How To Pursue A Masters In Psychology In India?
Master's in Psychology: Insights into the Program
Have you completed your Bachelors in Psychology and are confused about how to step forward to build a career in Psychology? If yes, then you've reached the right place. After completing a Bachelor's degree in Psychology (Hons) or as psychology one of the subjects, to build a well-rounded career in this field, higher education is necessary. This article will provide you an insight into the Masters in Psychology program and all the necessary information about it!
What is a Master's in Psychology?
Master's in Psychology is an eclectic and practically oriented program. The duration of the program is two years. A student must have a Bachelor's in Psychology or allied fields to be eligible for this course. It can be pursued in two ways: MA or MSc in Psychology.
MA vs MSc Psychology
Masters in Psychology degrees can take the form of either a Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MSc). Currently, there are no major differences between the degrees in India. The degree provided depends on the college that is offering the course and there is not much difference in the syllabus of MA and MSc Psychology. A student with a BA(psychology) degree can apply for MSc programs too.
Objectives of the Program
The major objectives of the Masters in Psychology program are-
- To impart quality education and prepare the students to enter the world of Psychology.
- To develop a deeper understanding of the psychological concepts and theories in students.
- To prepare the students to work in actual clinical or practical settings.
- To help the students get a clear picture of whether they want to go for a practical based approach and work in the field of mental health in the future or are more interested in the theoretical and research-based aspects.
Different Specializations Available in Masters Psychology in India
There are many specializations in Master's psychology. A few of them are as follows-
Master's in Psychology- Masters in Psychology mainly deals with the study of theories, principles, and methods of psychology. This is more knowledge-based and involves studying emotions, learning, thinking, perception, intelligence, memory, and other topics related to the mind.
Master's in Applied Psychology- Masters in Applied Psychology involves using psychological theories, techniques, and tools to solve practical problems regarding the human mind and behavior.
Clinical Psychology- Clinical psychology deals with the study, diagnosis, and treatments of psychological disorders. It includes therapies and counseling. A clinical psychologist requires to be licensed by the RCI (Rehabilitation Council of India) to start their practice.
Counseling Psychology- Counselling psychology focuses primarily on education, social, and career adjustment problems. The work of a counseling psychologist is quite similar to that of a clinical psychologist.
Industrial and Organizational Psychology- It deals with workplace behavior, focusing on both the workers and the organization that employs the workers. It includes training employees, improving work conditions, developing criteria for selecting employees, etc.
Upcoming Fields
Psychology is an ever-evolving field and provides no dearth of new opportunities. Some of the exciting upcoming fields are:
Neuropsychology – 2 years MSc course in Gujarat Forensic Sciences University.
Sports psychology – 2 years MA/ MSc course under the University of Rajasthan; Tamil Nadu
Physical Education and Sports University; and National Sports University.
Health Psychology –2 years MSc course under the University of Hyderabad.
Forensic Psychology – 2 years MSc course under Gujarat Forensic Sciences University
Institutions Offering Masters in Psychology Courses in India
| Name of the College/University | Name of the Degree | Number of seats (total) | Eligibility | Pre- tests - Yes/No + description | Interview - Yes/No | Fees(Per Semester) | Commencement of Registration and Admission Process |
