Occupational psychologists focus on how people behave at work in order to increase their productivity, job satisfaction and the overall effectiveness of an organisation
As an occupational psychologist you’ll apply psychological knowledge, theory and practice to organisational issues in the workplace, such as culture and change, as well as issues at an individual or team level.
Focusing on employee performance and how individuals, groups and organisations function, your aim is to improve the effectiveness of the organisation and employee job satisfaction.
Your work overlaps with a range of areas including ergonomics, personnel management and time management. Collaboration is common with management, human resources officers and training and development officers, careers advisers and management consultants, business coaches, ergonomists and psychologists, trade union representatives and staff, both in teams and individually.
You can work in a consultancy role or in-house as an employee of an organisation.
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Responsibilities
The work can be broad in scope and covers areas such as:
- counselling and personal development
- design of work environments
- human-machine interaction
- organisational development and change
- performance appraisal and career development
- personnel selection and assessment
- training, employee relations and motivation.
Depending on your area of work, you may need to:
- assess the usability and functionality of a system, such as a computer or workstation, and make recommendations for improvements to ensure ease of use for the operator
- investigate problems that arise and accidents that occur as a result of poorly designed human-machine interfaces
- review the ergonomic design of a workplace by assessing the suitability of elements such as lighting, noise levels and furniture and provide recommendations for changes or improvements
- work with engineers and designers to provide input into the design of equipment, like vehicles and workspaces
- develop, implement or evaluate employee selection procedures, including psychometric tests, assessment centre exercises and structured interviews
- develop talent management processes and systems so organisations can identify and develop their high-potential employees
- provide coaching, guidance and advice to employees or students in order to help them plan and manage their careers
- design performance appraisal systems that enable an organisation to measure, manage and reward the performance of its employees
- work one-to-one with individuals to support them in becoming more successful and effective in delivering their organisational objectives, while also enhancing their personal wellbeing
- analyse the training needs of employees, identify skills gaps and determine how to address that gap in a cost-effective manner
- design, develop and deliver training and development programmes
- mediate in situations where there is conflict between employees and management or an employment dispute
- design, develop and implement initiatives aimed at helping employees to cope successfully with changes taking place in their workplace, such as restructuring, downsizing or new business processes.
Salary
- Starting salaries can be around £18,000 to £29,000 per annum.
- Salaries for more experienced occupational psychologists range from £35,000 to in excess of £80,000. More experienced or senior consultants may earn higher salaries.
- Occupational psychologists working for the NHS will follow a structured pay scale. For example, qualified occupational psychologists will typically work at Band 6 (£30,401 to £37,267), rising to between £37,570 and £43,772 (Band 7) for advanced/senior posts.
Salaries can vary significantly depending on the setting you work in and whether you work publicly or privately. Private sector organisations, particularly management consultancies, tend to pay more than the public or third sectors and academia. Check job adverts to get a feel for current salaries.
Income figures are intended as a guide only.
Working hours
Working hours are generally 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, although you may occasionally have to work longer hours.
What to expect
- You may work on-site with a client, at a training or management development centre or at your company’s offices.
- Self-employment and freelance work is common for psychologists with substantial experience in a specialist area. You’ll also need to build up a good client base before becoming freelance.
- Jobs are available throughout the UK, but major consultancies tend to be based in the south east of England and in larger cities.
- Consultants must respond to client needs. This often means working to tight deadlines. Business clients usually expect you to dress professionally.
- If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to travel to visit clients. There may be opportunities in larger consultancies to work overseas with multinational client companies.
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Study online and take a step closer to a career in psychology
Qualifications
You must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to work as an occupational psychologist. This involves completing The British Psychological Society (BPS) Qualification in Occupational Psychology (QOP) Stage 2 approved by the HCPC.
First, you’ll need Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), which is achieved by completing a BPS-accredited psychology degree or conversion course.
You must then complete a BPS-accredited Masters in occupational psychology, which usually takes one year full time or two years part time. To get a place on a Masters course, you’ll usually need a 2:1 or above. Relevant work experience is also useful. Check with individual course providers for details of their entry requirements. Search for a BPS-accredited course.
