Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

Salary Overview

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Key Skills

Knowledge Areas

What They Do

• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as abnormal psychology, cognitive processes, and work motivation.
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
• Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
• Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
• Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
• Recruit and hire new faculty.

Tools & Technology

★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)

Education Requirements

Typical entry-level education: Related Work Experience

Related Careers

Featured In

Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary.

A Day in the Life

A typical day for a postsecondary psychology teacher begins with preparing lecture materials, reviewing research literature, and responding to student emails. Classroom time may involve delivering lectures to large introductory classes, facilitating small seminar discussions, or supervising laboratory-based learning experiences. Between classes, professors hold office hours where students seek guidance on coursework, research projects, or career planning. A significant portion of the day is devoted to research activities, including designing studies, analyzing data, writing manuscripts for publication, and applying for research grants. Faculty meetings, committee work, and departmental administrative duties also demand regular attention. Many psychology professors supervise graduate student research, serve on thesis and dissertation committees, and mentor junior faculty. The balance between teaching, research, and service varies by institution type, with research universities emphasizing publication and community colleges focusing primarily on teaching.

Work Environment

Postsecondary psychology teachers work primarily on college and university campuses in offices, classrooms, and research laboratories. The academic environment offers significant intellectual freedom and flexibility in scheduling, with professors often setting their own research and writing hours outside of fixed class times. Office spaces are typically shared or private depending on institution size and rank, with access to library resources, computing facilities, and research labs. The workload can be intense during the academic semester, with competing demands from teaching preparation, grading, research, and committee work. Summers and academic breaks often provide time for concentrated research and writing, though this time is rarely truly free from professional obligations. Collegial relationships with fellow faculty members create an intellectually stimulating social environment. The tenure process can create significant stress and pressure during the early career years. Many institutions are increasing online and hybrid teaching options, which adds flexibility but also new pedagogical challenges.

Career Path & Advancement

A career as a postsecondary psychology teacher typically requires a doctoral degree, either a PhD in a specific area of psychology or, less commonly, a PsyD for those emphasizing clinical instruction. The educational path begins with a bachelor's degree in psychology followed by five to seven years of graduate study including coursework, comprehensive examinations, research apprenticeships, and a doctoral dissertation. Teaching experience gained as a graduate teaching assistant is essential preparation for academic positions. Postdoctoral research positions lasting one to three years are increasingly common before securing a tenure-track faculty position. Assistant professors work toward tenure over a probationary period of typically six years, during which they must demonstrate excellence in research, teaching, and service. Promotion to associate professor coincides with tenure, and further advancement to full professor follows with continued scholarly productivity. Some faculty pursue administrative roles such as department chair, dean, or provost later in their careers.

Specializations

Postsecondary psychology teachers can specialize in virtually any subfield of psychology, and their teaching and research focus often align closely. Clinical psychology professors teach psychopathology, assessment, and psychotherapy courses while often maintaining limited clinical practices. Cognitive psychology specialists focus on memory, perception, language, and decision-making, often incorporating neuroscience methods. Social psychology professors study group dynamics, attitudes, prejudice, and interpersonal relationships. Developmental psychology faculty focus on human growth across the lifespan, from infancy through aging. Behavioral neuroscience professors teach the biological bases of behavior using laboratory research with animal models or neuroimaging. Industrial-organizational psychology professors prepare students for careers in workplace psychology, covering topics like employee selection, leadership, and organizational development. Research methodology and statistics specialists are in high demand, teaching the quantitative skills essential to all psychology subfields.

Pros & Cons

Industry Insight

The academic job market for psychology professors remains highly competitive, with far more doctoral graduates than available tenure-track positions. However, psychology consistently ranks among the most popular undergraduate majors, ensuring steady demand for qualified instructors. The growth of online education and competency-based learning models is creating new teaching opportunities outside traditional university settings. Increased emphasis on interdisciplinary research is pushing psychology departments to seek faculty who can collaborate across fields like neuroscience, computer science, and public health. Diversity initiatives in higher education are expanding opportunities for scholars from underrepresented backgrounds. The rising cost of higher education and questions about the value of traditional degrees are prompting institutions to emphasize career-relevant curriculum design. Open science practices, including data sharing and preregistration of studies, are transforming research expectations for new faculty.