Choosing a field in psychology

How would you advise someone struggling to choose a field in psychology?

Reply 1

,

I've only just decided what I want to go into with my degree so I can share what I used to pinpoint exactly what works for me.

These apply to almost any field but I've tried to tailor it more to psychology

To Find Your Focus:

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Explore Different Areas: Take introductory courses or read about various psychology fields (clinical, organizational, educational, research, sports psychology) to see what resonates with you. (There are lost of webinars you can attend free of charge)

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Consider Your Interests: Think about what aspects of human behaviour fascinate you most - Is it how people learn? How they make decisions? Mental health support? Workplace dynamics?
(If you're struggling to find what you like start by taking what you don't like off the list, then there's at least less to choose from)

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Reflect on Your Strengths: Match your natural abilities with different specializations:

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Good with data? Consider research or quantitative psychology

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Strong people skills? Clinical or counselling might be ideal

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Business-minded? Look into industrial-organizational psychology

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Gain Practical Experience:

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Volunteer in different settings

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Shadow professionals

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Take part in research projects

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Complete relevant internships

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Research Career Prospects: Look into:

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Job availability in different fields

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Salary potential

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Required education levels

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Work-life balance in various roles

Remember, it's okay to take your time with this decision.
Many students change their focus as they learn more about different specializations. The key is to stay curious and open to possibilities while gathering hands-on experience.

Maery
Biological sciences: Physiology and Pharmacology

Reply 2

Interrobang

In addition to the above, look at the routes and consider what you'll manage. For example, if you want to be a clinical psychologist, it can take a number of years to get accepted on the course and you may be on low paying jobs in that time (the same for some other areas), and some courses are funded and others aren't

Reply 3

YSJ_Kiera

Original post

by Carlyn94

How would you advise someone struggling to choose a field in psychology?

Hi Carlyn!

I'd say this depends a little bit on where you are in your Psychology journey right now. Are you studying Psychology, and if so, at what level (GCSE, A-Level, Degree?).

I started studying Psychology at A-Level. At A-Level, you study a little bit of lots of different areas, such as cognition (memory), relationships, social theories, and more. I didn't particularly love any of the areas I studied at A-Level, but I didn't not enjoy them either. I started my Psychology degree in 2022, and throughout my degree, I've become interested in neurodiversity research through the modules I've taken that cover neurodiversity and my own experiences. In September, I'll be starting a Master of Research in Psychology :smile:

Picking an area of Psychology is hard, and the likelihood is that you'll change your mind time and time again throughout your studies. If you let me know where you are in your academic journey, I'll be able to advise a little more specifically!

Kiera
Senior Student Ambassador, York St. John University

Reply 4

UEA Rep Grace

Original post

by Carlyn94

How would you advise someone struggling to choose a field in psychology?

Definitely try and talk it through with someone. If you have access to careers advice (if you are at university, for example) try and talk through what you like and don't like. For instance, how far would you travel for work? Do you like working in teams or individually? I found this really helped me narrow down the job field; I don't want to travel to London and value work-life balance, so I'm aiming to find work which keeps me local to Norfolk. That narrows down job fields quite a bit!

There are lots of other things to consider: how long are you prepared to stay in education? Clinical psychology requires a lot of work and studying. Do you like working with children? What parts of psychology do you enjoy? Talking these things through with someone can be a great way to really consolidate what you're looking for, even if you just have a chat with family or friends!

I also find Prospects to be a great site to browse what types of careers are available and what entry requirements they need. Finally, I think work experience is the single best thing you can do to decide if a field is right for you. You could reach out to places and ask to shadow a staff member for a day, try and gain a part-time job doing something you enjoy, or, if you're not yet at uni, try and do a course that has a placement year- this helped me so much because I turned up for an interview at a clinical psychology job and immediately decided it wasn't for me!

Best of luck, and don't worry if you can't find a field right away. These things always take time!

Reply 5

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post

by Carlyn94

How would you advise someone struggling to choose a field in psychology?