This is followed by the BPS QOP (Stage 2), which is a doctoral-level qualification consisting of a minimum of two years full-time (or part-time equivalent) supervised practice that builds on the knowledge gained during your Masters degree.
You’ll need to be employed as a trainee occupational psychologist in a role (either paid or voluntary) related to occupational psychology for the duration of the training. You’ll receive support and supervision from a coordinating supervisor who will act as your mentor as you develop your skills in all five content areas of occupational psychology and the consultancy cycle.
You’ll need to complete three competency submissions and a viva examination, as well as an annual progress report, to show that you’ve reached the standard of skills and knowledge to practise in your chosen areas of work and across the consultancy cycle.
On successful completion of the QOP (stage 2), you’re eligible to apply for registration as an occupational psychologist with the HCPC and accreditation as a chartered psychologist with the BPS.
The HCPC also has a list of historically approved programmes for occupational psychologists that may lead to registration. If you completed one of these programmes over five years ago, you will need to complete a period of updating your skills and knowledge. For more information, see HCPC Historical programmes.
Skills
You’ll need to show:
- excellent communication and interpersonal skills in order to convince clients of your abilities, inspire their trust and gain information
- adaptability and flexibility
- problem-solving ability
- self-confidence, with the ability to deal with a variety of people
- the ability to influence other professions, managers and staff, who may be sceptical or resistant about what you’re offering
- resilience and a positive attitude
- the ability to work under pressure – you’ll need to achieve results within fixed deadlines while working on a number of projects
- pragmatism
- commercial awareness
- the ability to show that your work has practical and worthwhile benefits over a relatively short timescale.
You’ll also need competence in psychometrics or statistical analysis for some posts.
Work experience
To get a place on a BPS-accredited Masters course, you’ll often need relevant work experience. Try and get some administration experience with an occupational psychology consultancy or a human resources (HR) department and volunteer, if possible, to take on more people-focused activities.
You can also contact a local occupational psychologist to see if you can work shadow them. For a list of psychologists, see the BPS Directory of Chartered Psychologists.
Other relevant activities include:
- getting involved with selection processes, for example on a student committee, school governing body or fundraising group
- mentoring A-level or university students
- helping supervise a community project
- working for a psychometric test publisher
- getting involved in coaching psychology and attending local coaching network meetings.
Check with course providers what kind of experience they’re looking for and how much.
Employers
Opportunities are available with organisations and businesses of all sizes in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, although the majority of occupational psychologists are employed in the private sector.
Many occupational psychologists are employed in private consultancies, some of which specialise in occupational psychology-related services. They can work as either in-house (for example in a bank) or as external consultants working independently.
Many of these consultancies are small, employing no more than a handful of psychologists, although some occupational psychologists work within the human capital service lines of larger, full-service consultancy firms.
Typical employers in the public sector include government and public services. The Civil Service is one of the largest employers of occupational psychologists and competition for posts is keen. Employers include:
- Civil Service Commission
- Civil Service Resourcing
- Department for Work and Pensions
- HM Prison Service
- Home Office
- Ministry of Defence
- NHS.
Occupational psychologists also work in universities in teaching or research. It’s possible to have a portfolio career combining several aspects of teaching, research and consultancy. There may also be opportunities with organisations that specialise in research into work place issues and policy advice in this area.
Psychometric test publishers also employ occupational psychologists.
Look for job vacancies at:
- Civil Service Job Search
- Jobs.ac.uk (for jobs in academia)
- Jobs in Psychology
- NHS Jobs
- Personnel Today
- national press.
Professional development
Once qualified you must keep your skills up to date and follow the ongoing developments in research. Continuing professional development (CPD) is an essential part of continuing registration with the HCPC and chartered membership of the BPS and should include a mixture of directed and self-directed activities.
Directed activities can include:
- taking core skills workshops and e-learning courses
- attending conferences and events
- taking post-qualification training courses
- writing for journals
- undertaking and presenting research and papers at conferences.
Training and development opportunities are available through the BPS Professional Development Centre. Workshops can be in areas such as supervision skills, working in private practice, acting as an expert witness, aviation psychology and working with the media.
You could also undertake further research at PhD level.
