Reasons to Study Psychology

There are many reasons to study psychology, from career prospects to personal interest.

Psychology is a fascinating area of study. It will help you understand human behaviour and mental processes and allow you to better understand how we think act and feel. If you are considering studying psychology you probably already know what an interesting subject it is to study. Our psychology courses look at some of the important questions such as why do people act the way they do? What shapes our personality? How do we learn and change throughout our life? If you are interested in a deeper understanding of the human condition you should consider studying psychology.

This is a good enough reason in itself but there are several other reasons why you should consider a course in psychology.

Career Prospects

A psychology degree is one that is increasingly valued by employers who value the analytical and reasoning skills it gives you. Caroline Kennedy, Careers & Opportunities Officer at NCI, has remarked:

“The psychology course has proven incredibly popular because of the sheer range of options that it opens up to graduates. The PSI accreditation means that graduates can pursue further professional training in any number of areas, depending on their particular interest – anything from clinical, educational to occupational psychology, and more. Not every graduate will go on to become a practising psychologist, but they will gain all manner of transferable skills and knowledge, that will be attractive to any employer. With strong research and communication skills, and an understanding of why people act the way they do, graduates could end up working anywhere from marketing, management and HR, to sports or healthcare – it’s a degree that gives you a huge variety of options.”

Further Study Options

Students who choose the BA (Honours) in Psychology at National College of Ireland have two study options:

Once you complete your undergraduate degree, you can complete further graduate training in areas such as: Organisational Psychology, Educational Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology and more.

Psychology can help you better understand people around you

Of course a psychology degree won’t give you an absolute understanding of every interaction you have with people. We are quite a complex species after all. 

However, the insights you gain about peoples’ motivations, perceptions and behaviour will perhaps give you a different perspective on why people react in the ways they do and help you to understand people a little better.

Psychology can help you better understand yourself

The insights you gain into motivations, thought processes, the influences of groups you interact with and many other aspects of human behaviour will all help you gain a better understanding of yourself. 

Many students find that as they study language, emotion and other topics that they become better communicators as a result of studying psychology.

We have a range of events and open evenings that can give you an insight into studying psychology at NCI.