Humans are and have always been a complicated race. For a large part, people tried to understand each other through experiences and perceptions and that worked well for some time. But then we, as a race, decided that the current level of complication wasn’t enough and evolved further. That’s when some enlightened individuals decided that enough was enough and decided to study that wretched thing aka human mind. One thing led to another and now we study human minds like a book. Although we are still not able to unlock all the mysteries that a human minds hold, we have still made breakthroughs which were completely unheard of till the fall of last century. What makes psychology a really sought after course is the newer dimensions and domains where it is being used to simplify the otherwise complicating phenomena. Be it children or adult, criminals or sports teams – all have a psychology that needs to be attended to in order to get the best out of them.
Psychology Courses
Course Details
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for courses in psychology depend upon the nature of course that one intends to. Psychology can be taken up at any level provided there is some related qualification with the applicant. Lack of qualifications can be made up for with relevant experience, at least at the Master’s level. But for doctoral and post doctoral courses, relevant pre-qualification is a must. An individual may apply for Bachelor’s in Psychology after completing 10+2 in any field but for Master’s, a previous degree in psychology, social work or HR is required. Doctoral and Post Doctoral programmes are more specific in their eligibility requirements and also appreciate prior work experience in relevant field.
Details Of Course Curriculum
The course curriculum deals with basics of human psychology and the various ways and cases in which it is manifested throughout years and ages. The impact of families and environment on an individual’s psychology is the most common area of study in this arena. Some of the topics which are commonly found in any psychology study are:
- Bio Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology and artificial Intelligence
- Theories of Personality
- Experimental Psychology
- Applied Social Psychology
- Psychological Statistics
- Psychological Assessment
- Research Methodology
- Guidance and Counseling
- Organizational Behaviour
- Human Resource Development
- Organizational Effectiveness and Management of Change
- Training and Development
- Industrial Relations and Labor Law
- History of Psychology
Specialisations
The specialisations in this field are many. Name any field in which human beings are involved and there shall be a particular kind of psychology involved. From child psychology to adolescent and adult psychology, researchers are trying to figure out what makes a man react differently from another under similar conditions. Of the main specialisations, the chief are as:
- General Psychology
- Multicultural Psychology
- Environmental Psychology
- Experimental Psychology
- Physiological Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Abnormal Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Skills Required
An understanding of the need to study psychology is the main but not the only characteristic required to be able to study psychology. An individual aspiring to study psychology must also have the following skills:
- Computer literacy – for practicing psychological statistics.
- Information-finding skills – to figure out the backgrounds of the subjects.
- Environmental awareness – to ascertain the upbringing of the subject.
- Interpersonal awareness – to be able to relate to subjects.
- Problem-solving skills – to be able to counsel confused subjects
- Critical evaluation – to be able to evaluate subject objectively.
- Perspectives – into life to understand different people
- Pragmatism – to understand the subject logically
- Receptiveness – to be open to suggestions beyond one’s comfort zone.
- Determination – to stay on the case till task is accomplished
Career Prospects
Careers in this field have become highly focused with the advent of so many specialisations. Psychology majors are offered jobs by different state agencies and counseling bodies. In an era of nuclear families and working parents, the importance of child psychology and other forms of developmental psychology has gained importance and hence there are jobs also in the educational sector. Sports teams appoint psychologist to motivate and encourage players towards better performance. Criminal & forensic psychology had already gained importance last decade and now criminal rehabilitation is also becoming equally important. and jobs are not the only option – freelancing is a rage here. By the looks of it, this field is one of those that know no bar and promise huge growth.
Best Schools
The best global schools offering courses in psychology are:
- Stanford University, US
- Cambridge University, UK
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- Oxford University, UK
- University College London
The best Indian schools offering courses in psychology are:
- University of Delhi, New Delhi
- St. Xavier’s college, Mumbai
- Jamia Milia Islamia University, New Delhi
- NIMHANS, Bangalore
