Training and career preferences of undergraduates majoring in psychology

Abstract

Undergraduate students at three Australian universities (La Trobe, Melbourne, Monash) answered questions on their educational background, reasons for training in psychology, course preferences, and career objectives Most students had enrolled in psychology primarily through a desire to work for and with people. The preferred specializations for training and employment were counselling and clinical psychology. Teaching and social work were the most commonly identified career alternatives to psychology. Relatively few students are oriented towards employment in the private sector. Students are seeking to train and work in human services contexts at a time when potential employers are recruiting on a reduced scale. Universities may need to change not only their training practices but their basis for selecting students in order to produce a higher proportion of graduates who are oriented towards non-traditional employment.