Psychology/Sociology
Program Description
An Associate of Arts degree in Psychology/Sociology will prepare students for an entry-level position in human services or social work. The program will give students a basic understanding of psychology and sociology and will allow them to pursue further education at a university in either field.
Graduates of these programs will successfully complete the following learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts and principles of psychology
- Demonstrate an understanding of various mental health disorders
- Demonstrate an understanding about the relationship between individuals and groups
- Demonstrate an understanding of the sociological discipline
- Identify the consequences of current social problems
- Apply sociological principles to better understand racial and ethnic issues
- Demonstrate an understanding of social science research methodology
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Schedule NowDegree(s) / Certificates(s)
| Title | Local Bachelor's |
|---|---|
| Psychology/Sociology - A.A. Transfer Degree |
Career Outlook
Successful completion of this program can open doors to various employment opportunities, many of which require further higher education at the university level. Below are examples of related occupations and their annual mean wages in Arizona, based on career and wage data from Pipeline AZ, which utilizes government sources for its reports and forecasts.
Description
Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Help individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory. Provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment. May design behavior modification programs and consult with medical personnel regarding the best treatment for patients.
Duties/Tasks
- Interact with clients to assist them in gaining insight, defining goals, and planning action to achieve effective personal, social, educational, or vocational development and adjustment.
- Conduct assessments of patients' risk for harm to self or others.
- Counsel individuals, groups, or families to help them understand problems, deal with crisis situations, define goals, and develop realistic action plans.
- Write reports on clients and maintain required paperwork.
- Collect information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods.
- Document patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans.
- Develop and implement individual treatment plans, specifying type, frequency, intensity, and duration of therapy.
- Use a variety of treatment methods, such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, behavior modification, stress reduction therapy, psychodrama, or play therapy.
- Develop therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients' interests, abilities, or needs.
- Identify psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues and diagnose disorders, using information obtained from interviews, tests, records, or reference materials.
Salary Information (AZ)
$76,870
$30,000
$77,450
$126,110
$36.96
$14.42
$37.00
$60.63
Typical Education Level
Doctoral Degree
Description
Advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.
Duties/Tasks
- Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.
- Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss children's progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs.
- Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
- Counsel individuals to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
- Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.
- Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Teach classes and present self-help or information sessions on subjects related to education and career planning.
- Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.
- Provide students with information on topics such as college degree programs and admission requirements, financial aid opportunities, trade and technical schools, and apprenticeship programs.
Salary Information (AZ)
$54,280
$38,350
$49,430
$77,250
$26.10
$18.44
$23.00
$37.14
Typical Education Level
Masters Degree
Description
Apply principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales, and marketing problems. Activities may include policy planning; employee testing and selection, training, and development; and organizational development and analysis. May work with management to organize the work setting to improve worker productivity.
Duties/Tasks
- Formulate and implement training programs, applying principles of learning and individual differences.
- Conduct research studies of physical work environments, organizational structures, communication systems, group interactions, morale, or motivation to assess organizational functioning.
- Conduct presentations on research findings for clients or at research meetings.
- Provide expert testimony in employment lawsuits.
- Study consumers' reactions to new products and package designs, and to advertising efforts, using surveys and tests.
- Review research literature to remain current on psychological science issues.
- Develop interview techniques, rating scales, and psychological tests used to assess skills, abilities, and interests for the purpose of employee selection, placement, or promotion.
- Conduct individual assessments, including interpreting measures and providing feedback for selection, placement, or promotion.
- Write articles, white papers, or reports to share research findings and educate others.
- Participate in mediation and dispute resolution.
Typical Education Level
Doctoral Degree
Description
Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. Apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders.
Duties/Tasks
- Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
- Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
- Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.
- Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
- Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.
- Collect information about clients, using techniques such as testing, interviewing, discussion, or observation.
- Confer with clients to develop plans for posttreatment activities.
- Confer with other counselors, doctors, and professionals to analyze individual cases and to coordinate counseling services.
- Determine whether clients should be counseled or referred to other specialists in such fields as medicine, psychiatry, or legal aid.
- Follow up on results of counseling programs and clients' adjustments to determine effectiveness of programs.
Salary Information (AZ)
$58,360
$37,270
$49,360
$62,950
$28.06
$17.92
$23.00
$30.26
Typical Education Level
Masters Degree
Description
Counsel and advise individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health, with an emphasis on prevention. May help individuals deal with a broad range of mental health issues, such as those associated with addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; or aging.
Duties/Tasks
- Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
- Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
- Assess patients for risk of suicide attempts.
- Prepare and maintain all required treatment records and reports.
- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
- Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems.
