Psychology is one of the most recent branches in the field of science. The establishment of the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig in the year 1879 by Wilhelm Wundt is regarded as its entry into the scientific arena. It took 3 more decades to spread its roots in the Indian subcontinent- the first psychology department in India being set up at Calcutta in the year 1916.
Besides being young, Psychology is different from the other older and more conventional sciences in a lot of different ways. Psychology is treated both as an art subject as well as a science subject giving rise to two different streams- BA/MA Psychology and BSc/MSc Psychology. Consider Physiology to be the father of psychology and let Philosophy be its mother. Those who think the father dominates the subject, probably consider psychology as a science and the ones who favor the mother treat psychology as an art subject.
Whatever the case, for the students of psychology and the ones who wish to join the club, the most important question is, Is it worth it? As I mentioned before, Psychology as a science has only covered baby steps in the vast world of Science. So, to know it’s scope in the years to come is indeed a difficult task. This article will hopefully provide you with a rough idea on the scope of psychology courses in India.
In the present situation, Psychology isn’t the most desired course in India- neither for the parents nor the students. But within the next decade, it probably would be. The current trend points out that the scope of the profession will meet a drastic jump soon and will steadily go up the ladder. Most of the major universities in the country have already predicted this change and introduced this programme to their list of courses. So taking up a career in psychology might be one of the best career decisions you can take at the moment.
Psychology is a subject that explores the human mind- the most complex thing known to the humankind. In addition to its complexity, we have only started to learn about the human psyche in the last century. So there is a vast space for research in the field- mysteries to be solved and ideas to be explored. And as far as humankind exists, there will be something new to learn in psychology. So for people who are into R & D, psychology could very well be your golden crown in the years to come.
Also in India, with the subject being young and the ever-growing number of colleges taking up the course, the post of lecturers and professors also seems to be an easy catch. However, this may not be so for long.
Psychology is a field of science with a lot of different specializations up its sleeve. The most familiar among these could be ‘clinical psychology’- more than half the Indian students go for this specialization. Clinical psychology, as the name suggests is related to abnormal psychology and consequently clinical work. The post of a clinical psychologist (with an MPhil or Ph.D.) is more or less similar to that of a psychiatrist- yes, the salary as well. The ratio of the population to the number of clinical psychologists is pretty much low in India and with everything bad going on around, it is only fair to assume that there is cotton candy (high scope) in the field. The same applies to ‘counseling psychology’ which deals with more common or less complicated cases.
One of the less explored specializations in psychology is HR (Human Resources) or organisational psychology. Being in a country that runs almost half the companies and organisations in the world, a certificate in the subject and some tips and tricks to go with, might catapult you into the top-level posts in MNCs (multi-national corporations) and business giants. Forensic psychology also appears to grab much attention these days. However, the present Indian scenario doesn’t provide many opportunities for this specialization. Still, a major shift in the investigative tactics and policies are expected and might prove to be of help to this particular branch of psychology.
There are still a lot of different options when it comes to psychology, like sports psychology, health psychology, developmental psychology, etc- each with its own pros and cons. Apart from these well-defined specializations, psychology is also being largely used in the film industry (with the growing interest and thus, demand for realism) and guidance (ranging from career counseling to personal training).
Psychology has everything a person expects out of a successful career- respect, money, and self-satisfaction. It is a great option for the ones in search of a steady and stable career, but an even greater option for the ones who would like to explore the human mind without being broke.
