B.Sc. Psychology

Introduction

Psychology is defined as the study of behaviour and cognitive processes. It is a multifaceted discipline and includes many sub-fields such as personality, human development, sports, health, clinical, forensic, social psychology etc. The discipline fosters the development of a scientific lens that helps in developing a comprehensive knowledge about the emotional, behavioural and various cognitive aspects of an individual as well as promotes development of abilities such as critical thinking, creativity, research skills, professional outlook and applications in real life scenarios.

Unlike other disciplines, what makes psychology unique is the fact that we study behaviour which itself is very complex in nature. Even though the study of human behaviour has been around for a long time it was in 1879 the first laboratory for Experimental Psychology was established at University of Leipzig, Germany. In India the first Experimental Psychology laboratory was established in 1916 at Calcutta university. Even though psychology is a young science discipline, it offers a vast area of knowledge and insight and continues to provide the same.

Further training courses are available in different areas of specialization after bachelors in psychology like Organisational Psychology, Educational Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology and more.

Benefits of BSc Psychology

• Gain a scientific outlook into human behaviour and various cognitive functions
• A Bachelor’s degree provides with a strong base in psychology from which students could choose any linked discipline.
• A student completing bachelors in psychology would have acquired skills such as:
• Academic writing and presentation skills
• Critical thinking and analytical skills
• Abstract reasoning
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Leadership and teamwork skills
• Organization/time management skills
• Goal setting and prioritizing
• Knowledge of and experience with basic techniques of statistical analysis
• General research skills including database searching, conducting literature reviews, synthesizing and interpreting vast amounts of information, designing and conducting new research, data analysis, and interpreting and understanding both your own and other’s research results
• Gain knowledge about the various inter-disciplinary areas of psychology and information about various careers to choose from.
• It helps us better understand how we think, act and feel and be aware of our personality, strengths and limitations. The course also helps the student understand better about themselves by gaining the knowledge of the how of thinking, acting and feeling as well as various aspects of one’s personality which helps in better self-awareness.
• An overall development of students through in-class training and experiential learning which leads to personal development and growth of the society.

Scope of Psychology

After gaining Bachelors in Psychology, one can take up Master’s degree in various specialised areas of psychology such as:

• Counselling psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Forensic Psychology
• Behavioural Science
• Organizational/ Industrial Psychology
• Developmental/ Child psychology
• Bio-Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Sports Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Comparative Psychology
• Cross-Cultural Psychology
• Experimental Psychology
• Disability studies
• Clinical Social work

Psychologists mostly take up for jobs in universities, colleges & schools, hospitals, clinics, government agencies, etc. Currently there are many opportunities coming up in the area of mental health in Kerala such as school counsellor, psychologist, clinical psychologist (requires MPhil in clinical psychology), Behavioural trainer and research assistants in various projects. This is due to more demand and creation of new posts in health care centres, hospitals, mental health centres, social health services and schools, the growth of employment in psychology sector. People with specialisation in Organizational/Industrial psychology has numerous opportunities in the field of HR, Marketing and could take up roles of behaviour analysts, corporate trainers etc. Numerous opportunities await those who specialise in forensic psychology in forensic research, respective wings of police and judiciary across India. The area of academia is always a career option for those interested in research. Many universities across India as well as other parts of the world offer various doctoral programmes in various areas of psychology and its allied disciplines. Admission to various programmes offering higher studies in psychology would be based on entrance examinations. Various scholarships and fellowships are awarded to students pursuing higher education. Most Universities also provide stipend to those enrolled in research programmes.