Six reasons to study Psychology

1. Understand people better

Psychology could be the subject for you if you’re keen to explore the human mind and discover why we think and act the way we do. It’s a fascinating area where you’ll gain insight into people’s behaviours, perceptions and motivations.

2. Have an impact on society

Psychologists play a vital role in society, in aspects from education to the economy. It has helped children’s intellectual growth, discovered conditions such as PTSD and taught us ways to manage stress. As a psychologist, you could work towards improving people’s wellbeing.

3. Explore many career possibilities

There are plenty of professional options for you to pursue. Many graduates go into roles as clinical psychologists or counsellors in sectors including sports, education, forensics and law enforcement.

Others work as detectives, neuroscientists, careers advisors or consultants, for instance. A significant portion of graduates continue their research and become academics.

4. Boost your social skills

As a Psychology student, you’ll get to understand the human condition, learn how to engage with people effectively and be able to discuss topics clearly. Communication is a critical element of our daily lives, and good interpersonal skills are beneficial for job interviews and workplace relationships.

5. Choose from a variety of course options

You don’t have to study straight Psychology if you don’t want to. Specialised courses include ones in animal behaviour or psychological and behavioural science.

You can opt for a dual Honours degree and combine Psychology with another discipline that interests you, such as philosophy, linguistics, modern languages, computer science, economics, film studies, history, criminology, education or biology.

There are also one-year psychology conversion courses for graduates from other disciplines who wish to pursue postgraduate study or careers in psychology.

6. Gain transferable skills

As well as the subject-specific skills you’ll develop during a Psychology degree, you’ll gain many transferable skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, project management and research.

These qualities are highly sought-after by many employers across different sectors – useful if you decide to pursue a career that’s not directly related to Psychology.