Psychology has emerged as one of the most sought-after subjects during the pandemic years. Colleges across the country report an increase in the number of students seeking enrolment in Psychology Honours and PG.
Dharmendra Nath Tiwari, head, Department of Applied Psychology, Ramanujan College, University of Delhi, says, “Before the pandemic, we received 30-40,000 applications, but in 2020-21 we received 50-60,000 applications and admissions were closed at 99% cut-off. The DU has also increased the number of seats and this could also be a factor in the increase in the number of applications. Life is becoming increasingly complex and this is leading to people wanting to study Psychology.”
Monika Misra, assistant professor and coordinator of the BA Psychology Programme at IGNOU, says, “On average, we admit about 4-5,000 students in one admission cycle which includes June and December admissions. In 2021, the number of enrolments was approximately 10,000 and this year the number has crossed 5,000 already and the admissions are ongoing. Teachers, dentists, homoeopaths, lawyers, and journalists have enrolled in the distance learning PG course. The minimum eligibility criteria is a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, PG in Psychology course is particularly in demand at IGNOU.”
At JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru, the number of applications for psychology programmes has increased by 50-60 % in 2022. “As per the World Health Organization (WHO) Report 2017, one in seven persons in India will have mental health problems. India had only 9,000 psychiatrists for 1.3 billion people and only seven counsellors per 10 million. This indicates huge demand for psychology professionals.”
Economic development has its flip side, which has increased the competition. Social, scientific and technological disruptions in a globally connected market have led to fluctuations in incomes, expenses as well as career stability. “Job loss and economic hardships increase mental illness and trauma in the society. In addition to unemployment and economic hardships, the fear of illness and loss of someone in the family led to a sharp increase in cases on mental health-related problems. It has affected many at the social level, hence the increasing interest in the study of psychology,” says Raj Singh, vice-chancellor, JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University).
After the Covid-19 pandemic enveloped the globe, a large population experienced mental health issues, this prompted many companies to appoint organisational psychologist in their respective HR departments. Rita Kumar, professor, the Amity Institute of Psychology & Allied Sciences (AIPS), Amity University, Noida, says that there is a significant increase in the number of students opting for Psychology as a career. “People started understanding the benefit of psychological counselling in preventing mental health issues among different age groups and strata of the society. Students are opting for Clinical Psychology in large numbers. Counselling Psychology is the second choice. Organisation Psychology has also become very popular. Specialised diploma courses such as PG Diploma in Psycho Oncology and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology are also among the sought-after courses,” says Kumar.
The number of applications for admissions to First Year Bachelor’s (FYBA) in Psychology received by Vivekanand Education Society’s College of Arts, Science and Commerce in 2018-19 was 151 and in 2020-21 it rose to 209. “Psychology has always been one of the sought-out programmes among the Arts subjects. It offers excellent career opportunities, which include private practice, the clinical work in industry, schools and sports. The covid-19 pandemic led to prolonged exposure to stress across populations and psychological support became the need of the hour. The fading stigma associated with visiting mental health professionals is also leading to an increase in interest among students,” says Anita Kanwar, principal, Vivekanand Education Society’s College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai.
Students not only want to equip themselves to deal with their own mental challenges, but they also wish to provide support to friends and other close people. Dr Gitanjali Natarajan, professor, HOD, Department of Clinical Psychology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, says, “A recent trend is that highly meritorious students are also choosing to study Psychology unlike earlier when they opted for professional courses such as Medicine, Engineering or Law. There is an increasing focus and interest in understanding the mind and the functioning of the brain. Young people are also exposed to unlimited information about mental health and psychological phenomena through the internet. They are much more aware of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, personality difficulties and addictions than earlier generations.
Dharmendra Nath Tiwari, head, Department of Applied Psychology, Ramanujan College, University of Delhi, says, “Before the pandemic, we received 30-40,000 applications, but in 2020-21 we received 50-60,000 applications and admissions were closed at 99% cut-off. The DU has also increased the number of seats and this could also be a factor in the increase in the number of applications. Life is becoming increasingly complex and this is leading to people wanting to study Psychology.”
Monika Misra, assistant professor and coordinator of the BA Psychology Programme at IGNOU, says, “On average, we admit about 4-5,000 students in one admission cycle which includes June and December admissions. In 2021, the number of enrolments was approximately 10,000 and this year the number has crossed 5,000 already and the admissions are ongoing. Teachers, dentists, homoeopaths, lawyers, and journalists have enrolled in the distance learning PG course. The minimum eligibility criteria is a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, PG in Psychology course is particularly in demand at IGNOU.”
At JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru, the number of applications for psychology programmes has increased by 50-60 % in 2022. “As per the World Health Organization (WHO) Report 2017, one in seven persons in India will have mental health problems. India had only 9,000 psychiatrists for 1.3 billion people and only seven counsellors per 10 million. This indicates huge demand for psychology professionals.”
Economic development has its flip side, which has increased the competition. Social, scientific and technological disruptions in a globally connected market have led to fluctuations in incomes, expenses as well as career stability. “Job loss and economic hardships increase mental illness and trauma in the society. In addition to unemployment and economic hardships, the fear of illness and loss of someone in the family led to a sharp increase in cases on mental health-related problems. It has affected many at the social level, hence the increasing interest in the study of psychology,” says Raj Singh, vice-chancellor, JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University).
After the Covid-19 pandemic enveloped the globe, a large population experienced mental health issues, this prompted many companies to appoint organisational psychologist in their respective HR departments. Rita Kumar, professor, the Amity Institute of Psychology & Allied Sciences (AIPS), Amity University, Noida, says that there is a significant increase in the number of students opting for Psychology as a career. “People started understanding the benefit of psychological counselling in preventing mental health issues among different age groups and strata of the society. Students are opting for Clinical Psychology in large numbers. Counselling Psychology is the second choice. Organisation Psychology has also become very popular. Specialised diploma courses such as PG Diploma in Psycho Oncology and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology are also among the sought-after courses,” says Kumar.
The number of applications for admissions to First Year Bachelor’s (FYBA) in Psychology received by Vivekanand Education Society’s College of Arts, Science and Commerce in 2018-19 was 151 and in 2020-21 it rose to 209. “Psychology has always been one of the sought-out programmes among the Arts subjects. It offers excellent career opportunities, which include private practice, the clinical work in industry, schools and sports. The covid-19 pandemic led to prolonged exposure to stress across populations and psychological support became the need of the hour. The fading stigma associated with visiting mental health professionals is also leading to an increase in interest among students,” says Anita Kanwar, principal, Vivekanand Education Society’s College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai.
Students not only want to equip themselves to deal with their own mental challenges, but they also wish to provide support to friends and other close people. Dr Gitanjali Natarajan, professor, HOD, Department of Clinical Psychology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, says, “A recent trend is that highly meritorious students are also choosing to study Psychology unlike earlier when they opted for professional courses such as Medicine, Engineering or Law. There is an increasing focus and interest in understanding the mind and the functioning of the brain. Young people are also exposed to unlimited information about mental health and psychological phenomena through the internet. They are much more aware of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, personality difficulties and addictions than earlier generations.
For all the latest Education News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
Denial of responsibility! TheDailyCheck is an automatic aggregator around the global media. All the content are available free on Internet. We have just arranged it in one platform for educational purpose only. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials on our website, please contact us by email – [email protected] The content will be deleted within 24 hours.
