Are you interested in pursuing education but are unsure whether you want to be a teacher? There’s more than one career option for students with an education degree, but what you ultimately do depends on your strengths and skills. If you are a good listener, are patient and want to help students with their problems, you might want to consider a major in counseling psychology.
Education
According to the College Board, a major in counseling psychology is typically offered at the graduate degree level. Students who pursue this graduate program often have earned undergraduate degrees in the field of education, psychology or another, related field. It’s beneficial for students who are still an undergrad to take courses related to counseling so that they are better prepared for the courses they will take as a graduate. Typical courses that students in this major take include child psychology, group dynamics, psychology of personality and social psychology. This major often requires a research project which you will develop and complete throughout the course of your education. Since many job opportunities require skills in both counseling and research this project is critical to gaining good experience.
What to know before you apply
Students in this major should expect to gain counseling experience both in and out of the classroom. It is encouraged that students find a place to volunteer their counseling services or find other hands-on learning environments so students should pursue schools that offer these kinds of opportunities. Students who are pursuing this major should have a passion for helping other people and be kind and patient as well as willing to apply their own experiences to helping others. Being able to think on your feet is also important and students should be able to easily apply the theories that they learn in class to help others in the “real world.”
Salary
For students wanting to work with children in an educational setting, they will most likely pursue a career as a school psychologist. The average yearly salary for this career was $69,870 as of 2009 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
I highly recommend the field of becoming a school psychologist, haven given up the prospect myself. In retrospect, having a school schedule would have been great when raising children…summers and school vacations off. Plus, psychology is a lot of fun…like figuring out puzzles!