Understanding how the brain works helps you teach in a way that is meaningful and memorable.
To be a successful educator, you need to present students with information in a way that is compelling and memorable. Classes in social psychology can help you understand what is important to students, and classes in cognition can help you present information in a way that is easy to understand.
Learn about successful psychology graduates working in education by clicking the links below.
Interested in a career in education? Check out the resources below.
Teacher
As a teacher, you would be creating and implementing lesson plans for various age groups and subject matters.
Recommended classes:
- PSY 341 - Developmental Psychology
- PSY 320 - Learning and Motivation
- PSY 324 - Memory and Cognition
- PSY 344 - Directed Child Study
- EDP 311 - Educational Psychology for Future Teachers
Typical salary: $42,000 - $80,000 per year
Requirements:
- To Teach Preschool - 3rd Grade:
- Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.
- Pass the National Evaluation Series or other appropriate educator exam for the state you wish to teach in.
- To Teach 1st Grade - 8th Grade:
- Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.
- Pass the National Evaluation Series or other appropriate educator exam for the state you wish to teach in.
- To Teach 6th Grade - 12th Grade:
- Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education.
- Pass the National Evaluation Series or other appropriate educator exam for the state you wish to teach in.
Special Education Teacher
As a special education teacher, you would adapt lesson plans to help promote development in children with a range of developmental disabilities.
Recommended classes:
- PSY 341 - Developmental Psychology
- PSY 443 - Abnormal Child Psychology
- PSY 320 - Learning and Motivation
- PSY 344 - Directed Child Study
Typical salary: $38,000 - $96,000 per year
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in special education
- Pass the National Evaluation Series or other appropriate educator exam for the state you wish to teach in.
Professor
As a professor, you would be creating and implementing lesson plans within your interested field of study, as well as conducting research of your choice.
Recommended classes:
- PSY 320 - Learning and Motivation
- PSY 290 - Research Methods
- PSY 350 - Social Psychology
- PSY 230 - Introduction to Statistics
- PSY 399/499 - Supervised Research is strongly recommended for students interested in graduate school
In order to be a competitive candidate for graduate school, students will need:
- Experience working in a research lab or as a teaching assistant
- Letters of recommendation from faculty
- Strong GRE scores.
Typical salary: $39,000 - $170,000 per year
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in the academic field of your choice
- 2-year master’s or 5-year doctoral degree depending on the academic field of interest
Click here to see the doctoral programs available in our Psychology department
Administrator
School administrators handle a variety of tasks required for the day-to-day operations of a school.
Recommended classes:
- PSY 304 - Effective Thinking
- PSY 320 - Learning and Motivation
- PSY 440 - Industrial/Organizational Psychology
- EDP 310 - Educational Psychology for Non-Teachers
- PSY 370 - Interpersonal Relationships
Typical salary: $61,000 - $140,000 per year
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in educational studies or other related field
- 2-year master’s degree
Click here to see ASU’s Master’s in Educational Leadership program
Advisor
As a college advisor, you would assist college students in registering for classes, ensure they fulfill graduation requirements and maintain student records.
Recommended classes:
- EDP 310 - Educational Psychology for Non-Teachers
- PSY 315 - Personality Theory and Research
- FIN 123 - ASU Financial Literacy
- CAP 120 - Introduction to Counseling
Typical salary: $53,000 per year
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in the academic field of your choice
- 2-year master’s degree
School Counselor
As a school counselor, you would track student’s school performance, identify any issues contributing to poor performance and help students develop needed skills.
Recommended classes:
- CAP 120 - Introduction to Counseling
- PSY 341 - Developmental Psychology
- PSY 344 - Directed Child Study
- PSY 370 - Interpersonal Relationships
- PSY 399/499 - Supervised Research is strongly recommended for students interested in graduate school
Typical salary: $32,000 - $92,000 per year
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in the academic field of your choice
- 2-year master’s degree in school counseling
- Pass the relevant state licensure exam
School Psychologist
As a school psychologist, you would try to identify students with learning disabilities or mental health problems and develop plans to help address these issues.
Recommended classes:
- CAP 120 - Introduction to Counseling
- PSY 341 - Developmental Psychology
- CAP 120 - Introduction to Counseling
- PSY 366 - Abnormal Psychology
- PSY 399/499 - Supervised Research is strongly recommended for students interested in graduate school
Typical salary: $42,000 - $124,000 per year
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology, education or other related fields
- 2-year master’s or 5-year doctoral degree
- Pass the National Certified School Psychologist exam or other state licensure test