Careers in Psychology Course: Prevalence, Structure, and Timing

Abstract

Despite the multiple benefits of the careers in psychology course, it is not universally offered in undergraduate programs. Teachers who wish to design such a course may wonder about its typical number of credits, when students should take the course, and how much it uses a common curriculum across sections. The 2018 Undergraduate Study in Psychology gathered data on these questions in a nationally representative sample of undergraduate programs at associate ( n = 60) and baccalaureate ( n = 180) institutions. In 2017–2018, 39% of baccalaureate programs and 12% of associate programs offered the course. Discussion centers on department-specific adaptations of the career course, its curricular alternatives, and future research. The authors also issue a call for action to more widely implement the career course nationally.