How to Become a Psychologist in India: Complete Career Guide

Hi there! Do you want to become a Psychologist? If yes, this career guide will be of help to you! Here, you will find everything you need to know about becoming a Psychologist in India!

Psychologist

Psychology is a very popular career choice among Indian students. I’ve been getting many questions related to this domain. “How to become a Psychologist in India?”, “Which are the best Psychology courses in India?”, What is the difference between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist?” – these are some of the questions that I’ve been getting regularly. Also check – Medical courses in India.

These questions prompted me to write an article on the domain of Psychology. Here, you will be able to find the steps involved in becoming a Psychologist, Psychology courses in India, eligibility criteria associated with each course and other important details.

Before heading to the meat of the matter – how to become a Psychologist in India – let us check out some basic details about this domain. Here it is –

Table of Contents

What is Psychology?
Who is a Psychologist?

How to become a Psychologist in India?
Careers

What is Psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind, its behavior, thinking and functions.

Technically, Psychology is an integral part of Social Science. It is a vast and multidisciplinary field. It has many applications too!

This domain consists of many sub-disciplines. Some such notable sub-disciplines are –

Counseling Psychology
Child Psychology
Education Psychology
Sports Psychology
Forensic Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Social Psychology
Developmental Psychology

Who is a Psychologist?

A Psychologist is an expert of specialist in Psychology.

He/she studies the human mind, the way it functions and its behavior. He/she is capable of carrying out studies at individual and community level!

It is not uncommon to see Psychologists donning the following roles –

Research role
Therapist role
Counselor role

How to become a Psychologist in India?

If you want to become a Psychologist, you must pursue and complete relevant Psychology courses. In India, Psychology programs are available at the following levels –

Undergraduate level
Postgraduate level
Doctoral Degree level

After passing 12th standard, you may pursue relevant UG Psychology program. After completing Bachelor’s Degree course, you may go for relevant PG course. By pursuing PG course, you may choose to specialize in any sub-discipline within the domain of psychology! Also check – how to become a Nurse in India.

Step 1 – Finding the ideal academic program

The first step is to choose an ideal Psychology course. This can be done based on your current academic qualification. For example, if you are 12th pass student, you may go for Bachelor’s Degree courses related to Psychology.

Here are some of the popular Psychology courses available in India –

UG courses – B.Sc. Psychology, BA Psychology and BA Applied Psychology
PG courses – M.Sc. Psychology, M.Sc. Applied Psychology, M.Sc. Child Psychology, MA Psychology, MA Child Psychology, PG Diploma in Psychology
Doctoral Degree courses – PhD in Psychology, PhD in Child Psychology, PhD in Criminal Psychology

Step 2 – Make sure that you satisfy the eligibility criteria

After selecting an ideal course, you must make sure that you satisfy the eligibility criteria. Each course has a specific eligibility criteria associated with it.

UG courses – passed 12th standard (Arts, Commerce or Science)
PG courses – completed relevant Master’s Degree course from a recognized University/Institute
Doctoral Degree courses – completed relevant Master’s Degree course from a recognized University/Institute

Step 3 – Secure admission and complete the academic program

The next step is – securing admission. In order to secure admission to good colleges, you must crack relevant entrance test and or selection interview.

After securing admission, complete the entire academic program. Also check – how to become a Doctor in India.