A degree in psychology from LMU prepares students well for graduate work in psychology and related fields. Psychologists can be found working in a variety of fields, from health care, law, public policy, public service to education, business and technology, government, as well as faculty and research positions within academic institutions. What Can I Do With a Psychology Major?
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In partnership with LMU's Career and Professional Development office (Von der Ahe 135, LMU Careers), Psychological Science hosts events to help students contemplate, network, and/or prepare for their career-paths. Psi Chi, the international honor society for undergraduates in Psychology, hosts engagement events for students as well. Psychological Science is dedicated to helping students mindfully consider careers paths and "Career Night" brings LMU alumni back to the Bluff to share their genuine experiences post-grad.
The Career & Professional Development office offers coaching and programming related to career development. Students can drop into meet with a Peer Advisor during business hours, 8 am -5 pm, Monday-Friday. This is a great place to begin to learn more about Career & Professional Development's resources.
Resources
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Recent graduates have enrolled in top graduate programs in psychology, social work, law, public policy and management, public health, medicine, speech-language pathology, business administration, and computer science. Alumni hold positions in academia, law, family services, mental health services, the non-profit sector, the entertainment industry, government, and the financial sector.
MA Programs
A master’s degree in psychology prepares students with the principles and theories of human behavior, teaching them how to use these tools to create treatment plans for various issues that affect mental health.
There are many different avenues one can take when pursuing a master’s in psychology and although they are similar to fields such as social work, human services, and other related areas they differ in their focuses and methodologies.
PhD and PsyD Programs
A PhD in Psychology, which may be undertaken after completing a B.A. or an M.A. (depending on the program), primarily offers the highest-level graduate degree in the field which a student can aspire. The PhD and PsyD prepare students for a variety of career opportunities with a wide range of research and practice areas; each of which is unique in its educational scope and training.
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This department website regularly updates important career-related information, and a bulletin board in the Psychology Village is devoted to career-related information and upcoming events within and outside the department.
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A great way to gain experience in the Psychology field and build your resume is to get to reach out to get involved with our department's research labs.
The Brain and Cognition Lab
The Brain and Cognition Lab explores a range of topics from multidisciplinary perspectives focused on how the brain is involved in cognitive processes. Current research projects include studies of learning and memory in animals, early reading and effects of cognitive training in young children, and executive functions in adult humans. In addition to behavioral and electrophysiological techniques, we use electroencephalography (EEG) to measure electrical signals from human brains and cardiovascular measures to measure stress/mental workload.
Location: University Hall 3321 & 3417
Directors: Dr. Mike Foy & Dr. Judith Foy
Classroom Teaching & Student Learning
Qualitative-quantitative approaches to measure and study classroom teaching, specifically through the use of lesson videos; individual difference variables that affect how teachers and students approach educational opportunities; effects of learning/teaching interventions on student outcomes.
Location: University Hall 3411
Director: Dr. Vandana Thadani
Close Relationships & Health
Close relationships and health; the self and perceptions of close relationship events; experimental studies conducted in the lab involving collection of questionnaire data, video-recordings of behavioral responses, and measurement of various physiological responses (blood pressure and EKG); coding of data and data analysis; weekly training meetings with research assistants.
Location: University Hall 3401 & 3401a
Director: Dr. Maire Ford
Cognition & Human Performance
Neuropsychological assessment as it relates to traumatic brain injury, infection with HIV, and language proficiency (e.g., in Hispanic adults); computerized tests of problem solving in binge-drinking college students, and computerized low- fidelity flight simulator multi-task performance in Air Force ROTC cadets; experimental studies on the effects of motivation on mate attractiveness and other aspects of evolved cognition and behavior.
Location: University Hall 3413
Director: Dr. David Hardy
Cognitive Neuroscience
Neural bases of language and other cognitive processes using functional MRI; exercise and cognitive performance; analysis of brain scans, data collection (questionnaires, cognitive tasks, testing before and after exercise on a bicycle), data analysis, literature review, meeting with research assistants.
Location: University Hall 4754
Director: Dr. Kayoko Okada
Consciousness & Cognition
Study of the conscious and unconscious operations responsible for processing language and visual perception. Several research projects investigating unconscious processing, the nature of consciousness, and the role of sleep and dreams in memory and information processing.