Career prospects
There is currently an increasing demand for the services provided by occupational psychologists due to the many changes taking place in society, technology and the economy.
In general, occupational psychology doesn’t have a clear-cut career path and it’s often down to you to determine how your career progresses. There are opportunities to progress to senior posts, leading teams or projects, although if you’re working for a small unit, you may need to change job to progress your career.
If you’re working for the Civil Service as part of the Government Occupational Psychology Profession you’ll have access to a range of learning, qualifications and opportunities to help develop your skills and career. You’ll be able to progress through the grades as you gain experience and knowledge.
It’s also possible to pursue an academic career either after a period as a practitioner or by doing research for a Doctoral degree after a Masters and gaining a post as a university lecturer or researcher.
While occupational psychology provides a breadth of experience in several areas, many related professions, such as occupational health and safety, ergonomics and human resources (HR), have their own qualification structures and training programmes. Taking further related qualifications, such as professional diplomas and short courses, may open more doors to you.
As an experienced occupational psychologist, you may choose to move into self-employment and set up your own consultancy business.
Types of Psychology Degree
| Clinical Psychology | Educational Psychology |
| Counseling Psychology | Developmental Psychology |
| Social Psychology | Health Psychology |
Certificate Psychology Courses
There are several degrees associated with Psychology courses, one of the most basic and common degrees is the Certificate degree in Psychology courses. The eligibility criteria for pursuing Certificate Psychology courses are listed below for your reference,
- Candidates can pursue certificate psychology courses in various specializations of psychology like Clinical, Counselling, Developmental, Educational, Health, and Social Psychology.
- Many of these certificate psychology courses are offered for free, especially psychology courses online. However, some websites might charge you if you want a certificate.
- There are no strict eligibility criteria for these certificate psychology courses. Candidates from any stream can pursue them, they just need to have completed their Class 12th.
The average salary after these certificates is around INR 1.5-2.5 lakh.
Top Psychology Courses Online
The below table shows some of the top psychology courses online offered by the famous online course providing websites and learning platforms, like Coursera, edX, and Udemy.
| Certificate Name | Provider | Duration | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Psychology | Coursera (in collaboration with Yale University) | 15 hours (approx.) | Free |
| The Psychology of Criminal Justice | edX (in collaboration with The University of Queensland) | 8 weeks | Free (Certificate for INR 7,240) |
| Introduction to Clinical Psychology | edX (in collaboration with The University of Queensland) | 7 weeks | Free (Certificate for INR 7,240) |
| Introduction to Developmental Psychology | edX (in collaboration with The University of Queensland) | 8 weeks | Free (Certificate for INR 7,240) |
| Introduction to Social Psychology | edX (in collaboration with The University of Queensland) | 7 weeks | Free (Certificate for INR 7,240) |
| Child Psychology (Advanced Level) – Accredited Certificate | Udemy | 2 hours (approx.) | INR 572 |
| Forensic Psychology – Accredited Certificate | Udemy | 2 hour 30 minutes (approx.) | INR 592 |
Top Offline Certificate Psychology Courses
Few institutions which offer offline psychology courses in various specializations are listed in the following table. Since numerous certification courses are available from a wide range of institutions, only popular among these courses are mentioned in the table.
| Certificate Name | Colleges Offering | Average Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate Course in Psychology | Women’s Christian College, Chennai MES College Marampally, Aluva | INR 5,000-10,000 |
| Certificate Course in Principles of Clinical Psychology | JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysore | INR 5,000-10,000 |
Psychology Certificate Courses Admissions
Admissions to the certificate psychology courses are very simple. There is no need for any kind of entrance exams or merit percentage.
- The candidate opting for the certificate psychology courses is required to just pass in the 10+2 and must undergo any one Bachelor’s course, preferably BSc psychology/BA psychology.
- Moreover, the admission procedure is also very simple for the certification courses as it requires just the filling up of personal details in the website providing the certification course.
- As soon as students deposit the fees, they are ready to pursue the psychology course according to its schedule.
