Psychology refers to the scientific study of the mind, behaviour, cognition, emotions, and mental processes. The study of psychology helps us understand the complex workings of the human mind and aids behavioural predictions and remediations of psychological ailments of the mind.
Psychology comprises a variety of specialisations and streams, some of which include clinical psychology, developmental psychology, educational psychology, neuropsychology, and counselling psychology.
Candidates aspiring towards a career in Psychology can opt for the following undergraduate degrees -
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) - 3 years
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Bachelor of Arts (BA) - 3 years
Undergraduate Diploma
Certificate Courses
Specialisations offered in psychology include the following -
Applied Psychology
Child Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Counselling Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Development Psychology
Educational Psychology
Health Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Psychology and Behaviour
Psychology and Economics
Psychology and English
Psychology, Sociology, English
Psychology, Sociology, Economics
Social Psychology
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Students can enroll in psychology colleges and courses after appearing for entrance exams across the country. The eligibility criteria are as follows -
Candidates enrolling in psychology courses and entrances must have passed their 10+2 (or equivalent) examinations from a recognised Indian board with a minimum aggregate of 50-55% marks.
Candidates from any stream (Science/Commerce/Humanities) can apply who have Psychology as a compulsory subject at the 10+2 level.
Candidates applying for B.Sc. Psychology must have chosen the science stream in their 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Psychology as compulsory subjects.
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The admission procedure for psychology colleges and courses in India is as follows -
Candidates applying for psychology courses must qualify for the minimum eligibility to apply for admissions/entrance exams. Candidates can apply for the entrance examinations, if applicable, by registering in the online portal and submitting the required documents.
After appearing for the entrance exams, candidates will be shortlisted based on scores, ranks, and merit lists in the counselling session for the respective colleges/entrances. Some colleges also have group discussions and private interviews (GD/PI) for further screening of candidates.
In the case of merit-based admissions, candidates will be shortlisted based on their 10+2 examination scores.
Shortlisted candidates may finalise their admission at the concerned college by paying the fees and submitting the required documents for verification.
Some of the important entrance tests offering admission into undergraduate psychology courses include the following-
Common Universities Entrance Test (CUET-UG) - conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA)
Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET-PG) - conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA)
Christ University Entrance Test (CUET) - conducted by Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru
Manipal Entrance Test (MET) conducted by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)
Banaras Hindu University Undergraduate Entrance Test (BHU UET) - conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA)
Integral University Entrance Test (IUET) - conducted by Integral University, Lucknow
Students with an interest in the workings of the human mind will find psychology the ideal study goal for them. Students may gauge their aptitude for psychology with the following criteria:
Analytical and critical thinking
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
Sensitive approach
Problem-solving skills
Logical reasoning
Time management
Knowledge of the human mind
Strong observation skills
Pragmatism
Emotional Stability
Psychology courses comprise subjects and topics such as
Biopsychology
Stress and Wellbeing
Physiological Psychology
Nervous System
Endocrine System
Emotional and Social Development
Human Development Issues
Psychoanalytic Theory
Statistical Research Methodologies
Cultural Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Conflict Resolution
Organisational Behaviour
Psychopathological Behaviours
Personality Development
Counselling Psychology
Social Physiology
Cognitive Processes
Listening and Communicating
Psychological Testing Practices
Psychology has immense potential across numerous streams and disciplines and has diverse prospects. Top psychology specialisations for the future include -
Abnormal Behavior
Sports Psychology
Infancy and Early Childhood Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Counselling Psychology
Rehabilitation
Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence in Psychology
After completing their undergraduate degrees, candidates can further their psychology study goals through postgraduate and research degrees.
The eligibility criteria for pursuing postgraduate courses is completing an undergraduate psychology degree in the specialisation/course of choice from a recognised university with a minimum aggregate of 55% marks.
Popular postgraduate degrees in psychology include -
Master of Science (MSc) - 2 years
Master of Arts (MA) - 2 years
Post-graduate Diploma - 9 months to 2 years
Master of Philosophy (M Phil) - 2 years
Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD)
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Important entrance exams for admission into postgraduate psychology programmes include -
Common Universities Entrance Test (CUET-PG)- conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA)
Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET-PG)- conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA)
Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination (JNUEE)- conducted by JNU
Banaras Hindu University Postgraduate Entrance Test (BHU PET)- conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA)
Christ University Entrance Test (CUET)- conducted by Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru
Manipal Entrance Test (MET) conducted by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)
Psychology is a promising study goal and a highly coveted stream in the sciences. Psychology offers several career avenues and job prospects in the public and private sectors. Psychology graduates receive placement offers from prominent and reputed companies visiting their college during campus placement programmes organised by the training and placement cell.
Popular and coveted career prospects in Psychology include the following -
Psychiatrist
Child Counsellor
Sports Counsellor
Career Counsellor
Clinical Psychologist
Rehabilitation Expert
Research Psychologist
Forensic Psychologist
Therapist
Psychotherapist
Social Psychologist
Mediator
Neuroscientist
Social Worker
Starting salaries in psychology range between INR 4 to 5 LPA, and can go as high as 50 LPA for experienced senior technicians.
Candidates with a propensity for psychology might be interested in similar subjects like -
Neuroscience
Social Sciences
Biology
Sociology
Cultural Studies
Anthropology
Medical Sciences
Forensic Science
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