How to Make a Career in Aviation Psychology?

The number of people choosing to travel is growing exponentially, placing more demand for pilots, flight attendants, and airline companies. This increased strain contributes to more job-related tension, as well as the need to monitor human error and boost airline operations, and therefore the need to understand aviation psychology increases. In this blog, we cover aviation psychology and everything related to it. 

Also Read: Aeronautical Engineering

What is an Aviation Psychologist?

In the area of aviation, aviation psychology, also known as aerospace psychology, studies attitudes, feelings, behaviour and cognitive processes. 

An Aviation Psychologist is trained to enhance aviation standards and conditions through their understanding of psychology and provides pilots, aircrew and airport workers with mental health resources, and resolve any concerns, anxieties, or job-related pressures.

Here are roles and responsibilities of an Aviation Psychologist:

1. Provide counselling to the flight crew
   Within the aviation industry, there are several functions that an aviation psychologist may have. They can help brace staff members for possible threats and teach them how to cope with circumstances of high stress. 
2. Mental health and wellness services
   A psychologist can provide emergency therapy to pilots and airline crew, as well as to passengers who have undergone some form of a stressful incident during periods of crisis, such as an aircraft accident or a terror attack. Mental wellbeing counselling may also be provided to family members of someone who may have died on a flight. 
3. Design training programmes
   An aviation counsellor may aid with developing and organising airline preparation plans to enhance the morale of their employees. A psychologist may provide staff members with instruction and encouragement to boost their performance, help cope with jet lag and sustain their overall performance.

Must Read:Industrial Psychology: Definition, Courses & Careers

Aviation Psychology Courses 

Here are the most popular Aviation Psychology Courses:

• PGCert – Human Factors and Ergonomics for Patient Safety
• MSc/PGDip/PGCert – Ergonomics and Human Factors
• Safety and Human Factors in Aviation (MSc)
• Human Factors in Aviation MSc
• Safety and Accident Investigation MSc
• Aviation Safety Aircraft Airworthiness
• Sustainable Air Transport Operations and Planning MSc

Explore:Top Schools for Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology

Eligibility Criteria for Aviation Psychology Courses

The eligibility criteria for candidates to qualify for the course are listed below. 

• Basic 10 + 2 education from a recognised board
• A UG degree in similar fields with the appropriate minimum GPA
• If you are aspiring to study abroad, then you must qualify the following requirements:
  • Minimum required GMAT or GRE score (not required by all universities)
  • A successful IELTS, TOEFL or some other English language proficiency test score
  • SOP and LOR.

How to Become an Aviation Psychologist?

Here is a step-by-step career map to become an Aviation Psychologist:

• To start your career in Aviation Psychology, you can pursue your bachelor’s degree in Psychology and then specialise through your masters either in Aviation Psychology or Industrial/Organisational Psychology.
• Once you have the academic knowledge of psychology as well as organisation counselling, you can then look for training, industrial or interning opportunities with professional psychologists.
• Many Aviation psychologists start usually as organisational psychologists working across corporate and public arena and you can also look for careers in military psychology and counselling.

Aviation Psychology Subjects

Mentioned below are the subjects you will study in Aviation Psychology courses:

• Cognitive Ergonomics
• Human Performance and Error
• Human-Computer Interaction in Aviation
• Research Methods (MSc only)
• Safety Assessment of Aircraft Systems
• Applied Safety Assessment
• Aircraft Accident Investigation and Response
• Safety and Human Factors in Aviation Course Induction
• Flight Data Monitoring
• Training and Simulation

Must Read:Aviation Courses After Graduation

Top Universities Abroad

The top universities to study aviation psychology abroad are listed below.

• Cranfield University
• Loughborough University
• Coventry University
• Harvard University
• Cambridge University
• Florida University
• Cardiff University
• Manchester University

Explore:MBA in Aviation Management: Program Details

Career in Aviation Psychology

There are various job opportunities available for candidates after pursuing the aviation psychology course. For your reference, we have listed them below.

1. Overall, from 2018 to 2028, the field of psychology is expected to expand 14 percent. Although no employment figures for aviation psychology are given by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), it can be expected that this area will continue to see steady development and adequate job opportunities.
2. As airlines become more technologically sophisticated, the stressors for flight crews and ground staff will not be reduced. In fact, as the number of people travelling in the United States and worldwide continues to grow, job-related tension may well grow, thereby maintaining a need for aviation psychologists.
3. For aviation psychologists, the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not explicitly provide wage detail. The BLS, though, reports the median annual wage as $98,230 for all psychologists (May 2019).
4. Information is available on industrial-organizational psychology, which is among the areas most closely related to this field. The research reveals that, from a pay standpoint, it is among the most profitable fields of psychology, with a median salary of $111,150 per year in May 2019. Of course, several variables can have an effect on one’s wage, including qualifications, experience, work venue, and the size of the airline or business providing the job.

Also Read:Aviation Courses & Universities

Salary of Aviation Psychologist

As it is still an emerging field in Aviation, the average salary of an Aviation Psychologist is $82841 [60,74,208 INR] in the USA and can go even more than $111,150 [81,49,929 INR] per year varying as per the airline you are working with.

This was all about How To Make A Career In Aviation Psychology. If you have any queries or doubts related to the application process, then reach out to Leverage Edu experts. Sign up for a free session today.