| Ambedkar University | MA Psychology (Psychosocial Clinical Studies) | 53 | BA with at least 45% marks (or an equivalent grade) from a recognized University in any discipline | Yes | Yes | Rs. 30,200/- | 10 September 2020- 12 October 2020 |
| Delhi University(North Campus) | MA Psychology | 108 | B.A. (Hons.) / B.A. (Pass) /B.A. Program 55% | Yes | No | Rs. 35,900/- | 20 June 2020 - 31 August 2020 |
| Delhi University(South Campus) | MA in Applied Psychology | 31 | B.A. (Hons.) / B.A. (Pass) /B.A. Program 55% | Yes | No | Rs. 35,900/- | 20 June 2020 - 31 August 2020 |
| Jamia Milia University | M.A.(Applied Psychology) | 42 | B.A./B.Sc./B.Com. or B.A. / B.Sc. / B.Com. (Hons.) or B.Sc. (Home Sc.) with not less than 55% marks in aggregate. | Yes | No | Rs. 5000-6000/- | 20 February 2020 - 14 September 2020 |
| Amity University | M.A. in Clinical Psychology | NA | Graduation (min. 50%) | Merit & Entrance | Yes | Rs. 90,000/- | May 2020 - 20 October 2020 |
| M.A. (Applied Psychology) | NA | Graduation (min. 50%) | Merit & Entrance | Yes | Rs. 90,000/- | May 2020 - 20 October 2021 | |
| M.A. (Counselling Psychology) | NA | Graduation (min. 50%) | Merit & Entrance | Yes | Rs. 90,000/- | May 2020 - 20 October 2022 | |
| PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology | NA | Graduation (min. 50%) | Merit & Entrance | Yes | Rs. 91,000/- | May 2020 - 20 October 2023 | |
| Punjab University | MA Psychology | 68 | Bachelor's Degree obtaining 45% marks in Psychology and 50% marks in aggregate OR B.A. (Hons) with Psychology. | No | No | Rs. 10,000/- | June 2020 - 15 October 2020 |
| BHU, Varanasi | M.A./M.Sc. in Psychology | 64 | graduation with min. 50% | Yes | No | Rs. 4714/- | 30 January 2020 - 20 June 2020(Normally registration ends in March) |
| AMU, Aligarh | MA(Clinical Psychology and Organizational Behaviour) | 40 | B.A / B.Sc with not less than 55% marks in aggregate from a recognized university. | Yes | No | Rs. 11,871/- | 14 August 2020 - 3 October 2020 |
| Fergusson College | MA Psychology | 24 | A Bachelor’s degree in any faculty. Preference will be given to candidates with a background in Psychology (B.A. / B. Sc with Psychology as Honours/Major/Special) | Yes | No | Rs. 35,120/- | Last week of May |
| TISS Chennai | Master of Arts in Applied Psychology (Clinical and Counseling Practice) | 34 | Candidates should have completed a Bachelor's or Master's Degree of a minimum of 3 or 4 years duration | Yes | Yes | 60000 | October 18 - 3 December |
| For 2021 Tentative dates 15 October 2020- 30 November | |||||||
| Christ university | Master of Science (MSc) in Educational Psychology, MSc Psychology (HRDM) with an MA in Business and Organizational Psychology [Steinbeis, Germany], Master of Science (MSc) in Behavioural Science, Master of Science (MSc) in Psychology (Clinical), Master of Science (MSc) in Counselling Psychology, Master of Science (MSc) in Psychology (HRDM) |
60 60 60 60 60 60 | A candidate who has passed the undergraduate degree examination with 50 % aggregate marks and 50% of marks in the cognate subject | Yes+skill assessment | Yes | Rs. 65000/- | 8 December 2020 - 8 Feb 2021 |
| Pune University | M.A. Psychology | 34 | No | No | Rs. 5000/- | June 1 | |
| Symbiosis University | M.A. Psychology with I/O Psychology, Clinical Psychology & Counseling Specialization |
40 | merit-based | No | No | Rs. 30,000-50,000/- | Till 5th October 2020 |
| Mumbai University | M.A. in Psychology | N/A | N/A | July-August | |||
| TISS Mumbai | Master of Arts in Applied Psychology (Clinical and Counseling Practice) | 51 | Candidates should have completed a Bachelor's or Master's Degree of a minimum of 3 or 4 years duration | Yes | Yes | 60000 | 18 October - 3 December |
| St. Xaviers | M.A. Psychology: Lifespan Counselling | 30 | Students with a Bachelor’s degree in any faculty or discipline having studied at least one paper in Psychology during the three years of their course can fill out the online application. | N/A | N/A | Rs. 45000/- | June-July |
| SNDT | MA in Psychology | 30 | Graduate in Psychology | Merit-based | No | Rs. 11,415/- | 11 June 2020 - 30 August 2020 |