Diploma in Psychology
Diploma in psychology courses is available at both regular diploma and PG diploma levels. The eligibility criteria for pursuing Diploma in Psychology courses are enlisted below for your reference,
- The eligibility for a diploma in psychology courses varies, students can do a diploma after class 10th and 12th, while PG Diplomas are done after graduation.
- The duration for a diploma in psychology courses is normally 1 year and the duration of a PG diploma in psychology is 1-2 years.
- Normally these psychology courses are pursued by students interested in the practically oriented study of psychology courses.
The average salary after a diploma in psychology courses is around INR 6-7 lakh per annum.
Top Diploma in Psychology Courses
| Diploma Name | Colleges Offering | Average Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma in Counselling Psychology | St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai Government College of Educational Psychology and Guidance, Jabalpur Awadhesh Pratap Singh University, Rewa | INR 65,000 |
| Diploma in Psychological Medicine | Goa University | – |
Top PG Diploma in Psychology Courses
| Course Name | Colleges Offering | Average Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology | Bishop Heber College, Tiruchirappalli Amity University, Noida | INR 22,000 |
| Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Counselling | Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi | INR 15,500 |
| Post Graduate Diploma in Criminal Psychology | Amity University, Gwalior | INR 32,000 |
| Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology | Amity University, Noida | INR 1,70,000 |
Diploma in Psychology Courses Admissions
Admissions to the diploma in psychology courses are done through the merit score of graduation in the relevant field.
- The basic eligibility criteria for these psychology courses is that candidates should possess a graduation degree, preferably BSc/BA psychology degree from a recognized university.
- Some colleges offering psychology courses also ask for work experience in the case of a PG Diploma in psychology.
- Students with a CGPA between 7-10 are exempted from work experience for the psychology courses admissions and are offered the admissions directly.
Bachelor of Psychology
Undergraduate courses in Psychology or Bachelor of psychology is a full-time degree course with a duration of 3 years. These psychology courses can be pursued either in regular mode or distance mode from IGNOU.
The eligibility for pursuing Bachelor degree in Psychology courses are enlisted below for your reference,
- The most popular bachelor of psychology courses is BA Psychology and BSc Psychology.
- While more focus is given on scientific aspects of Psychology in BSc Psychology, BA Psychology focuses on social aspects.
- The average fee of these psychology courses in India is between INR 5,000-50,000, depending upon the college.
Graduates can get job opportunities in law, journalism, counseling, hospitals, industries, and human resource sectors. The average salary is INR 2,00,000 – 3,00,000 lakh after these psychology courses.
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Top Bachelor of Psychology Courses
| Course Name | Top Colleges | Average Fees |
|---|---|---|
| BA in Psychology | St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai Fergusson College, Pune | INR 5,000-15,000 |
| BA (Hons.) in Psychology | Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi Amity University, Noida Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi | INR 30,000-40,000 |
| BSc in Psychology | Presidency College, Chennai Stella Maris College, Chennai Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam | INR 10,000-15,000 |
| BSc (Hons) in Psychology | Bethune College, Kolkata | INR 1,371 |
Bachelor of Psychology Admissions
Admissions to Bachelor of psychology are carried out through the basis of merit percentage in 10+2 in school from a recognized board of education.
- Normally entrance exams and counseling are conducted for admission to bachelor of psychology courses.
- Integral University conducts IUET, a state-level entrance exam, to select students for its psychology courses.
Bachelor Psychology Courses Entrance Exams
| Entrance Exam | Exam Date |
|---|---|
| DU JAT | 2nd week of September 2021 |
| IPU CET | 4th week of April 2021 to 1st week of May 2021 |
| BHU UET | June – July, 2021 |
| CUCET | 4th week of June, 2021 |
| IUET | 31 May 2021 |
Master of Psychology
Master of psychology is offered for the candidates who wish to pursue a career as a psychologist and want to become a specialized psychologist in a particular field. The eligibility criteria for pursuing a postgraduate degree in psychology are listed below for your reference,
- The duration of a master of psychology is normally 2 years in most cases.
- Similar to a bachelor of psychology, master of psychology courses are also offered as MSc psychology, and MA psychology.
