Learning By Experience: Putting an Ed Psych PhD to Practice

Jennie Kroeger

If you're interested in getting a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, you may wonder what kind of jobs will be open for you when you finish. It's an understandable concern given today's very tight work environment. You don't want to spend all that time getting a degree only to find you can't get a job that you'll love.

Thankfully, there are plenty of jobs a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology can help you obtain. Here are just a few:

School Counselor

Whether you work in a grammar school environment, high school, or college, you can use your degree to gauge children and help them develop psychologically in a healthy manner. Working with children at a young age gives you the opportunity to improve their cognitive development and ensure they avoid the educational pitfalls that impact too many children in our nation.


Theoretical Psychologist

Theoretical educational psychologists spend time coming up with and testing innovative theories on educational psychology (such as the development of bullying personalities). These theories are carefully tested in order to assess new approaches and treatments. Theoretical psychologists often change the face of psychology by offering breakthroughs that change the way education is understood.


Private Practice Psychologist

Open up your own private educational psychology business and offer parents, students, and even schools expert advice, such as the best way to maximize a child's cognitive skills. Essentially, you are serving as a guide towards fully understanding the power of education and the best ways to maximize it in a child. This field gives you the chance to work one-on-one with a large number of children.


Governmental Psychologist

Work with law and policy makers to help them better understand the nature of education. This can help them create programs and guidelines that truly benefit the children of the nation. If you are interested in impacting the lives of as many children as possible, this is a career well worth investigating.


College or University Professor

Help teach a whole new generation of educational psychologists by pursuing a teaching career. In a university or college setting, you can help your students master the complexities of educational psychology and prepare them for the rigors of their practice. This career lets you steer the next generation of psychologists in the right direction.


As you can see, there are a lot of careers available to someone with an Educational Psychology Ph.D. Don't let the time investment scare you off from making the educational choice that is right for you. Learn More About Our Educational Psychology: Learning & Cognition Program