Psychology offers a myriad of career opportunities. Right from the healthcare sector to a social care sector, or a counselor working in the Education domain. Criminal Psychology is another extremely challenging and well-paying job with psychologists assisting law enforcement agencies to capture criminals, especially serial killers, and pedophiles. Like all other streams, teaching Psychology is also a safe bet.
Being an intensive and dedicated domain, to establish a successful career in the field of Psychology candidates are expected to have a higher level of commitment in terms of work and intellectual energy. Consequently, the students pursuing Psychology require continuous guidance and support from the faculty which is as compelling, and impressive as the material they teach.
These are remarkable times for psychology. Scientific breakthroughs concerning the biological, emotional, cognitive, and social basis of normal and abnormal behavior are reported in the media almost daily. A major dilemma facing the students who are aspiring to pursue Psychology happens to be the decision to choose a College in India or Abroad.
To help you decide whether to pursue Psychology in India or abroad, here is a list of the advantages and disadvantages of studying Psychology in India as well as Abroad.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of studying Psychology in India:
Advantages of Studying Psychology in India:
1. Tremendous Scope for Research
Psychology happens to be a diverse field, one that is expected to see tremendous growth in India. Psychology is a discipline which is driven by research, and India happens to be a land of opportunities, there are research areas which are still untapped in our developing economy, and the Institutes encourage students to explore these uncharted research domains. Infact, as the classification and volume of research is rising, research papers from India appear in international conferences and journals, encouraging students to the global context.
2. The growing need for Industrial & Organizational Psychologists
The organizational structures are getting more complicated by the day, and as a result of this, the need for industrial psychologists are growing at a rapid pace. Today industrial or organizational psychology has an excellent job prospect in India, where growing organizations are seeking support from psychologists to take care of their employees mental health, performance and overall well-being.
3. Bridging the SocialGap
Psychologists in India are recognizing the wide gap between their academic pursuits and the real-life problems of people. Freedom is demanded, and rightly so, from the theoretical and methodological constraints of the discipline to grapple with the real issues of development and to act as social catalysts in the change process.
4. Increasing Awareness of Developmental Psychology
Developmental psychology is a domain that examines the influences of nature and nurture and the method of human development and processes of change in context across time. It tries to answer the question as to why people are the way they are, and how they develop socially, emotionally, and physically over time. This domain is pervasive and relevant across all walks of life and helps psychology graduates to explore this domain through academic as well as practical lens.
Recommended Read: Exhaustive Guide to Becoming a Psychologist and its Scope in India
Disadvantages of studying Psychology in India:
1. Limited Job Prospects
Even though India is thriving on research in the domain of Psychology, when it comes to opportunities to gain practical experience, the prospects are limited for Psychology Graduates, which restricts their potential to explore the domain further.
2. Social Resistance
India has evolved over the last decade, and a majority of people have started giving due importance to the field of Psychology. But it is unfortunate that we are still bound by social stigmas, where people are still skeptical about reaching out or seeking guidance from a Counsellor or a Psychologist. This is not restricted to Clinical Psychology, sometimes people are even afraid to seek out Career Guidance from Education Counsellors.
3. Unexplored domains of Psychology
Forensic or Criminal psychology is a fascinating career that combines psychology and the legal system. In general terms, forensic psychologists focus on the appliance of psychological theory and observe the criminal, court and corrections systems. This happens to be a growing area in the field of Psychology, but the scope of studying the same in India is still limited.
4. Obsolete Methodologies
The leading universities offering courses in Psychology have invested heavily in the last decade on building their resources and incorporating modern methodologies, to further the research in the domain. Irrespective of the efforts being made, the research methodologies and approach adopted by the Universities in India, have little hold on the likes of Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, and Cambridge.
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Advantages of studying Psychology abroad:
1. Access to current and modern research facilities
Being able to learn in an environment where the discipline and practice of psychology are highly developed and appreciated, allows students to broaden their horizons and go beyond their comfort zone to explore the domain further.
2. Plethora of specializations to choose from
The leading Universities Abroad, in the field of Psychology offer the students an opportunity to specialize in the area of their choice, be it Clinical, Cognitive, Developmental, or Social Psychology, or even Neuroscience.
3. Interdisciplinary Nature of Psychology
Psychology is a discipline that can be studied with other major domains, and Universities abroad encourage them to take interdisciplinary courses which would allow students to explore different aspects of each subject resulting in a very varied and dynamic course. For instance, the University of Oxford offers an undergraduate program in Psychology, Philosophy, and Linguistics, which allows students to work across domains and have a diverse perspective.
4. Faculty with an unparalleled experience
The faculty at the leading Institutions of the world have an unprecedented experience, they have been research scholars hailing from the likes of Oxford and Stanford, and include working professionals, who have worked across industries, and have immense exposure in the domain of Psychology.
5. Opportunities to Network and explore
The Universities abroad give due importance to networking and do organize a series of events such as conferences, meetings with experts or engage students and professors in brainstorming activities on different psychological issues.
Disadvantages of Studying Psychology Abroad:
1. Exhaustive Research Area
Psychology is one of the major research areas around the world, and the major Universities have been carrying out research across the domain for a long time, this restricts the scope of research for new scholars.
2. Financial Viability
Studying abroad is undoubtedly expensive, irrespective of the course you undertake. Even though there are a lot of opportunities for bright and aspiring students to secure some form of financial aid, scholarships are still rare.
The choice of whether to study Psychology in India or abroad is an important decision and should be made carefully. Thorough Research is imperative to make a well-informed decision. Remember to keep in mind the long-term viability of the decision you make.
3. Revisit your career goals
If you plan to go abroad to study psychology, but dream of coming back to India to work, you might have to put in extra effort to understand the context in terms of social-economic differences between Nations. The context in India is culturally and socially vulnerable to various factors and students need to filter theories and treatment approaches that will work here. So, carefully reflect on your career goals to make the best decision.
If you require more extensive overseas admissions support, like choosing the right university and country, and creating the perfect application to target your dream universities, our overseas experts can help.
Want to know more about a career in psychology? Try out the Virtual Internship Program at Mindler to see if it is the right fit for you.
Recommended Read: Education in India or Abroad: Consider These 8 Things Before Making Your Call
