Do you want to be a psychologist?

Alex Forsythe is Professor of Applied Psychology and Academic Lead for Online Learning at the University of Wolverhampton. Alex is also a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Chair of the Association for Business Psychology.

The University of Wolverhampton Online has two new psychology conversion programmes, freshly accredited by the British Psychologist Society, and delivered completely online.  MSc Psychology and MSc Psychology of Mental Health and Wellbeing.  Students, if you have studied an undergraduate degree in any subject, you can bring your degree to us, and we can start you on the road to becoming a psychologist. Our programmes are entirely online, so you can fit your studies around your kids, partners, jobs, Netflixing, knitting, Instagramming, baking, dancing, Tindering, running, jumping and any of the other myriads of Covid lockdown hobbies and pastimes you may have picked up.  

"Being a psychologist, whatever you specialise in, is a commitment to making a positive difference in people’s lives every day. Whether that is at work, home, at school, or in their decisions about their health etc. We safeguard the mental wellbeing of our communities through evidence-based practice." Ms Debbie Stevens-Gill – University of Wolverhampton.

Career paths (like most paths) tend to not be straight, so you should not expect your career path to be arrow-like in its progression. There will be twists and turns and ups and downs but if you settle yourself in for the long haul and accept that life, as well as your career, will occasionally throw in a few kinks then you will find some aces. And it really matters with work because, when we are satisfied with the work that we do, we lose ourselves in it. We are compelled forward, we feel in charge and in control, we challenge and stretch ourselves, learning new expertise, developing mastery and autonomy over the work that we do.

Work is synonymous with fulfilment; it is an opportunity for social engagement and a way to feel encouraged and valued. Work makes our lives and the lives of others better; it offers financial stability and structure to life. Work makes us, and to be without work can be very damaging both to our mental health and our physical wellbeing. Hardly surprising then that psychology is right at the centre of every component of the world of work and that it remains one of the most popular degree choices both in the United Kingdom and across the globe.

“Being a psychologist means that you have a constant curiosity of how the world works; a need to find explanations for everything we see, do, think and feel." Dr Lisa Orchard – University of Wolverhampton.

Studying the mind and how it dictates and influences our behaviour, from communication and memory to thought and emotion is right at the centre of both the pleasures and the stressors of work. Psychology helps us understand people and human behaviour and to use that understanding to systematically address personal and societal issues.

“Being a psychologist to me means being inquisitive and trying to understand why people do what they do online. It allows me to delve into world of digital crime to explore what it is about people that determines their actions and how they deal with the consequences of their actions to help bring about change to reduce cybercrime.” Dr Alison Attrill-Smith – University of Wolverhampton.

Psychology students thrive in people-related jobs such as marketing, human resources, careers guidance, education, social work, forensic science, health, and well-being but also in roles that require data handling and research expertise in areas, for example, the legal professions, data science, finance, and ethics. So, explore our new programmes, and come and join the psychology wolfpack at the University of Wolverhampton; we back you!  

https://online.wlv.ac.uk/online-course/msc-psychology-of-mental-health-and-wellbeing/

https://online.wlv.ac.uk/online-course/msc-psychology/

“Being a psychologist is to be given an instruction manual for human behaviour... with half of the pages missing.” Dr Danny Hinton – University of Wolverhampton

Alex’s new book The Psychology Students Career Survival Guide, helps students identify their possible selves, provides self-diagnostic strategies, tips, and advice to help students thrive in their careers. Students can avail themselves of 20% discount with this flyer.