Thinking Outside the Degree: Psychology Professor Shows Students Their Career Potential is Limitless

Dr. Stacie Spencer’s ‘Yes, You Can’ approach encourages Health Psychology students to see their bachelor’s degree as a stepping stone to diverse careers.

One spring, psychology professor Stacie Spencer gave her students an unusual assignment to jumpstart career exploration and professional development: find three bachelor’s-level jobs they were interested in—without using the keyword “psychology.”

“I was nervous coming into class the day the assignment was due,” said Spencer, PhD. “I thought they were either going to be really, really mad at me, or the light bulbs will have gone on.”

Her students’ reactions surprised her.

“One student said, Dr. Spencer, that just changed my life. I am no longer worried … I see jobs that are out there that I can get with my bachelor's degree that I'm genuinely excited about,” Dr. Spencer said. “And it works because if they only search for what they think psychology majors can do, they miss out on other interesting options.”

Dr. Spencer has since kept this assignment as a staple in her classes at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), where she has also integrated three required professional development seminars in the Bachelor of Science in Health Psychology curriculum. The course model has been adopted by psychology departments at several other universities. Her innovative approach to linking psychology education and career development has led to speaking invitations at other schools and an invitation to participate in an American Psychological Association working group.

What is Health Psychology?

Health Psychology, Dr. Spencer explains, differs from standard psychology. “Health psychology is the application of diverse subdisciplines of psychology to health—the ways that our emotions, behaviors and thoughts influence our physical health and wellbeing, and how we respond to being healthy and being ill,” she said.

Since joining MCPHS in 2001, Dr. Spencer has seen her students become neuropsychologists, psychometrists, pediatricians, physical therapists, information technologists, architects, data analysts, and more. Before MCPHS, she was the director of advising at the University of Pittsburgh, where she became passionate about challenging the “pervasive” misconception that psychology degrees offer limited career options.

Dr. Spencer also invites alumni to speak in her classes, helping students build confidence as they hear firsthand accounts about different career paths and graduate school experiences. Another of her signature assignments is the ‘Yes, You Can’ exercise, which asks fourth-year students to record themselves responding to someone saying: “you can’t do anything with a bachelor’s in psychology.”

Fighting Misconceptions

Dr. Spencer’s efforts to combat these stereotypes extend beyond her classroom. As part of a “Careers” series in a spinoff of the popular “PsychSessions” psychology podcast, she interviewed 12 educators about how they help students learn about careers options, ending each episode with a game to highlight job options in their respective cities. One episode even tackles “The Misperception that You Cannot Do Anything or Make Any Money with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.”

“While on vacation, I was explaining this work to a friend, describing how common these attitudes are,” Dr. Spencer said. “Another friend overheard us and, without missing a beat, called out, ‘You can’t do anything with a bachelor’s in psychology; everybody knows that!’”

That real-world example reinforced how deeply ingrained these misconceptions are, but Dr. Spencer remains steadfast in her mission to support psychology students and challenge these stereotypes.

“Only a small percentage of psychology majors go on to become psychologists. Health psychology majors have a variety of career options,” she said. “The skills you gain with a psychology degree are valuable in any job, any profession. Just ask the graduates from our program.”