• The study of Psychology requires you to have good research skills in order to write your essays and reports accurately
• In order to practise as a fully fledged psychologist, you will also need to acquire post-graduate training and other compulsory internship
• There are also other careers related to psychology in commercial areas such as career counselling, human resource, market research, media and advertising

Psychology is the study of human mind and behaviour, which helps you to understand people the way they are, their motivations and why they do what they do. Being a psychologist does not just mean listening to your patients while they lie on a couch, you could also be doing research in labs or apply your knowledge in commercial companies.

If you choose to study Psychology, you need to have good research skills and be prepared to write a lot of essays and reports. Being a good researcher also means being a good interviewer for your qualitative data and a good statistician when applying quantitative models in order to make predictions. In order to practise as a fully fledged psychologist, you will also need to acquire further training and other compulsory internship, depending on which country you intend to work in. Most importantly, you need to have an interest for the human mind and what makes a person tick: how does he learn a language; how does other people change his behaviours; how does he overcome grief and anxiety?

‘’there are also other careers related to psychology in commercial areas such as business development, career counselling, human resource, market research, media and advertising’’

A Psychology Degree will enable you to understand and predict human behaviours that will provide you with a wide career options in fields such as advertising, marketing, social services and human resources. Furthermore, attending therapies is not just for those who have mental health problems, it is also becoming part of the urban lifestyle. Therapies allow the patients to get unbiased professional advice that will help them overcome anxieties and daily stresses.

Depending on your focus of study, you may use your knowledge in skills in areas of Applied Psychology including Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Sports Psychology and Organisational Psychology. You will also need to obtain a permit and/or complete compulsory service to practice in a particular country.

Fields

• Abnormal Psychology studies unusual behaviour such as depression, mental disorders and schizophrenia.
• Biological Psychology studies the brain functions and how they may influence thoughts and emotions.
• Cognitive Psychology studies mental processes such as attention, memory, language and perception.
• Developmental Psychology studies the biological, social, emotional and cognitive changes throughout the human lifespan.
• Social Psychology studies how people’s thoughts and behaviours are influenced by the presence of others.

Types of jobs

• Clinical psychologist
• Counselling psychologist
• Psychotherapist
• Psychiatric assistant
• Sport and exercise psychologist
• Social worker

Successful people/ companies

• Kay Redfield Jamison is an American clinical psychologist and writer whose work has centered on bipolar disorder, which she has had since her early adulthood.
• Robert Yerkes was a pioneer in comparative psychology who studied the intelligence and behaviour of many forms of animal life, from jellyfish to humans, but he focused most of his attention on primates.
• Toshinori Ishikuma is a Japanese psychology professor known for his work on establishing the system of school psychology services in Japan.
• Kwok Leung was a professor at City University of Hong Kong whose research focused on cross-cultural as well as multicultural perspectives and beliefs.

A Psychology Degree is usually considered Bachelor of the Arts. In order to be a psychologist, you will need at least a Master’s Degree or PhD in a specialised field. If you intend to work in research, you should earn a PhD; if you are leaning towards clinical work, you should work towards a PsyD.

Types of qualifications

• Foundation in Science or Arts
• Degree in Psychology
• Master’s Degree in Psychology
• PhD or PsyD in Psychology

Entry requirement

• Good pass in Secondary Education. Subject prerequisites may apply.
• Good pass in Secondary Education and a Pre-University course or Foundation in Science or Arts.*
• Degree in Psychology, letters of recommendations and other required research experience.
• Master’s Degree in Psychology, letters of recommendations and other required research experience.

Duration of courses

• 1 year
• 3 to 4 years
• 2 to 3 years
• 4 to 7 years

*As a rule of thumb: ‘A’ Level minimum 2 Cs; STPM minimum 2 Cs; Australian Pre-University minimum of ATAR 65.0; CPU minimum average of 65% in 6 subjects; Diploma minimum CGPA of 2.0; Foundation in Arts minimum CGPA of 2.0.