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Psychology is a growing field in India, increasingly establishing itself among the big players. The versatile nature of the field makes it welcoming for people from various backgrounds – there’s something for everyone, from counselling and guidance to conducting experiments, working with AI, understanding the brain and so much more. Psychology is an unexplored realm in India with loads of potential and scope. This blog will break down each and every step in your path towards becoming a psychology professional, right from stream selection to best career options in psychology. Let’s begin right from the beginning, shall we?

STAGE 1: HIGH SCHOOL 

One’s professional journey begins when they decide their subjects for 11th and 12th. Today, psychology as a subject is offered in all streams – humanities (arts), science and commerce, and in almost all schools. Of course, you can still pursue Psychology if you don’t take it up at school level, however later you’ll be competing with students who have already formed a foundation in the subject which can be disadvantageous for you. Psychology in high school will help you explore the subject and figure out whether you’d like to stick with it, why, and what options and fields are available to you. You might need career counselling to explore the Psychology courses after 12th standard.

STAGE 2: BACHELOR’S DEGREE

After graduating from high school, the next obvious step is to enrol in a university offering a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. You can either pursue B.A. Honours where you only study Psychology as your core subject, or B.A. Programme where you have to pick 2 core subjects to study (of which Psychology will be one). Depending on your interests, career goals and aspirations, you can decide if you wish to pursue a career in Psychology or not.

Below mentioned are some of the top colleges in India for psychology: 

  1. Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi
  2. Christ University, Bangalore 
  3. Gargi College, University of Delhi
  4. Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi
  5. Ambedkar University, Delhi
  6. Lucknow University, UP
  7. Amity University, Noida
  8. Fergusson College, Pune
  9. St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai
  10. Christ University, Bangalore

PRO TIP: HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR BACHELOR’S DEGREE

  1. Network with peers (from within and outside of psychology), professors, and professionals in your city. 
  2. Read as much as you can outside of your curriculum 
  3. Sign up for internships and workshops 
  4. Explore the best career options in psychology to figure out where your interest lies.

STAGE 3: MASTER’S DEGREE

A master’s degree is the minimum requirement needed to work as a professional in Psychology, regardless of the specialisation. In order to pursue a Master’s degree in Psychology, you need to have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline, however some colleges only accept students with a Psychology background. This is the point where you choose which subfield you’d like to get into – clinical Psychology, counselling, industrial/organisational, criminal, sports and so on. There are heavily specialised Master’s degrees such as MA in I/O Psychology where the specialisation subjects are taught right from the beginning, as well as more general Master’s degree where you study basic psychology in first year, and the specialisation in second year. Depending on where your interests lie, you can decide to pursue either. 

Additionally, you can pick between a Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (MSc.). In India, the distinction between the two is minimal – MA is more inclined towards social science, and MSc is more inclined towards the scientific nature of the field. However, it depends on the university and their curriculum.

 Below mentioned are some top colleges for Master’s in Psychology (and specialisations) in India:

  1. Tata Institute of Social Science (MA in Clinical/Counselling Psychology)
  2. University of Delhi (MA in Clinical/Counselling/Industrial Psychology)
  3. Jamia Millia Islamia (MA in Applied Psychology)
  4. Fergusson College, Pune (MA in Clinical/Counselling/Industrial Psychology)
  5. Christ University, Bangalore and Delhi NCR (MSc in Clinical/Counselling/Industrial/Neuro Psychology)
  6. Ambedkar University, Delhi (MA in Psychosocial Clinical Studies)
  7. Amity University, Noida (MA in Applied/Clinical/Counselling/Industrial Psychology)
  8. St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai (MA in Lifespan Counselling)

PRO TIP: HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MASTER’S DEGREE

  1. Again, network as much as you can – with your peers, professors and professionals in the field of your choice
  2. Get experience conducting research under supervision 
  3. Intern at different organisations and gain experience 
  4. Don’t try to control your curiosity – learn and ask as much as possible!

STAGE 4: HIGHER EDUCATION 

Once you’ve obtained your Master’s degree, you become eligible to work as a psychology professional within the specialisation of your choice – except for clinical psychology. In order to work as a clinical psychologist, after pursuing Master’s, having an MPhil (Clinical Psychology) degree from an RCI (regulatory body) approved institution is mandatory. An MPhil is a 2 degree course focussed on clinical practice and application based exposure. Students work in hospital set ups and work with clients with mental illnesses. 

For other specialisations, a Master’s degree is enough to start working. However, in psychology the learning never stops. Many professionals go on to add more credentials through short term courses such as certification courses and postgraduate diplomas. These courses are more specialised and centred around the niche of your interest. For example, if you’re working as a counselling psychologist, in order to gain more credibility and knowledge, you may pursue a short-term course related to marriage counselling, family counselling, expressive arts therapy and so on. These courses are not mandatory but definitely do add weight to one’s profile. 

STAGE 5: DOCTORATE IN PSYCHOLOGY

The highest degree one can pursue in psychology is a doctorate degree. One gets the title of “Dr.” after obtaining it. At the doctoral level, you need to pick one area of your specialisation, or even within your specialisation. In psychology, there are two types of doctorate degrees: 

  1. Ph.D. in Psychology: A PhD is more research oriented and is more suited for people who want to enter academics. The duration of this course is 4-6 years, depending on the institution. Candidates need to work on a research dissertation and defend it successfully in order to obtain the degree. After this, they can work in both sectors – academics (as researchers and professors) and application-based fields (professionals). For example, a person with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology can work as a university lecturer and also as a clinical psychologist, working in hospital setups. 
  2. PsyD (Doctor of Psychology): A PsyD is a relatively new degree and is more suited for people inclined towards practical clinical work instead of research. The duration of this course is 4-5 years. It provides a hands-on experience to the candidate of what it’s working like with clients. People pursuing a PsyD may either work on a dissertation or an equivalent project that needs to be defended in order to obtain the degree. After this, they can only work in clinical setups – they do not have the option to get into university level teaching. 

POPULAR PSYCHOLOGY SPECIALISATIONS & CAREERS IN INDIA 

  1. Clinical Psychology: Concerned with mental disorders
  2. Counselling Psychology: Concerned with day-to-day problems of individuals 
  3. I/O Psychology: Concerned with the functioning of an organisation and its employees
  4. Criminal/Forensic Psychology: Concerned with the study of criminal behaviour
  5. Child Psychology: Concerned with the mental and emotional development of children
  6. Special Educator: Concerned with neurodevelopmental and learning disorders such as autism and dyslexia
  7. Education and Research: conducting research on issues you like and practice teaching alongside.

Psychology is a vast unexplored field with something for everyone. If you’re interested in pursuing psychology, try to explore the subject as much as you can. If you’re still on the fence about deciding the best career options in Psychology and if it’s the right option for you, reach out to our career counsellors and get rid of all your doubts! For more information, visit https://eduwiki.co.in/

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