Location: University Hall 4752
Director: Dr. Richard Abrams
Emotions & Social Relationships
Social and close relationship influences on emotion regulation, cognition-emotion interactions, and psychopathology among individuals and couples. Collection of questionnaire data, video recordings of emotional tasks and social interactions, and coding of social interactions and facial expressions. Data entry, storage, analysis, and interpretation.
Location: University Hall 4727 & 4732
Director: Dr. Brett Marroquin
Heads Up!
College student health risks; Alcohol use; Prevention, and intervention projects; Mental health; data collection, analysis and interpretation.
Location: University Hall, 4711, 3787 & 3415
Director: Dr. Joseph LaBrie
Website: headsuplabs.com
Intergroup Relations
Stereotyping and prejudice; stereotype threat and health; lab does data collection of survey data, data entry and analysis, literature retrieval, training of and meetings with research assistants, social psychological lab experiments with carefully crafted manipulations.
Location: University Hall 3315
Director: Dr. Adam W. Fingerhut
LMU Peer Relations
Perceptions and experiences of diverse children and adolescents as well as adults. Using multiple methods – surveys, experiments and interviews –conducted in the field, laboratory and community. Research assistant tasks may include: 1) visiting elementary/middle/high school classrooms to recruit participants and administer survey; 2) preparing materials for student recruitment and data collection; 3) entering and managing data; 4) library research; and 5) attending weekly lab meetings.
Location: University Hall 4715
Director: Dr. Negin Ghavami
PARC
Community-based participatory research and program evaluation research using mixed methods. Several projects currently in progress: Centers for Disease Control project investigating the effectiveness of a 3-part strategy to impact community safety and health; CA State Dept of Public Health 35 site project to investigate the effective of community defined evidence practice to reduce mental health disparities; data analysis and preparation of publications on the completed national 22 site childhood obesity in communities of color project; 18 month Communities Creating Healthy Environments national multisite phase 4 grant with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; completion of data analysis on a national network analysis and evaluation of a multi-organization project focused on collaboration across 30+ organizations involved in social justice campaigns in communities of color; and evaluation of examination of environmental and community based strategy to provide the homeless with access to toilets, showers, laundry facilities and referrals in skid row. In addition to 2 post docs, 4 full time research assistants, and 3 senior researchers, we have 14 undergraduate research assistants that are employed during the year at the lab.
Location: University Hall 4725, 4726 & 4728
Director: Dr. Cheryl Grills
Psychology & New Technology
Cyberpsychology; Computers and Human Behavior; Psychology of virtual reality, virtual worlds and 3D digital environments. Training in user interface for 3D environments; conduct individual interviews, focus groups, observational and ethnographic research, and self- report assessments with avatar-mediated research participants.
Location: University Hall 4713
Director: Dr. Richard Gilbert
Social Interaction
Dr. Nora Murphy's research lab research interests: social and personality psychology, nonverbal communication and emotion, interpersonal accuracy, person perception and first impressions, meta-analysis. Generally, she has 2-6 students working in her lab in any given semester with a mixture of work study students, volunteers, and research assistantships for credit. Students must have successfully completed PSYC 2002 Research Methods to work in the lab; hiring is usually conducted in the semester before work begins. Interested students may email Dr. Murphy at nora.murphy@lmu.edu.
Location: University Hall 3405 & 3406
Director: Dr. Nora Murphy
- Cover Letter
- Resume
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- Other Resources
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A cover letter is written to highlight your qualifications for the job in which you are applying. It supports your resume or CV and it gives you an opportunity to construct a compelling narrative about your job and or research experience. The cover letter is often the first written contact you have with a potential employer so it can be a supportive tool to create a great first impression. Discover how to write an impressive cover letter.
A resume is a document that summarizes your education, employment history, internships, research, and any other experiences that are relevant to the job in which you are applying.
A curriculum vitae or "CV" is an overview of someone's education, academic formation, qualifications, publications, and experience in their field. While resumes should be anywhere from 1-2 pages, CVs are usually much longer. Learn more information about CVs.
Psychology CV Writing Tips
- Psychology CV Writing Tips
- Preparation for Writing Psychology CV
- How to Write a Strong CV in Psychology (Undergraduate Students)
- Build a Better CV in Psychology (Graduate Students)
Psychology CV Samples
- Materials | Resume or a CV?
- Writing | Effective CV's & Resumes
- Sample | Psychology Graduate CV (and difference from a resume)