Scope of Psychology in India, Courses & Career

28 April,2020 | By brainwonders

In this article, we will take you through the educational journey of a psychologist, career in psychology, courses and its scope in India. Our behaviours, thoughts and feelings tend to fluctuate from situation to situation and there is actually a logic and science behind that.

Ever thought how individuals think, or how their behaviour changes with or, how someone finds it difficult to talk to strangers while for others it is a cakewalk? Do words like “hallucinations”, “disorders” or “unconscious mind” or movies like “A Beautiful Mind”, “Shutter Island” excite you? If the answer is yes, then you have landed at the right place.

Psychology covers human behaviour and interesting facts about life, etc. The science of human behaviour emerged in Germany, and during World War, it travelled to the United States and emerged in India approximately 70 years ago.

Subjects during the school

To become a Psychologist, you can opt for any stream in your 12th grade. The majority of the schools have started including Psychology in their curriculum, and the beauty of the subject lies in the fact that you can study Psychology with any stream as the fifth subject. It is helpful if you take Psychology in school to have a basic understanding of the subject, though it is not a mandatory option for higher studies in the same field.

To start off in this field of psychology, you must understand a few essential skillsets that one must have as a psychologist.

Do you enjoy helping people?

Do you have a caring attitude?

Do you wish to work for humanity?

Do you believe in creating a positive impact on people’s lives?

Are you empathetic towards people’s feelings, emotions or thoughts?

Are you patient enough to lend your ear to someone who needs help?

Do have effective communication skills to communicate with your client?

Do you have observation skills to understand the facial expression, body postures, and actions of people?

If you have agreed to all questions, then a career in psychology might be your calling.

For Graduation (B.A/ B.Sc)

By this time, you must have made your mind to take up psychology in your college education. In order to obtain a bachelor’s degree in psychology from a UGC-recognized institution, a graduate degree will help build a foundation in psychology. Certain subjects that are taught are General Psychology, Clinical psychology, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Organizational Behaviour, Research and Methods. Generally, the subjects are more theoretical, but the one on Statistics includes the numerical application. In the field of Research, it is very crucial to have in-depth knowledge of the subject.

In graduation, you will get exposure to the basic foundations and principles of Psychology. Colleges organise various workshops and seminars to give you practical and experiential exposure.

The best colleges that provide a degree in Psychology are–

Delhi University (New Delhi)
Jamia Milia Islamia (New Delhi)
Ambedkar University (New Delhi)
Punjab University (Chandigarh)
Banaras Hindu University (Varanasi)
Aligarh Muslim University
Fergusson College (Pune)
Christ University (Bangalore)

For Post-Graduation (M.A/ M. Sc)

Once you are done with your graduation, and you want to specialize in a particular branch of psychology or you want to build a career in Psychology, then you should pursue post-graduation. Due to the high level of competition, just a graduation degree is not enough. Admission to the various colleges will be dependent on entrance exams or your marks in graduation. Different universities have different criteria. If you are from a different background, which means that you did graduation you can still apply through an entrance exam.

At the post-graduation level, you can choose your area of specialization. It will help you build your skills in your area of interest. At post-graduation, students will get an opportunity to write their dissertation in their area of interest. Apart from theoretical knowledge, practical exposure is also mandatory during masters. There will Internship that will be part of your curriculum. The internship is a very crucial period for a psychologist’s life. It is very important to practically apply all theories and knowledge, which will help you understand the concepts. There are universities that hold field visits which further help you to apply your skills in a realistic manner.

CAREER IN PSYCHOLOGY IN INDIA

Psychology is one field that has a requirement in almost every area or industry in our country. This field is gaining its importance, and its demand is booming. People have openly have started talking about it in Movies on social platforms and on social setups. The mental stigma around this topic has taken a backseat. Earlier psychology was mainly limited to clinical setups and there were courses in clinical psychology only. With the growth in it, counselling psychology also became common and was extensively used in different areas of counselling. There is immense use usage in industrial and organisational settings

EMPLOYEMENT OPPORTUNITIES