Career Outlook

An Associate of Arts in Psychology builds skills that are useful across a wide range of fields. Psychology is fundamentally about understanding people, which makes it relevant in far more settings than behavioral health alone.

Graduates commonly find opportunities in behavioral health, education, and community service roles across Maine, where human-centered skills are in high demand. But psychology knowledge is also widely applied in fields like business, healthcare, law, research, data analysis, the arts, and creative industries — anywhere communication, decision-making, and understanding human behavior matter.

This degree provides a versatile foundation for entry-level and mid-career roles, often with opportunities for certification, advancement, and flexible scheduling. As Maine continues to expand services in behavioral health, education, and social support, demand for professionals with psychology and human-service skills remains strong and continues to grow across many sectors.

*Note: Salaries vary by employer, experience, and location. The income estimates above are specific to Maine, and are drawn from recent state‑level wage data reported by major labor‑market and salary aggregators, including Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Salary.com, as well as federal occupational data for each position. These sources compile and update salary information using employer job postings, employee self‑reports, and government surveys, providing current hourly and annual pay ranges specific to Maine.

Members gain access to national awards, opportunities to present at conferences, eligibility for student membership in the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, and recognition of accomplishments in the Psi Beta Newsletter. A limited number of membership fees will be covered at no cost for eligible students.

Students may apply if they have a 3.25 GPA or higher, a grade of B or better in at least one college psychology course, at least 12 college credits and no more than 45, and are enrolled full-time in 12 credits or more.

If you are ready to take the next step in your academic journey, complete the application before Dec. 31.

Kati Corlew, UMA Associate Professor of Psychology, is presenting at two international events this fall. She will deliver the keynote address at the (Sept. 16–18) with her talk Radical Empowerment: Practicing the Principles in a Community Psychology Course.

Later in October, Dr. Corlew will present her paper The Role of Community Connection in the Practice of Trauma-Informed Emergency Management at the Health Emergency Management BC Lunch and Learn (Oct. 29). This paper was published earlier this year in the Journal of Emergency Management, and the recorded presentation will be available .

Dr. Kati Corlew, professor of Psychology and Trauma-Informed Emergency Management, has recently achieved multiple scholarly milestones.

She has two forthcoming publications: one based on her Spring 2023 sabbatical research titled “Not Just Window Dressing: Cultivating Lasting Policy and Practice Reforms toward Racial Equity and Justice in a Small Non-Profit Organization” in the Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, and another titled “The Role of Community Connection in the Practice of Trauma-Informed Emergency Management” in the Journal of Emergency Management, as part of their special issue Leave Nobody Behind: Emergency Management in a More Inclusive Way. She will also present this work at a virtual conference, accessible at .

In addition, Dr. Corlew was named Best Paper Presenter for her technical presentation and research contributions at EduCon London – International Conference on Education for her presentation, “Radical Empowerment: Practicing the Principles in a Community Psychology Course.�

UMA Dean of the College of Professional Studies, Dr. Brenda McAleer, will join adjunct faculty member, Dr. John O’Brien, author of the book Rudeness Rehab, in an episode of Maine Calling on Friday, April 11, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Jennifer Rooks will be hosting the discussion about how rudeness and incivility impact our personal and professional lives.

People can go to  to listen to the show live.  It will also be archived at  (and rebroadcast Friday evening at 8pm).

In the field of Community Psychology, one strong area of study is psychological sense of community (PSOC) and its connection to individual and community wellbeing. Vulnerable and marginalized communities often have a different relationship to their community during times of calm; this can be exacerbated in times of crisis. Trauma-Informed Emergency Management (TEM) can provide insight into the necessity of community connection during crisis to aid in recovery and resilience.

Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Explain and apply the components of psychological sense of community (PSOC)
• Analyze the complex interactions of positive versus negative, and weak versus strong PSOC in vulnerable and marginalized populations
• Understand the principles of Trauma-Informed Emergency Management (TEM)
• Describe the role of community connection in crisis response and recovery

Dr. Laura Kate (Kati) Corlew is a Community and Cultural Psychologist whose expertise includes the psychology of disaster and climate change, and social justice issues such as racism and discrimination against the poor. Prior to joining the faculty at the Â鶹APP, she was a community researcher on disaster and climate change preparedness in the Pacific Islands region. She lives in Hampden, ME with her husband and two good dogs.

Dr. Kati Corlew’s Psychology in Context Lab (PiC Lab) is hiring Research Assistants!

This position is part of the Barracuda Project (Biodiversity and RuRal Adaptation to Climate Change Using Data Analysis), an interdisciplinary and multi-university team, and is funded by an NSF EPSCoR grant.

These are mentored positions. You will join a team of four RAs who actively participate in research training and the development of science communication, outreach, and engagement research to support local farmers with climate adaptation tools.

Can be fully remote!

This position pays $16.80/hr, up to 15 hours/week. The position will continue through Fall 2023 and Spring 2024.

Position Responsibilities

• Being an active member of the PiC Lab by attending weekly lab meetings in person or via Zoom and actively contributing to research development, implementation, analysis, and dissemination;
• Participating in research training;
• Collaboratively drafting research materials including measures, protocols, and dissemination materials;
• Providing collaborative feedback on materials drafted by others in the Lab;
• Maintaining confidential research participant records, including consent forms, communication records, and research data;
• Maintaining a welcoming and professional presence at all community events;
• Transcribing focus group recordings and other data input as needed;
• Maintaining a cool head and creatively troubleshooting the inevitable snags in the research process;
• Other activities as needed/desired.

Position Requirements

• Be currently enrolled and in good standing at UMA;
• Have basic computer skills, including facility with word processor and spreadsheet software (e.g. MS Word and Excel; Google Docs and Sheets);
• Basic writing and public speaking skills.
• Preference will be given to students who:
  • Have completed one or more Research Methods course(s) (e.g., SSC 220, SSC 320), Qualitative Research Methods course (e.g., SSC 360) and/or Climate Change related course (e.g., PSY 333);
  • Have excellent writing, public speaking, or creative design skills.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter/statement of interest to kate.corlew@maine.edu.

Patrick Cheek, UMA Assistant Professor of Psychology

Health Communities of the Augusta Area () recently appointed Patrick Cheek, Ph.D., UMA Assistant Professor of Psychology to its Board of Directors. HCCA, a non-profit organization, is a coalition of local individuals who seek to improve the health and quality of life in Kennebec County, by working on the local, public health district, and state-level goals.