Mike and Michael- Hmmm. So you were not a psychology major? I was and I believe almost everyone I know who have obtained a PhD in psychology were also which seems to contradict your conclusion. Do you have any data, or is it just an honest feeling, that psychology majors do not pursue psychology or a related field in their jobs (by the way, I'm not trying to be flippant or aggressive/sarcastic- I do suspect that you are expressing your belief honestly).
I agree with you that it may well be a bridge to many career possibilities. But I'm a bit confused by the characterization that we market the major or that being a "bridge to everywhere" is the same as a bridge to nowhere. We don't market the major in my department, well, one of us does but we discourage it- we actually tell students that they should examine their strengths and weaknesses, pursue testing and other things to determine interest and fit, and give honest evaluations of the statistics on job possibilities (for example, psychology as a major does not fare too well in its starting salaries relative to other sciences or even other social sciences- better than some but certainly not in the top tier). Yet we remain a popular major on campus. I do recognize that some students may actually be attracted by our strategy as if that is a marketing strategy in itself. But as someone who has watched people be miserable in their careers I believe it is a far greater service to be honest about my own interests in the discipline while encouraging others to pursue their own muse. Tim _______________________________ Timothy O. Shearon, PhD Professor and Chair Department of Psychology The College of Idaho Caldwell, ID 83605 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] teaching: intro to neuropsychology; psychopharmacology; general; history and systems "You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." Dorothy Parker -----Original Message----- From: Michael Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thu 9/25/2008 11:37 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re: [tips] Is a BA in Psychology? Being honest, it would seem to me that it is. Or, as we 'market' it, a bridge to everywhere, which is the same thing. None of the students I have known have ended up in a psyc related area after a degree. They usually 'just find a job' or they take additional training to give them a marketable skill. --Mike --- On Wed, 9/24/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [tips] Is a BA in Psychology? To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 8:43 AM like that bridge in Alaska, a degree to nowhere? Michael Sylvester,PhD Daytona Beach,Florida --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
<<winmail.dat>>