| IGNOU | MA in Psychology | Bachelor's degree from a recognized university | N/A | N/A | Rs. 4000/- | 30 April 2020 - 15 October 2020 | |
| IIPR Bangalore | M.Sc.(Psychology) M.Sc.(Psychological Counseling) |
Candidates with 40% marks in the aggregate of all the Optional Subjects | Yes | Yes | 1 February 2020 - 30 August 2020 | ||
| Manipal University | M.Sc. Clinical Psychology | Pass in BA / BSc Degree in Psychology from a recognized university, with minimum 55 % aggregate marks or equivalent | Yes | Yes | Rs. 250000/- | 15 July 2020 - 14 October 2020 | |
| Maniben College Mumbai | Masters of Arts in Psychology with clinical Masters of Arts in Psychology with Counselling | 30 24 | Graduation with full majors in Psychology from a recognized university. | No | No | Rs. 80000/- | N/A |
| PSG College of arts & science | MSc Applied Psychology | 50 | The candidate must be qualified in BA / BSc Psychology from a recognized university. | No | No | 11800 | 19 Apr - 28 Apr 2020 |
| Devi Ahilya University | M.A. in Clinical Psychology | 50 | Any Bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks in aggregate or an equivalent grade for General / OBC candidates, and 45% marks in aggregate or an equivalent grade for SC/ST and Differently Abled (DA) category candidates from a recognized University / Institute. | Yes | No | 20 May - 15 Jun 2020 | |
| MSU - The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda | MA Psychology | 10 | graduation with 50% | Yes | Yes | Rs. 5000/- | 08 Aug 2018 - 10 Aug 2018 |
| Gujarat Forensic Sciences University | 1 M.Sc. Forensic Psychology 2 M.Sc. Neuropsychology 3 M.Sc. Clinical Psychology 4 M.A. Criminology with Specialization in Forensic Psychology 5 Post Graduate Diploma in Cyberpsychology(1 year - Masters Degree required) |
1. 44 2. 44 3. 62 4. 44 5. 15 | Graduate from any discipline or equivalent from a recognized university with a minimum of 55% marks | No | No | Rs. 30000/- | 18june-31 aug |
| Kristu Jayanti College | 1. M.Sc Psychology 2.M.Sc Counselling Psychology | BA/B.Sc. degree from Bangalore University or any other University offering an equivalent degree with at least 50% marks | No | Yes | Rs.50000/- | June-October | |
| Modern College | 48 | Merit-based | No | No | Rs. 22928/- | 28july-14 aug | |
| DAV College | MA Psychology | 45% bachelor | No | No | Rs. 42800/- | 44017 | |
| Osmania University | MA Psychology | 80 | A candidate must have obtained a Degree with 40% marks or equivalent CGPA with Psychology as an optional at B.A. / B.M.R. | Yes | No | Rs. 476000/- | 18 Sep 2020 - 19 Oct 2020 |
| Gautam Buddha University | 1. M.A. in Applied Psychology 2. M. Phil. (Clinical Psychology), 2 years program | 30 | 45% in graduation | No, based on merit | Rs. 50000/- | 19 march-25april | |
| CMR University | M.Sc.Psychology Clinical. Certificate Counselling Psychology. PG Diploma Psychometry. PG Diploma Psycho-Social Rehabilitation. | Bachelor degree examination in any discipline from a recognized university with a minimum of 50% marks | N/A | N/A | Rs. 60000/- | N/A | |
| Bangalore University | 1) M.Sc. in Psychology 2) M. Sc. in Psychological Counseling (Self Financing Course) 3) P.G. Diploma in Psychological Counseling (PGDPC) |
a) 45 b) 20 c) 25 | Candidates with 40% marks in the aggregate of all the optional subjects, Psychology as one of the subjects and 50% of marks in the cognate subject at the Bachelor’s Degree level. | No | No | Rs. 18,540/- | The first week of August 2020 |
| CBCS Allahabad, Chandigarh University, IIIT Hyderabad, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur Panjab University | Ms/MSc Cognitive Science | Variable | Any 3 year UG degree | Yes - Common entrance exam called COGJET | Yes | Not fixed | January 30 |
| **Some universities provide monthly scholarships of ₹5,000 |
Entrance Exam Preparation & Strategy
Strategizing, no matter how old-school, is an essential component for any entrance exam preparation. It is important to acknowledge the time and resources available along with setting up a target to be achieved. A hint of inspiration combined with unwavering focus could just complete your exam strategy kit.
