Health Professions

Two ambulances parked outside a modern building with people sitting nearby.
Health Professions

Psychology Career Pathways

What are Health Professions?

Health professions include a wide range of careers that focus on improving human health. They study, diagnose, treat, and prevent illness, injury, and physical or mental impairments. Health professions also include non-patient-facing and non-clinical roles—such as hospital administration, health policy, research, informatics, and program management—that support, improve, and coordinate healthcare systems.

Psychology in Practice

Psychology plays an essential role in the health professions by helping providers understand how behavior, cognition, emotion, and social factors influence physical health and healing. Psychological principles inform patient communication, health behavior change, treatment adherence, pain management, and culturally responsive care. Whether in clinical care, allied health, or health administration roles, professionals apply knowledge of human development, stress, motivation, and interpersonal dynamics to improve patient outcomes and promote holistic well-being.

Health Professions for Psychology Majors

Explore sub-fields of health professions that are fit for psychology majors. Click on the hyperlinked sample job posts to see real job postings that detail the position's responsibilities and qualifications. 

  • Medical and Nursing Professions
  • About Medical and Nursing Professions
    Medical and nursing professions involve direct, patient-facing work focused on diagnosing, treating, and managing health conditions. These roles require clinical training and often licensure, and they center on hands-on care, assessment, and treatment planning.

    Sample Job Posts
    • Audiologist
    • Physical Therapist
    • Nurse Practitioner

    Other Sample Job Titles
    Physician, Physician Assistant, Registered Nurse, Dentist, Pharmacist, Occupational Therapist, Registered Dietician, Speech Language Pathologist, Optometrist, Genetic Counselor
  • Allied Health

  • About Allied Health
    Allied health professions support diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation through specialized technical, therapeutic, or supportive services. These roles often work closely with clinical providers and play a critical role in care delivery and patient outcomes.

    Sample Job Posts
    • MRI Technician
    • Histotechnologist
    • Respiratory Care Therapist

    Other Sample Job Titles
    Pharmacy Technician, Dental Hygienist, Phlebotomist, Medical Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic, Sonographer, Radiology Technician, Optician, Cytologist, Perfusionist, Pathologist Assistant, Medical Lab Technician

  • Health Administration, Informatics, and Management
  • About Health Administration, Informatics, and Management 
    These professions focus on the organization, coordination, and improvement of healthcare systems rather than direct patient care. Roles in this sub-field ensure healthcare services are accessible, efficient, ethical, and data-informed.

    Sample Job Posts
    • Staffing Coordinator
    • Provider Relations Specialist
    • Health Services Coordinator

    Other Sample Job Titles
    Scheduler, Patient Representative, Patient Health Benefits Coordinator, Referral Specialist, Health Information Manager, Patient Coder

How to Prepare for a Career in Health

Do your Research

The steps you take to prepare for a career in health depend on what kind of position you want to pursue. For an overview on how to conduct research on your professions of interest, look at our Work Research section on the right. Here are some other starting points:

 

Supplement Your Bachelor's Degree

Consider the following course, double major, minor, and experiential recommendations during your academic journey

  • Psychology Major Course Recommendations
  • Core A: Perception, Cognition, & Cognitive Neuroscience
    PSC 130 — Human Learning & Memory
    PSC 135 — Cognitive Neuroscience

    Core B: Psychobiology
    PSC 101 — Intro to Biological Psychology
    PSC 121 — Physiological Psychology
    PSC 123 — Hormones & Behavior
    PSC 126 — Health Psychology
    PSC 137 — Neurobiology of Learning & Memory

    Core C: Social/Emotional
    PSC 156 — Psychology of Diversity in Aging
    PSC 157 — Stereotyping, Prejudice, & Stigma
    PSC 168 — Mental Health, Mental Illness, & Problems in Living

    Core D: Development
    PSC 140 — Developmental Psychology
    PSC 141 — Cognitive Development
    PSC 148 — Developmental Disorders

    Electives
    HDE 100A — Infancy & Early Childhood
    HDE 100B — Middle Childhood & Adolescence
    HDE 100C — Adulthood & Aging
    NPB 168 — Neurobiology of Addictive Drugs

    Pre-Health Prerequisites
    Please meet with a Health Professions Advisor to identify coursework required for your chosen profession. The subjects typically consist of biology/biological sciences, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, calculus, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology.
  • Double Major Recommendations
  • There is no "ideal" major that will prepare you for a career in the health professions. Students can choose any major and apply for medical school, as long as they meet the pre-requisites for the health professional school they apply to. That being said, the following majors are common choices among students interested in health professions:

    Biological Sciences
    Cognitive Science - Neuroscience Emphasis
    Human Biology*
    Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior*
    Philosophy Pre-Med Emphasis
    Science & Technology Studies

    *Cannot be paired with Psychology B.S. Biology Emphasis due to substantial course overlap
  • Minor Recommendations
  • Global Disease Biology
    Medical Humanities
    Neuroscience
    Public Health Sciences
  • Work Experience and Internship Recommendations
  • It is highly recommended that all undergraduate students engage in part-time work, internships, volunteering, and other extracurricular opportunities. ANY experience is RELEVANT experience.

    General Experiential Education Recommendations for Psychology Students

    Health Professions Specific Recommendations
    • Check out Health Related Experiences through the Career Center
    • Volunteer for the C.O.N.N.E.C.T.E.D. clinic
    • Join a student-run clinic through the UC Davis School of Medicine
    • Volunteer as a camp counselor for a summer camp program for youth with cancer or another illness. Start with these organizations - Camp Okizu, Camp Kesem at UC Davis, Camp Go Beyond
    • Apply for the UC Davis Sports Medicine Internship Program
    • Complete the UC Davis Fire Department EMT Certification Program
  • Campus Organization Recommendations
  • See this comprehensive list from Health Professions Advising on Health-Related Student Organizations

    Best Buddies UC Davis Chapter
    Best Buddies at UC Davis is a chapter of the global nonprofit Best Buddies International, which promotes social and economic inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We envision a world in which programs like Best Buddies are no longer needed because people with IDD are completely included in their communities.

    UC Davis Mental Health Initiative
    MHI aims to engage students in destigmatization and education efforts, prompt attendees to organize around mental health issues, and offer them the opportunity for self-reflection and healing through mental health discourse.

Graduate School for Health Professions

Graduation cap decorated with white and yellow flowers and blue stickers, seen from behind

What is Graduate School? What is a Graduate Degree?

Understand what graduate school is with this page from the Pre-Grad Advising Office. Pre-Grad Advisors are available to meet with students to discuss if graduate school is right for you .

Do I Need Graduate School for Health Professions?

For many health professions, graduate or professional school is required. Careers such as physician, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist, pharmacist, dentist, speech-language pathologist, nurse practitioner, and psychologist all require advanced education, clinical training, and licensure after completing a bachelor’s degree.

Other health-related careers may only require a certification program, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree. Some allied health and healthcare administration roles can be entered directly after undergraduate study, while others may benefit from graduate education later for advancement into leadership, specialization, or management.

Because requirements vary widely across professions, it is important to research the specific pathway you are interested in early and meet with Health Professions Advising to understand prerequisite coursework, clinical experience expectations, entrance exams, and application timelines.

Masked clinician with headlamp and gloves leaning over patient, photo

Exploring Health Careers

Find out what kind of post-bacc education is needed for different health careers by Health Professions Advising (HPA). HPA Advisors are available to meet with students to discuss and plan out your specific career pathway.