Hi @Carlyn94 😊

I currently study BSc Psychology and Criminology and I can definitely relate to this! Psychology is such a great subject because it is so varied...but this also makes it very hard to decide sometimes when there's so much to enjoy!

Here's a few different tips...

If you haven't already started an undergraduate degree, I will say that a psychology degree is usually set up in a way that you will study all the different core areas which gives you a good chance to see what you do and don't gel with. Really try embrace the different nuances and areas of research within the different fields and see if anything piques your interest. Try chat to different lecturers as you go about their areas of research too and see if you find anything really speaks to you. You're there to learn and develop your skills/areas of interest so don't feel too much pressure to have this figured out straight away. It's also totally normal to think you prefer one area, but then realise you've really enjoyed something else when you learn something new...try to roll with this and keep testing out what has really suited you.

If you are currently studying your degree, I find it really helpful to sit and make a mindmap or some form of notes on what specific topics I find really interesting and feel passionate about exploring. I then try think about what fields these relate to, and what areas I can apply to these topics. Then, I can think about what sort of careers paths I'd be looking at if I pursued these things and look up what my next steps would be, and think about if it's something I really want to do. I also find it really helpful to consider if I would genuinely enjoy working in the working environments this would lead to, and if it would work well for my personal skillset. Doing this has helped me to rule out that I don't want to pursue the clinical or therapeutic routes, but have determined that I have real passions within forensic and educational psychology...plus recognised how much I really want to pursue research and incorporating this as much as I can. I've found the only way to choose what's right is to sit and really reflect on it, but this way has given me a bit more of a strategy to it 🧠

The BPS website is great for navigating different career routes for different fields so have a good explore, and find that the 'Career options in psychology' tab linked here can be a really great tool for the different fields.

Lastly, whether you're at college or university, reach out to different staff who teach within psychology and ask to have a good chat with them about your options. This really helps me and I've found this one of the most valuable resources during my studies. An email or a quick conversation can go a long way 😊

Focus on what you really enjoy, keep exploring your options and keep making decisions that feel right for you. Best of luck!

Becky
University of Salford Student Rep

Reply 6

Arden University

Official Rep

Original post

by Carlyn94

How would you advise someone struggling to choose a field in psychology?

@Carlyn94

There is so fantastic advice here already, most social sciences students I studied with (which covers Sociology and Psychology) didn't really know what they wanted to do when they started their degree's - bar a few who wanted to do social work.

On from all the great advice already here, I would say that if you did start your degree and decided not to progress to doctorate level study, a social sciences degree is still valuable in itself. A lot of blue chip companies have graduate management programs which tend to like psychology students inparticular

Marc
Arden University Student Ambassador

Reply 7

UOBuckingham Rep

Official Rep

Original post

by Carlyn94

How would you advise someone struggling to choose a field in psychology?

Carlyn94
It depends on what stage you are now.
Annie

Reply 8

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post

by Carlyn94

How would you advise someone struggling to choose a field in psychology?

Hey there 😃

If you're deciding between psychology courses, I’d recommend going for a general psychology course, especially if you're not yet sure what specific area you're passionate about. A general course gives you a broad foundation and the flexibility to explore different areas of psychology. Later on, you’ll usually have the chance to choose specialised optional modules, once you’ve discovered what interests you most.

That said, before committing to a course, it can be super helpful to take a few steps to narrow down your interests. Try speaking with a university or career advisor at your school. They’re trained to help you understand your strengths, interests, and long-term goals. You should also dive deep into university websites. Look at course outlines, module descriptions, and assignment types to see which course content resonates with you the most 📘

If you're trying to decide between optional modules in a psychology degree, the same advice applies. Take your time reading through the module details and think about how each one connects to your future goals. Ask yourself: Where do I see myself working? What kind of job would I love to do? Choose modules that align with your career aspirations. This way you’ll gain relevant knowledge and experience early on.

I hope it will be helpful 💪 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions 😉 You can also chat with me or other students directly through The Ambassador Platform.

Take care,

Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University