Occupation · SOC 25-1066
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
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.
Median wage
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Projected growth
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Annual openings
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per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
1,531 mapped
Core skills
Learning StrategiesSpeakingReading ComprehensionInstructingWritingActive ListeningCritical ThinkingActive LearningSocial PerceptivenessJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingMonitoringScienceSystems EvaluationSystems AnalysisCoordinationTime ManagementService OrientationMathematicsManagement of Personnel ResourcesPersuasionOperations AnalysisNegotiationProgrammingManagement of Material ResourcesManagement of Financial ResourcesTechnology DesignQuality Control AnalysisOperations MonitoringTroubleshootingRepairingOperation and ControlInstallationEquipment SelectionEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
PsychologyEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingSociology and AnthropologyMathematicsTherapy and CounselingComputers and ElectronicsCommunications and MediaBiologyAdministration and ManagementCustomer and Personal ServicePhilosophy and TheologyAdministrativePersonnel and Human ResourcesMedicine and DentistryLaw and GovernmentHistory and ArcheologyPublic Safety and SecurityTelecommunicationsChemistryEngineering and TechnologyEconomics and AccountingForeign LanguageSales and MarketingPhysicsGeographyFine ArtsDesignMechanicalProduction and ProcessingBuilding and ConstructionTransportationFood Production
Technology & tools
Biomedical Imaging Resource AnalyzeBlackboard LearnBlackboard softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareCedrus SuperLab ProCengage Learning Sniffy the Virtual RatCollaborative editing softwareCourse management system softwareDOC CopDesire2Learn LMS softwareEmail softwareEmpirisoft DirectRTEmpirisoft MediaLabFreeSurferGoogle DocsIBM SPSS StatisticsImage scanning softwareLearning management system LMSMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordMillisecond Software InquisitMinitabMoodleMultivariate Software EQSPsyScopePsyScriptPsychSimPsychology Software Tools E-PrimePsychology Software Tools MRI SimulatorPsychophysics ToolboxQualtrics Research SuiteRSASSakai CLEScientific Software International HLMSona Systems Experiment Management SystemSurveyWiz
Representative tasks
Training and Teaching OthersInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsWorking with ComputersCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesCoaching and Developing OthersGetting InformationMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleDocumenting/Recording InformationProcessing InformationThinking CreativelyGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesAnalyzing Data or InformationDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersAssisting and Caring for OthersIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsScheduling Work and ActivitiesCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsPerforming Administrative ActivitiesDeveloping and Building TeamsEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesSelling or Influencing OthersStaffing Organizational UnitsInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsControlling Machines and ProcessesPerforming General Physical ActivitiesHandling and Moving ObjectsRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Undergraduate and graduate lectures on foundational psychology topics — prepare and deliver under faculty mentorship using structured course templates in a postsecondary classroom setting.Classroom discussions on psychological concepts — initiate and facilitate with guidance from supervising faculty in introductory-level course sections.Student assignments and written papers — evaluate and grade using provided rubrics and grading criteria established by the course coordinator.Current psychology literature and peer-reviewed journals — read and summarize key developments to support teaching preparation under departmental direction.Course examinations — compile and administer following established departmental protocols, with oversight from senior faculty.Course syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts — prepare using departmental templates and approved learning objectives for assigned sections.Undergraduate research or internship activities — assist in supervising under the direction of a senior faculty mentor in a university research environment.Word processing and course management software — use to organize instructional materials and communicate assignments to students in an academic setting.Psychological theories and empirical findings — apply foundational knowledge of psychology, sociology, and biology to support accurate content delivery in entry-level courses.Student comprehension and participation — monitor during lectures and adjust pacing based on observable engagement cues in small or medium-sized classroom environments.
developing
Lectures on specialized psychology topics such as abnormal psychology and cognitive processes — prepare and deliver independently to undergraduate cohorts with minimal supervisory review.Seminar and discussion-based learning environments — facilitate and moderate with emerging confidence, drawing on active listening and social perceptiveness to guide student dialogue.Student class work, laboratory reports, and research papers — evaluate and grade consistently using self-developed rubrics aligned with course learning outcomes.Professional conferences and collegial networks — participate in regularly to stay current with developments in psychology and integrate new findings into course content.Mid-term and final examinations — compile, administer, and grade independently, delegating proctoring tasks to teaching assistants as appropriate in a university setting.Course materials including syllabi and supplemental handouts — design and refine each semester based on student feedback and evolving disciplinary standards.Graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate research students — supervise day-to-day activities, providing formative feedback within a structured academic program.Analytical and scientific software and database query tools — use to support literature searches, data illustration, and evidence-based instructional design.Critical thinking and complex problem-solving frameworks — model and teach explicitly within psychology coursework to develop students' higher-order reasoning skills.Student learning outcomes — monitor across multiple course sections and use data to inform iterative adjustments to instructional strategy and assessment design.
