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Question: Dear Friend, Can you suggest or provide any resources for what kinds of careers graduates of community psychology programs go into? I am interested in this field but obviously concerned about the economy and wonder how I can learn the viability of making a decent living through this career path. Thanks very much in advance for your assistance. Warmly, Jeremy L.
Answer: Hello, and thanks for writing to us at Ask an Advisor. Graduates of community psychology programs go into a wide range of different fields, spanning the areas of academia, the non-profit sector, community health and development, community mental health, and beyond. The opportunities available depend in part on what kind of community psychology degree (i.e., BA, MA, PhD) one graduates with. That being said, the breadth of potential job opportunities available after graduation makes community psychology a promising area of study in an unstable economy. If you are thinking about enrolling in a CP program you might want to arrange a meeting with someone from the department to talk about your concerns. Another idea is to talk to community psychologists currently in positions that interest you. You can often set up informational interviews with professionals in your field of interest. This gives you the opportunity to gather information specific to your particular interests and is also a way to network with people in the field. Finally, the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) has a resource page with some information on job opportunities (http://www.scra27.org/), and the Social Psychology Network (http://www.socialpsychology.org/community.htm) has a page devoted to Community Psychology resources. Thank you again for your question. I hope some of this information will be useful to you.
Question Date: Tue, 04/27/2010