Syllabus of the Entrance Exam
The syllabus for common psychology entrance exams for institutions like Delhi University, Christ University, Amity University, Banaras Hindu University, etc. comprises most of the fundamental concepts and branches in psychology. Some important topics include Social psychology, Developmental psychology, Research methodology, Counselling, and Abnormal psychology.
However, Tata Institute for Social Sciences, which is one of the prestigious institutes for this degree, has a three-level entrance exam in which the first level is completely non-psychology based. The first level i.e. TISSNET comprises a general awareness, quantitative aptitude, and verbal reasoning section.
How to Prepare for the Entrance Exam
Here are a few tips which could be useful for psychology entrance examination preparation:
-
- Seek conceptual clarity which helps you navigate through MCQs.
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses and work accordingly.
- Note-making is highly recommended, especially for the topics you find tricky.
- Practice as many MCQs and mock-tests as you can.
- Do go through the previous year's papers and solve them thoroughly.
- Seek mentorship for the places you get stuck with and for resolving your doubts.
Along with this, make sure to give yourself enough breaks and breathers through the process, and staying motivated shall keep you engaged very well.
Books and Material Recommendation for Preparation
| Topic | Books |
| General Psychology |
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| Research Methodology & Statistics |
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| Social Psychology |
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| Abnormal Psychology |
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| Counseling Psychology |
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| Organizational Behaviour |
|
| Developmental Psychology |
|
Related Post: Psychology Books
The NCERT Textbooks for 11th and 12th grade are also very helpful for brushing up common topics, especially for those belonging to a non-psychology background. Apart from those you can also access certain resources available online on the E-Gyankosh Platform and the NPTEL portal.
PowerWithin Education provides detailed notes, subject-wise, and is organized to facilitate the process of entrance exam preparation providing maximum benefit to students. The notes are available in hard copy as well as soft copy.
MA Psychology Entrance Preparation Notes
Accessing Previous Year Resources
While preparing for any entrance exam, solving previous years' question papers can help one ace the exam. One can access the previous year papers for any entrance exams from the official website of the exam conducting bodies. One can also get University wise mock test series based on previous years' question sets at the website of PowerWithin Education. Some of them are as follows:
MA Psychology Previous Year Mock Test Series
MA Psychology Entrance Preparation Mock Test
Delhi University MA Psychology Previous Year Mock Test Series
BHU MA Psychology Previous Year Mock Test Series
Job Opportunities Available after Masters in Psychology
A Master's Psychology degree opens the door to an immense amount of opportunities for the degree holders. The following are a few of the major areas you might want to focus on in your job search:| Jobs at Colleges and Universities | Jobs in Local, State, and Federal Government | Jobs in Health Care and Mental Health Services | Jobs in Business, Sales, Marketing and Advertising |
| Vocational rehabilitation provider Self-reliance specialist Developmental specialist |
Drug and alcohol specialist Employment counselor Human resources analyst Parole officers Psychology program manager Rehabilitation counselor Social service manager |
Behavioral counselor Health project coordinator Psychiatric technician Rehabilitation specialist Group home coordinator Family services worker Child protection worker Childcare supervisor |
Human resources manager Advertising agent Market researcher Employee trainer Public relations representative Project manager Sales representative Store manager |
Points to Remember
- Masters in Psychology is a two years program and can be pursued in the form of MA or MSc.
- Admission to the Master's program can be based on the Merit or Entrance test.
- For the entrance preparation, one must be well-versed in the syllabus of Psychology at Bachelor's level.
- Following a proper schedule, revising the concepts frequently, and solving previous years' papers can be helpful in the preparation.
- In the Master's Psychology program students get a key idea of applying theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. The focus is more on practical aspects.
- One has numerous job opportunities after the completion of a Master's in Psychology.
A Master's in Psychology program is packed with practical learning. This is all a part of the life of a master's psychology student. It may seem quite engaging but, as you are stepping on another rung of the ladder of success the extent of hard work and efforts required, increases too. But you'll enjoy this hard work if you're truly passionate about psychology!
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