Applied Psychology

Basic Psychology research and knowledge pertains to our understanding of human cognition (mental processes), human behavior, social factors, development, and the interaction between these constructs. Basic psychology provides insight into our foundational knowledge of why humans think, perceive, and act the way they do. This is a primary focus of UCSB's Psychological and Brain Science Major.

Applied Psychology research and knowledge focuses on identifying and solving practical problems pertaining to the human experience. It most often focuses on supporting and providing therapeutic assistance to vulnerable populations. For example, applied psychology researchers might use scientific methods to help (a) understand and resolve challenges associated with a psychiatric or developmental disorder, (b) address inequities and discrimination related to being a member of a marginalized group, or (c) maximize a person's ability to overcome adversity and thrive. This is a primary focus of UCSB's Applied Psych Minor.

Our mission is to provide UCSB undergraduates with high-quality courses that provide an overview of applied/health service psychology (e.g., counseling, clinical, & school psychology), and behavioral health and wellness research across home, community, and school settings.

Students often have opportunities to be involved in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology's current research areas of excellence, including autism intervention; school violence/safety; peer relationships and bullying; emotion regulation in young children; disaster mental health; therapeutic helping skills; positive psychology; multicultural counseling; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues; and evaluation and improvement of community-based mental/behavioral health programs.

Our highly-respected department is at the cutting edge of research, practice, and training. Our commitment to you is to make the AP minor an educational option that will make you more aware of mental health and wellness issues and help you to explore research and related career options in applied psychology.

There are a number of career options related to applied psychology:

Clinical Career: A clinical career refers to someone who works directly with people to help them identify, understand, prevent, address, and/or resolve their challenges or problems. Some example careers include working as a clinical, counseling, or school psychologist; a social worker; a marriage and family therapist (MFT); a drug/alcohol counselor, or a behavioral or psychological technician.

Research Career: A research career refers to someone who designs or helps conduct research related to the optimal ways to understand, prevent, identify, address, and resolve human challenges and problems. An applied psych researcher might help identify (a) how common a particular challenge or disorder is, (b) the risk factors associated with that challenge, (c) better ways to screen for, identify, or diagnose a particular problem, (d) new therapeutic methods for resolving or minimizing symptoms, or (e) optimal ways to train parents and professionals to help others. These careers include working as a research professor, professional researcher, or research associate/assistant at a university, hospital, government institution, private business, or nonprofit organization.

Other Careers: Because human challenges and problems cut across all professions, the knowledge and experiences gained by Applied Psych Minor students is relevant for individuals pursing careers in almost any field, including medicine/nursing, general/special education, speech/language pathology, disability services, politics, community advocacy work, and for-profit/non-profit business pursuits.