Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

Career Description: Teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling.

Industry: Education, Training, and Library

Other Job Titles for Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and work motivation.
• Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
• Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
• Prepare course materials such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
• Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
• Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
• Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
• Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
• Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
• Select and obtain materials and supplies such as textbooks.
• Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
• Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
• Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
• Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
• Supervise students' laboratory work.
• Perform administrative duties such as serving as department head.
• Act as advisers to student organizations.
• Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
• Participate in campus and community events.
• Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
• Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.
• Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.
• Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of preschool programs.
• Attend staff meetings, and serve on committees as required.
• Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress.
• Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guests, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.
• Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.
• Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities such as restrooms.
• Perform administrative duties such as hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
• Administer tests to help determine children's developmental levels, needs, and potential.
• Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help.
• Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.
• Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.
• Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities such as restrooms.
• Sponsor extracurricular activities such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.
• Write instructional articles on designated subjects.

Emerging Tasks

• Provide clinical services to clients, such as by assessing psychological problems and conducting psychotherapy.
• Review books and journal articles for potential publication.
• Supervise the clinical work of practicum students.
• Talk with students about academic and personal problems and refer them to the appropriate resources.
• Teach classes using current technology, such as by developing multimedia course materials and on-line courses.
• Help patrons find and use library resources, such as reference materials, audiovisual equipment, computers and other electronic resources, and provide technical assistance when needed.
• Maintain and troubleshoot problems with library equipment, including computers, photocopiers, and audiovisual equipment.
• Order all print and nonprint material for library, prepare order slips, check prices, figure costs, and make invoice payments.
• Plan and conduct children's programs, community outreach programs, and other specialized programs (e.g., library tours).
• Represent library or institution on internal and external committees.
• Review and evaluate materials using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audiovisual, and electronic resources.
• Supervise daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
• Teach library patrons basic computer skills, such as how to search for information using computerized databases.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• advise governmental or industrial personnel
• advise students
• analyze social or economic data
• collect academic research data
• compile bibliographies of specialized materials
• conduct research on work-related topics
• convert information into instructional program
• design classroom presentations
• develop course or training objectives
• develop instructional materials
• direct and coordinate scientific research or investigative studies
• encourage group participation
• evaluate student performance
• interpret charts or tables for social or economic research
• maintain educational records, reports, or files
• make education presentations
• organize educational material or ideas
• prepare educational reports
• record student progress
• teach college level courses
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve educational data
• use current social research
• use library or online Internet research techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use psychological assessment tools
• use public speaking techniques
• use teaching techniques
• write research or project grant proposals
• write scholarly or technical research papers
• teach correct eating habits
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use psychological assessment tools
• use public speaking techniques
• use teaching techniques
• use nursing practices or procedures
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use public speaking techniques
• use research methodology procedures in health care
• use sanitation practices in health care settings
• use teaching techniques
• write research or project grant proposals
• use library or online Internet research techniques
• weld together metal parts, components, or structures

Overall Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Education
A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Examples
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, physicists, school psychologists, and surgeons.

• Average annual wage (2007) - $60,610.00

• n/a

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