The Skillful Major: Psychology Curricula in the 21st Century

In light of the rising cost of attendance and student indebtedness, a national conversation has emerged regarding the value of a college degree and its ability to support the types of skills employers consider necessary or important for a graduate's long-term career success. We first discuss these skills along with national initiatives such as the Association of American Colleges and Universities' (AACU's) Liberal Education and America's Promise and Lumina Foundation's Degree Qualifications Profile that strive to reconceptualize an undergraduate education to emphasize the broad skills and knowledge one should acquire. Next, we review the APA Guidelines 2.0 and their overlap with these national initiatives with the emphasis on skill development. Finally, we make a series of recommendations as to how psychology faculty and departments can use these guidelines to develop a curriculum with an emphasis on skill development that optimizes student success in both the workplace and in graduate or professional school.