- Perform crisis interventions to help ensure the safety of the patients and others.
- Perform crisis interventions with clients.
- Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated forms, client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
- Develop and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge.
Typical Education Level
Masters Degree
Description
Assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.
Duties/Tasks
- Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
- Complete and maintain necessary records.
- Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate those impaired because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
- Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjust to handicaps.
- Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.
- Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
- Train caregivers in providing for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.
- Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.
- Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs or coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.
- Design and create, or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces, and computer-aided adaptive equipment.
Salary Information (AZ)
$90,520
$60,500
$80,690
$127,110
$43.52
$29.09
$38.00
$61.11
Typical Education Level
Masters Degree
Description
Teach courses in psychology, such as child, clinical, and developmental psychology, and psychological counseling. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Duties/Tasks
- 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.
- Supervise students' laboratory work.
- Supervise the clinical work of practicum students.
Salary Information (AZ)
$77,770
$38,640
$63,860
$127,760
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Typical Education Level
Doctoral Degree
Description
Diagnose and implement individual or schoolwide interventions or strategies to address educational, behavioral, or developmental issues that adversely impact educational functioning in a school. May address student learning and behavioral problems and counsel students or families. May design and implement performance plans, and evaluate performance. May consult with other school-based personnel.
Duties/Tasks
- Compile and interpret students' test results, along with information from teachers and parents, to diagnose conditions and to help assess eligibility for special services.
- Maintain student records, including special education reports, confidential records, records of services provided, and behavioral data.
- Report any pertinent information to the proper authorities in cases of child endangerment, neglect, or abuse.
- Select, administer, and score psychological tests.
- Interpret test results and prepare psychological reports for teachers, administrators, and parents.
- Assess an individual child's needs, limitations, and potential, using observation, review of school records, and consultation with parents and school personnel.
- Develop individualized educational plans in collaboration with teachers and other staff members.
- Counsel children and families to help solve conflicts and problems in learning and adjustment.
- Collect and analyze data to evaluate the effectiveness of academic programs and other services, such as behavioral management systems.
- Provide consultation to parents, teachers, administrators, and others on topics such as learning styles and behavior modification techniques.
Salary Information (AZ)
$76,870
$59,260
$78,210
$100,040
$36.96
$28.49
$37.00
$48.10
Typical Education Level
Post Masters Certificate
Description
Assist other social and human service providers in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families. May assist clients in identifying and obtaining available benefits and social and community services. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or dependent care.
Duties/Tasks
- Assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions.
- Develop and implement behavioral management and care plans for clients.
- Keep records or prepare reports for owner or management concerning visits with clients.
- Visit individuals in homes or attend group meetings to provide information on agency services, requirements, or procedures.
- Submit reports and review reports or problems with superior.
- Interview individuals or family members to compile information on social, educational, criminal, institutional, or drug history.
- Provide information or refer individuals to public or private agencies or community services for assistance.
- Oversee day-to-day group activities of residents in institution.
- Meet with youth groups to acquaint them with consequences of delinquent acts.
- Assist in locating housing for displaced individuals.
Salary Information (AZ)
$39,460
$29,000
$36,900
$56,780
$18.97
$13.94
$17.00
$27.30
Typical Education Level
Bachelors Degree
Description
Teach courses in sociology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Duties/Tasks
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as race and ethnic relations, measurement and data collection, and workplace social relations.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Salary Information (AZ)
$78,220
$38,640
$77,630
$123,630
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Typical Education Level
Doctoral Degree
Description
Counsel and advise individuals with alcohol, tobacco, drug, or other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders. May counsel individuals, families, or groups or engage in prevention programs.
Duties/Tasks
- Complete and maintain accurate records or reports regarding the patients' histories and progress, services provided, or other required information.
- Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies, adjusting to life, or making changes.
- Assess individuals' degree of drug dependency by collecting and analyzing urine samples.
- Follow progress of discharged patients to determine effectiveness of treatments.
- Conduct chemical dependency program orientation sessions.
- Review and evaluate clients' progress in relation to measurable goals described in treatment and care plans.
- Coordinate activities with courts, probation officers, community services, or other post-treatment agencies.
- Develop client treatment plans based on research, clinical experience, and client histories.
- Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in client status.
- Coordinate counseling efforts with mental health professionals or other health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, or social workers.
Typical Education Level
Masters Degree
Contact Information
Department Contact(s)
Faculty/Staff Contact(s)
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart Gibson | Dean of Business, Education, Social and Behavioral Sciences | (928) 317-6417 | Stuart.Gibson@azwestern.edu |
| Dawn Whinnery | Professor of Psychology | (928) 317-6444 | Dawn.Whinnery@azwestern.edu |