Psychology is one of the most popular and versatile majors. The major emphasizes a strong background in the natural sciences (e.g., mathematics, chemistry, biology, statistics, human physiology), writing, and research.
Electives enable students to obtain a second major or minor in a field of interest or take pre-professional courses and graduate with a combination of courses and experiences to qualify for semiprofessional jobs in psychological settings or closely-related fields (e.g., addictions counseling), a combination of courses providing a background for careers outside of psychology (e.g., human resources), pre-professional courses for potential admittance into professional training programs (e.g., medicine, occupational therapy, veterinary medicine) and/or a complement of courses for potential admittance into psychology graduate school programs. Advanced degrees are often a prerequisite for professional careers in psychology.