Top Master of Psychology Courses
| Course Name | Top Colleges | Average Fees |
|---|---|---|
| MA Psychology | Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar | INR 20,000-30,000 |
| MSc Psychology | Presidency College, Chennai University of Allahabad | INR 1,000-5,000 |
| MSc in Clinical Psychology | Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar Christ University, Bangalore | INR 60,000-80,000 |
| MSc in Applied Psychology | St Francis College for Women, Hyderabad | INR 30,000-35,000 |
| MSc in Counselling Psychology | Christ University, Bangalore University of Madras | INR 60,000–80,000 |
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Master of Psychology Admissions
Admissions to the master of psychology courses are carried out based on the merit scores of graduation, i.e. BSc/BA psychology.
- The basic eligibility for the master of psychology is graduation in either BA psychology or BSc psychology courses.
- Some state-level entrance exams are conducted for admissions to state universities, like AUCET and CUCET, for master of psychology admissions.
Master Psychology Courses Entrance Exams
The table gives details of entrance exams for the admission of Masters’s programs in psychology courses.
| Entrance Exam | Registration Date | Exam Date |
|---|---|---|
| CUCET | Up to 2nd week of June 2021 | 4th week of June, 2021 |
| AUCET | June 2021 | July 4, 2021 |
PhD in Psychology
PhD in psychology is generally pursued by students who wish to research the psychological sciences or become a psychology professor at the best psychology colleges.
- The common duration of a doctorate in psychology or PhD degree is a minimum of 3 years.
- Students have a lot of fellowship opportunities at stake to pursue.
The average salary after doctorate psychology courses in India is roughly around INR 8-10 LPA.
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Top PhD Psychology Courses
| Course Name | Top Colleges | Average Fees |
|---|---|---|
| PhD in Psychology | Amity University, Noida IIT Gandhi Nagar Women’s Christian College, Chennai Annamalai University, Chidambaram Chandigarh University | INR 40,000-50,000 |
| PhD in Psychiatry | Annamalai University, Chidambaram | INR 64,410 |
PhD in Psychology Admissions
Admissions to a PhD in psychology courses are done through entrance exams. The basic eligibility for PhD in psychology is the completion of graduation and post-graduation in psychology.
- Indian Statistical Institute Admission (ISI) is conducted periodically for admission for JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) in Psychology.
- Central Universities Common Entrance Tests (CUCET) is a national-level examination that is regulated by ten central universities jointly. Admission to the central universities is done through this exam for all types of courses like UG, PG, and others.
PhD Psychology Courses Entrance Exams
| Entrance Exam | Registration Date | Exam Date |
|---|---|---|
| ISI | TBA | TBA |
| CUCET | Third week of March 2021 | Fourth week of May 2021 |
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Psychology Jobs And Career
After pursuing any of the mentioned psychology courses, a student can have a career in psychology in different streams like media, HR, psychologist, counselor, etc. Some of the popular psychology jobs are discussed in the below part which includes the description of the job and skills required for the job.
| Job Profile | Job Description | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Psychotherapist | A psychotherapist generally helps to overcome the psychological issues of a single person, group, couple, families. They also help the patients to come out of issues in a relationship, stress, and addiction. | INR 6 – 8 lakh |
| Psychologist | A psychologist analyzes the thoughts, behaviors, and emotions of the patients or clients and gives proper advice to solve the psychological problems. | INR 7 – 10 lakh |
| Counselor | A counselor must need to be confidential and maintain the experiences, feelings, and emotions shared by the clients or patients. Counselors must provide proper counseling to improve the mental condition of the patient. | INR 2.5 – 4 lakh |
| Psychiatrist | The job of a Psychiatrist is to talk to their clients and get an understanding of their mental health as well as personal growth. They keep a thorough study on human behavioral psychology and thereafter develop treatment plans for them. They also research treatments for various mental conditions. | INR 6 – 10 lakh |
| Social Psychologist | A Social Psychologist researches social interaction and its influencing factors. They can find jobs across various Government and Private organizations | INR 5 – 7 lakh |
| Rehabilitation Expert | Rehabilitation Experts help people with physical, mental, emotional, and developmental instabilities. They work with people who are suffering a personal or a social loss or crisis | INR 4 – 7 lakh |
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