Your Future – Careers and Employability
We are committed to providing you with guidance to find direction on your career path and to increase your employability.
In Social Sciences, we strongly encourage you to think about and work towards career opportunities that are best suited to you. The BSc Criminology and Psychology programme will enable you to develop and enhance transferable skills that are highly valued by employers such as critical thinking, report writing, statistical analysis, research, teamwork and problem solving. We work closely with the Careers and Employability Service (please see below) in order to provide tailor-made employability workshops – sometimes in your compulsory modules – that are intended to support you in your preparation for your future career. With a Social Sciences degree there are a wide range of career opportunities and we provide information on the career paths of graduates of the same or similar degree to you.
Career paths that you may be interested in pursuing include criminological psychology research; the criminal justice system; police, prison and probation services; central and local government departments; teaching; media and communications; social services, youth work and social work; and postgraduate study. We are confident that the educational experience we have given you provides you with a solid foundation on which to build a successful career. The degree is also accredited by the British Psychological Society as providing Graduate Basis for Chartership with the Society, which means that careers across the range of psychology professions are also open to you.
As time goes by, your interests will develop and you will start to think more about your career plans. Throughout your studies, we will provide opportunities to help you find a direction for your future career. A document that you may find useful to read is the CBI/NUS Booklet ‘Working towards your future: Making the most of your time in Higher Education‘.
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Careers Support at the University of Southampton
The Careers and Employability Service provides support to students at all levels of study and has a range of opportunities on offer. Research* shows that graduates with no previous work experience are unlikely to be successful during the selection process and over 30% of positions will be filled by graduates who have already worked for that organisation. The Service provides drop-in advice, 1:1 guidance, workshops, skills sessions, Careers Fairs and employer led events to support your career planning as well as the following opportunities:
*High Fliers 2016
Excel Southampton Internships
The Excel Southampton Internship Programme offers 4-12 weeks paid internships which enhance your CV, expand your network and ope graduate recruitment opportunities.
Business Innovation Programme
The Business Innovation Programme provides an opportunity to develop your business acumen, team working and problem-solving skills by working on an 8 week project put forward by local businesses or not-for-profit organisations. The BIP is supported by IBM.
Year in Employment
The Year In Employment is a work placement taking after your second year or study, enabling you to develop the skills employers value and gain insight to an industry of your choice. Eligibility criteria is available here – please check before applying.
Volunteering Bank
Volunteering is a great way to help you gain many of the skills employers are looking for, build your network and develop yourself in new ways.
Careers support in SSPC and Criminology
The School of SSPC will support you with your future career choices, and we will make every effort to help you to secure employment after leaving University.
Placements: We recognise the value of placement experience both to enhance your skills and to give you an idea of what it is like to work in a particular sector or specific organisation. In your third of study, we offer a specific employability module (SSAS3003). There is also the opportunity to apply for one of the placements organised within Social Sciences and to gain academic credit for this through the Social Sciences Placement module.
Careers talks and workshops: Tailor-made employability workshops are intended to support you in your preparation for your future career. On top of this, specific employability events are organised every year by the Academic Unit. Career Panels and Talks given by external speakers (some of whom may be alumni from your degree programme) facilitate networking opportunities. You will be informed when important workshops and talks will be running throughout the academic year. Some of the events that you may be interested in attending can be viewed under the ‘Upcoming Events 2014/15’ section.
Dr Carol Davis, a member of academic staff, is the Social Sciences Employability Coordinator, and Employabilty Coordinator for your degree programme. Throughout your three years of study, your Employability Coordinator will contact you about relevant events and workshops, training and job opportunities, which may be of interest to you. If you have ideas for particular employability events, Carol would be happy to discuss these with you. Please contact her by email: C.E.Davis@soton.ac.uk.
Careers support in Psychology
The School of Psychology is committed to providing you with the guidance to find the right direction on your career path and to increase your employability. As part of your studies in Psychology, you will learn about the different career options that are available within Psychology. Two documents that you may find useful to read are the Psychology Employability Strategy and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) booklet ‘Psychology Student: Employability Guide‘.
The Careers and Employability Service in conjunction with the School of Psychology, provides comprehensive career support for all students studying Psychology at the University of Southampton. There is an identified lead careers adviser who works with the School of Psychology to deliver career information sessions, workshops and support on a wide range of career-related topics tailored to Psychology students, including:
- Providing information and guidance on key career considerations to be aware of at each stage during your time at University.
- A Psychology Career Panel, where students can hear from a range of Psychology graduates who have used their degree in different ways
- Advice on sourcing psychology-related work experience
- Sessions on both careers in applied psychology, and alternative options with a psychology degree.
If you have any questions about career development or employability in Psychology, please contact Dr Tom Randell, on T.D.W.Randell@soton.ac.uk.
Thinking about a Postgraduate Career?
Perhaps you are considering Postgraduate study. There is a wide range of programmes leading to various qualifications available to you, and selecting the appropriate programme may not be easy. The first thing to realise is that you need to make a well informed decision and, therefore, the key is to obtain all the information you need. The Faculty always aims to retain its best and brightest students for research. However when collecting information about postgraduate studies, you should cast your net wide. You need to select an area that interests you – a difficult task in itself because you will also seek an area that has good employment prospects. There is also the choice between taught postgraduate programmes leading towards a Master of Science (MSc) and/or research postgraduate degrees.
Both Social Sciences and Psychology Academic Unit are keen to encourage you if you wish to pursue further studies in their subject.
Your Social Sciences Division runs a range of taught and research degrees, and teacher training programmes, including:
- PG Dip/MSc Criminology
- PG Dip/MSc Social Policy and Social Research
Each year, a workshop is held for Year Two and Three undergraduates, which gives you information about postgraduate study (for example, advice about applications and funding opportunities).
The School of Psychology runs a range of taught and research degrees, including:
- Certificate and Diploma courses in CBT.
- MSc courses in Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, and Research Methods.
- MPhil/PhD courses in Psychology, and Health Psychology Research and Professional practice.
- Professional Doctorate programmes in Clinical Psychology and Educational Psychology.
If you would like to discuss Postgraduate studies in Criminology, you can arrange a meeting and discuss this with your Personal Academic Tutor or Dr Carol Davis, (Email: C.E.Davis@soton.ac.uk), your Employability Coordinator.
If you would like to discuss Postgraduate studies in Psychology, you can arrange a meeting and discuss this with Dr Tim Wildschut (Email: R.T.Wildschut@soton.ac.uk), the Postgraduate Research Director in Psychology.