Vocational Preparation within a Liberal Arts Framework: Suggested Directions for Undergraduate Psychology Programs

Abstract

The issue of vocational preparation in liberal arts programs is contentious, and undergraduate psychology curricula are no exception. Although some educators seek to maintain the traditional focus of the curriculum, others advocate an emphasis on career relevant skills and knowledge. This article addresses the issue of whether change in favor of vocational preparation compromises liberal arts values. Finding existing strategies flawed, I propose a new liberal skills model and recommend curriculum changes that can improve career relevance without sacrificing breadth of preparation.

Using Senior Exit Surveys and Alumni Surveys to Assess the Quality of an Undergraduate Psychology Degree Program

“…Favorable ratings were provided by most seniors in response to their critical thinking skills and written and oral communication skills and how much they learned from specific courses; this finding provides evidence that PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE PROGRAM Bickes, Lawrence, and Noble students perceive the quality of the program as good. Based on results of other studies (Allen & Scrams, 1991;Finney, Snell, & Sebby, 1989;Hogan, 1991;Korn & Lewandowski, 1981;Quereshi, 1988) and data from this study, KSU psychology faculty may need to focus more attention on advisement regarding career options with an undergraduate degree. There was improvement in perceived faculty availability by seniors responding to the 1995 survey compared to seniors responding in 1994 indicating the KSU psychology faculty improved in this area.…”

“…As suggested by Korn and Lewandowski (1981), KSU psychology faculty may need to highlight nonclinical occupational opportunities to enable students to make informed decisions regarding career options with an undergraduate psychology degree. In addition, Hogan (1991) suggests that psychology faculty emphasize skills or competencies acquired as a psychology major that are generalizable to the workplace. These attributes include interpersonal, behavior observation, writing, public speaking, and problem-solving skills.…”

“…Also, based on this assessment, KSU psychology faculty need to focus on providing more research and applied experiences. Hogan (1991) indicates that applied experiences bridge the gap between the school environment and the work setting. Future plans for the KSU Psychology Department involve encouraging every psychology student to complete a research and/or applied internship as part of the undergraduate degree.…”

A Project for Developing Tests in a Psychological Testing and Measurement Course

“…This approach addresses the concern of preparing psychology majors for employment in business-related occupations, where many psychology alumni find positions. Some would argue that directly meeting the needs of majors entering the business world (e.g., by vocational training) is inappropriate (see Hogan, 1991), but few would contest the value of applying psychological methodology to applied problems. Finally, from a more practical perspective, sponsorship provided the research teams with resources to conduct the project, including subject matter expertise and financial support.…”

A Skills-Experience Inventory for the Undergraduate Psychology Major

“…Partly in response to this situation, Hogan (1991) and others (e.g., Clay, 1996;Murray, 1997) argued that skill identification and information regarding the development of specific skills should be an integral part of psychology courses. When a psychology major seeks a job following graduation, a skills-based résumé is likely to be more valuable than one that simply lists courses taken and offices and positions held while in school (Edwards & Smith, 1988;Murray, 1997).…”