Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Psychology Professor
What psychology professors actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a psychology professor?
Teach intro psychology. From there, the day usually includes teach psychology courses, teach research methods and statistics, and run a research lab. Teaching, research and service with flexible hours.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a psychology professor working full time.
- Teach intro psychology.
- Meet lab assistants.
- Review study data.
- Submit an IRB protocol.
- Teach research methods.
- Advise students on grad school.
- Write a manuscript.
Where psychology professors work
Faculty work in classrooms, research labs and offices.
Hours and schedule
Teaching, research and service with flexible hours.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Teach psychology courses
- Teach research methods and statistics
- Run a research lab
- Supervise student researchers
- Conduct studies
- Publish research
- Advise students
Tools you’ll use every day
- Survey platforms
- SPSS and R
- Experiment software
- Learning management systems
- Eye trackers or EEG
- Presentation tools
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Popular, engaging subject
- Student research mentoring
- Flexible schedule
- Many subfields
What’s hard
- Large classes
- Competitive tenure track
- IRB paperwork
- Grant pressure
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love psychology
- I enjoy research
- I like mentoring
- I like statistics
- I enjoy teaching
- I’m willing to earn a doctorate
Not sure? Take the free Psychology Professor fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow IRB rules
- Protect participant data
- Protect student privacy
- Refer students in distress