and psychology-related positions. The two courses most frequently named as useful since graduation were Abnormal Psychology and Methodology. Our results provide evidence for the male flight from and the resulting feminization of the undergraduate psychology major.