If you have been walking around Jennison lately, you may have walked past a television advertising Bentley’s latest major, Psychology. Now, if you’re like me, this display may have stopped you in your tracks as you read the explanation as to what the newest major had to offer Bentley students. Psychology is an incredibly popular major with university students, and it is offered at a majority of universities throughout America, but this is the first time that Bentley has ever offered the major. As students, the question we should be asking ourselves is why now? There has been some speculation over the past year or so that Bentley is heading away from its business school foundation and more towards the beliefs of a liberal arts university. While I am not sure whether this is true, the latest major addition certainly seems to indicate that Bentley may be changing its ways. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, as the change has the potential to increase financial gain for the university by attracting a wider variety of individuals. According to the American Psychological Association, “Psychology is the fourth most popular individual major overall”. The additional major may also have the potential to create new positions for both potential full time and adjunct professors. The biggest concern many have is how the major will affect our return on investment. Our median starting salary is incredibly high, but the latest major addition may serve to drag those numbers down. Psychology can be highly profitable, but normally only with the help of an advanced degree like a masters or a doctorate. According to Very Well Mind, …“If you want better job opportunities and higher pay, then you are going to need a graduate degree. A master's degree is considered the minimum for many career paths such as counseling, industrial-organizational psychology, school psychology, and health psychology”. This means that either our financial ROI is going to take a hit, or Bentley is going to have to offer psychology as a master’s program to ensure profitable jobs are accessible for every major. As to whether adding Psychology to the major’s list was a beneficial decision remains to be seen, but I am looking forward to seeing what majors Bentley choses to add in the future.
Brianna Harding