proficient
Graduate and advanced undergraduate lectures across the full psychology curriculum — design and deliver autonomously, integrating cutting-edge research into content on topics from work motivation to therapy and counseling.Complex classroom discussions involving contested theories and empirical debates — moderate with expertise, using deductive and inductive reasoning to guide students toward rigorous analytical conclusions.Comprehensive student assessment systems — develop, validate, and administer across lecture, laboratory, and seminar contexts, ensuring alignment with program-level learning outcomes.Emerging developments across psychology sub-disciplines — synthesize continuously through journal review, conference attendance, and professional network engagement, translating findings into updated instructional content.Doctoral and master's-level research projects — supervise independently, providing substantive methodological and theoretical guidance through all stages from design to thesis defense.Internship and field placement programs — oversee and coordinate, evaluating student professional development against accreditation and program competency standards.Interdisciplinary course content drawing on sociology, biology, and communications — construct and teach autonomously, demonstrating broad knowledge integration across related academic domains.Scholarly writing and grant proposal development — produce at a high level of proficiency, contributing original research to peer-reviewed publications and supporting departmental research goals.Non-routine pedagogical challenges such as underperforming students or curriculum gaps — identify and resolve using problem sensitivity and judgment to implement evidence-based instructional interventions.Systems analysis and evaluation methods — apply to assess program effectiveness and recommend data-informed curricular changes within a postsecondary psychology department.
advanced
Departmental teaching philosophy and curriculum architecture — set strategic direction for across all psychology degree programs, aligning content with institutional mission and accreditation standards.Faculty recruitment and hiring processes — lead end-to-end, designing selection criteria, conducting candidate evaluations, and making final recommendations to ensure program excellence.Junior and mid-career faculty development — mentor systematically through observation, feedback, and structured professional development initiatives within the department.Research culture and scholarly productivity — cultivate at an organizational level by securing external funding, establishing laboratory infrastructure, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.Departmental assessment and program review cycles — direct, synthesizing outcome data across courses and student cohorts to drive continuous improvement at the program and institutional level.Institutional academic policies, curriculum committees, and accreditation bodies — represent the psychology department in strategic engagement, advocating for resource allocation and programmatic recognition.Graduate training pipelines including doctoral supervision, teaching mentorship, and professional socialization — oversee comprehensively, producing scholars and practitioners who advance the discipline.Field-wide knowledge integration across psychology, counseling, neuroscience, and social science — demonstrate at an authoritative level, publishing influential work and shaping discourse at national conferences.Organizational coordination across faculty, administrative staff, and external stakeholders — exercise to sustain high-functioning departmental operations and strategic academic partnerships.Ethics, integrity, and intellectual curiosity — model at the highest standard across teaching, research, and service activities, establishing the cultural norms that define the department's scholarly identity.
Also known as
39 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Abnormal Psychology TeacherAdjunct InstructorAdjunct ProfessorAdjunct Psychology Faculty MemberAdjunct Psychology InstructorAdjunct Psychology ProfessorApplied Psychology ProfessorApplied Psychology TeacherAssistant ProfessorAssociate ProfessorChild Development InstructorChild Development ProfessorChild Development TeacherChild Psychology TeacherClinical Psychology ProfessorClinical Psychology TeacherCollege Faculty MemberCollege ProfessorEducational Psychology ProfessorEducational Psychology TeacherFaculty MemberHuman Relations ProfessorHuman Relations TeacherI/O Psychology Professor (Industrial/Organizational Psychology Professor)Industrial Psychology ProfessorIndustrial Psychology TeacherInstructorLecturerMental Measurements TeacherProfessorPsychology Adjunct InstructorPsychology Assistant ProfessorPsychology Faculty MemberPsychology InstructorPsychology LecturerPsychology ProfessorSchool Psychology ProfessorTeacherUniversity Faculty Member