Open the Door to your Career Interests

Through your PBS major you will master the following skills:

A scientifically grounded understanding of human behavior that addresses normal and dysfunctional individuals and relationships
An understanding of various brain regions and their functions
An overview of the potential causes of disorders such depression, autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease
An understanding of the importance and role of developmental processes in human cognition
Basic laboratory skills allowing you to pose and then answer questions about brain and behavior using rigorous methods that adhere to ethical principles
Communication skills that enable you to make presentations at regional or even national conferences

How will you gain these skills?

The PBS department offers a wide range of courses, electives, and capstone experiences. This enables you to develop an experience that is tailored to your unique interests, while gaining an understanding of the mind, brain, and behavior. The goal is to prepare you for a variety of industries and apply your broad set of skills into different fields and career paths.

You are welcome to check out books related to career exploration, professional development and psychology-related careers in counseling, social work, business, and law from the Academic Advising Office (PY229) during regular operating hours. (This is currently unavailable until further notice; please utilize the IUB Libraries Links to an external site. for book resources)

Students with a degree in Neuroscience are well prepared to work in academic science and medicine as well as education, biotechnology, life sciences, public policy, science writing, publishing, philanthropy, law, administration, pharmaceutical research, program management, government, science writing and publishing, secondary education, science advocacy, research-related positions in biotechnology, the life sciences, or the pharmaceutical industry.

For Psychology majors the Department has created PSY-C Career Modules.

They will lead you through learning about career exploration, professional development, and job search techniques. Neuroscience majors are welcome to take these courses, but they are not required.

What will you learn while taking these courses?

Psy-C 109

First module of the career exploration sequence. Introduces career development resources and opportunities in and around the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

Psy-C 209

Second module of the career exploration sequence, focusing on exploring the self: identity, professional goals, skills and strengths.

Psy-C 309

Third module of the career exploration sequence, focusing on practical skills for career exploration, including job search techniques and teamwork with peers.

Another resource you can tap into is the Psychology/Neuroscience Blog. We post any call outs for Labs, any postings for work passed through the department, and external Psy or Neuroscience related areas that reach out to our department. We do not keep track of if any positions are open or remain unfilled. You would want to reach out to the listed contact person for more information.

Some career paths may require graduate programs.

These can include health care, law, business, public policy, education, academia, and mental health care. If you are interested in mental health careers, Dr. Anne Zhang has developed a PBS Careers in Mental Health Care Canvas Site. The Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) maintains a website for undergraduates and others interested in applying to Clinical Psychology Graduate Programs: https://clinicalpsychgradschool.org/ Links to an external site.. Another resource for exploring counseling careers in CounselingPsychology.org Links to an external site. (note that any information on this website is entirely independent of our Clinical Psychological Science program).

For additional information about health professions or law visit the Health Professions and Prelaw Center Links to an external site..

For information more specific to Psychology or Neuroscience specific careers explore:

APA Careers in Psychology – Science in Action Links to an external site.

APA Psychology Careers Guide Links to an external site.

Society for Neuroscience - Career Paths Links to an external site.

Edging close to completing your degree but still are not sure where your degree might take you?

Consider a Post-graduate short-term experience or internship. These experiences help you make connections, gain life skills, and assess your interest in future careers. Talk with your career coach Links to an external site. and use these and other resources to find opportunities that are a good fit with your educational experience and career goals: