How to Become an Industrial Psychologist?

In order to maintain the proper functioning of an organization, it takes the efforts of many individuals. While the CEOs are the ones to keep a track of everything, the workplace can be a frustrating place for them too. This is where Industrial psychologists come in. The background of an Industrial Psychologist comes from a branch of study – Industrial Psychology. As the name suggests, this field applies psychological theories and principles to the organization. It deals with the issues related to the workplace which directly or indirectly sways the productivity. This blog will help you to clear out your choices and will guide you through the process of how to become an industrial psychologist. 

What is the Role of an Industrial Psychologist?

An Industrial Psychologist, often referred to as an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, focuses on fostering the success of an organization by maintaining a smooth and efficient workplace for all. They mainly work within the human resource department and aim to ease the transitions taking place. They apply the principles and methods to help plan policies and develop a plan for the future. Their focus ranges from the applicants to the top-level employees. If you choose to become an industrial psychologist, you will get to see a number of exciting growth opportunities coming your way as this part of the organization interact with all the levels of hierarchy and are the first to be involved whenever a problem arises. Below are the duties, an industrial psychologist is expected to fulfil-

• Recruiting and selecting employees
• Job training and development
• Maximizing wellness and life quality
• Ergonomics 
• Organizational development
• Performance management and enhancement

What will be your Career Areas?

If you decide to pursue Industrial Psychology, you are expected to find a career in the following area-

• Human Resources Organizational Development (OD) Manager: this is an important position that plans and coordinates the company’s goals. These are the ones who are directly responsible for creating the human resource policies and help to achieve business and operational goals. 
• Trainer: if you are hired as a trainer, you will be the instructor and educator for the company and your task will be to convey knowledge and skills to the employees. They also deal with the newly hired employees and will help them during their initial days in an organization. There are some stressful times, when the company may require changes and motivation, this is also where trainers are called in. 
• Talent Management Specialist: these work closely with the management in an organization and focuses on how and what kind of knowledge, skills, experience the employees need to excel in the leadership position.
• Behavior Analyst: as the name suggests, a behavior analyst notices and analyses the behavior. They consider the factors affecting the ideal behavior and tend to make changes to it. They also research consumer trends, all the factors that affect them and suggest plans to get favorable consumer decisions. 
• Human Resource Practice Manager: they specialize on talent selection, performance management and workplace diversity. These mainly deal in recruitment of employees and their retention.
• Consultant: yes, a consultant does exactly what you think of, the moment you read this word. They meet with the executives and other leadership positions to evaluate the recruitment, management, training and development of an organization to suggest ways that will help reap more benefits.
• Research Analyst: they generally work closely with the project teams. They organize research projects to analyze the data and then make recommendations accordingly. 

Also Read: How to Become a Psychologist in India?

Qualifications Required to Become an Industrial Psychologist 

If you wish to work as an industrial psychologist, the pathway to your career will require the following qualifications,

• Obtain a bachelor’s degree
• Completing a master’s degree program will increase your chances of getting hired in any organization
• Try getting some experience by working as an intern in this area
• If you wish to excel and get the most of available knowledge, you can go for a PhD or Diploma program
• If you are planning to pursue education abroad, you will only be eligible to apply if you the required ACT or SAT scores. There are many universities which accept application based on a specific GRE or GMAT score. Being an international student, you will also need an English proficiency language test score which varies from university to university. 
• As an international student, you will also require a specific visa, depending on the country you choose, to enable you pursuing your studies abroad. 

Skills Required to Become an Industrial Psychologist 

From what we have discussed earlier, it is clear that an industrial psychologist work in an ever-changing environment and to keep with such an environment having some basic skills in addition to the education, will serve you well in this field,

• Listening 
• Problem Solving
• Negotiation and Persuasion
• Data Analysis
• Writing and Reading Comprehension
• Business Acumen
• Social Skills
• Teaching and Learning
• Management and
• Communication 

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Become an Industrial Psychologist

• Identify your interests – First, you need to identify that whether your interests lie in this field or not because dealing in psychology is not something everybody enjoys. If you are someone who likes analyzing, researching, managing and problem solving, industrial psychology can be an excellent higher education option for you.
• Bachelor’s degree – If psychology interests you, the next step is to obtain a bachelor’s degree from any accredited university or college. If you had psychology as a subject in your higher school education, you would get an advantage in securing a seat in the related program. In India, colleges do not offer a specific degree for industrial organization psychology but there are other psychological programs and courses that will help you clear out your vision. 
• Master’s degree – in India, it is not compulsory for an individual to own a master’s degree in any psychological program but getting one will obviously provide you an in-depth education, will add to your existing knowledge and will increase your chances of getting a place as an industrial psychologist in any organization. However, in some countries it is necessary to hold a master’s degree before you apply in any organization as an industrial psychologist. 
• Internship – Now this is something that every organization looks for and values the most. It is advisable to gain some experience in this field by choosing to work as an intern in any organization for a period. This will not only increase your chances of getting hired but will also give you a real-world experience. You will get to know how an industrial psychologist is expected to perform, what you will get to experience on a day to day basis and how can you improve yourself. 
• Apply for the position – Once you have the gained the knowledge and the experience you are ready to step-in an organization and kickstart your career. Now, any individual would want a good pay, a convenient location and a sound working environment, so you can research about various organizations and choose for yourself. Dealing with the human resource is something every organization is engaged into, so you have a very wide range to choose from. 

(note that getting a PhD or Diploma degree is not necessary. However, if an individual wish to explore more, he/she can go for it)

Also Read: Best Countries to Study Psychology

Top Universities for Industrial Psychology

Following are some of the most renowned universities offering the best psychology undergraduate and postgraduate programs, 

University Name	Popular Program	Average Annual Fees
University of Oxford	M.Sc Psychological Research	£26,940(INR 27,01,990)
Harvard University	B.Sc Psychology	$51,904(INR 38,74,952)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Bachelor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences	$77,020(INR 57,50,016)
Princeton University	B.A Psychology and Ph.D Psychology	$57,690(INR 43,06,913)$6,830(INR 5,09,901)
Columbia University	M.Phil Psychology and B.A Psychology	$62,430(INR 46,60,842)$59,995(INR 44,79,000)

Top Universities in India for Industrial Psychology 

Here is a list of all the top universities for Industrial Psychology in India.

• Lady Shri Ram College for Women – established in 1956 by Late Sir Shree Ram, in the memory of his wife, this university is affiliated to Delhi University and is one of the most prominent and renowned colleges for women in India. The college known for its social sciences, humanities and commerce programs. This college is perfect for all the girls out there who want to pursue and obtain a degree in psychology or any other major. Admission in this is purely merit based.
• Jesus and Mary College – this too is an all women college located in New Delhi. Affiliated to the Delhi University, this college is known for its arts courses which include BA (Hons) Psychology. The Department of Psychology here was established in 1972 and this college focuses on dual knowledge system that provides theoretical and practical knowledge of the subject. Admission in this too, is purely based on merit.
• Jai Hind College, Mumbai – one of the most reputed colleges in India, is the Jai Hind College located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This college was established in 1948 and ahs been ranked at 40^th in the top 100 colleges in India by NIRF. This too offers a bachelor’s degree in psychology and admission here is based on merit.
• TATA Institute of Social Science – this institution was established in 1936 as the Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work and in the year 1964, it was declared ‘Deemed to be University’. It consists of four campuses and offer a master’s degree in psychology. Admission here is based on the result of bachelor’s degree.
• Indian Institute of Psychological Research – located in Bangalore, this is one of the most prominent colleges in India. It offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in various subjects including psychology. If any applicant didn’t had psychology as one of their subjects, he/she is not eligible to take admission in here, which too is purely merit based.

Below is the table mentioning average tuition fees in all these colleges,

College	Average Annual Fees
Lady Shri Ram College for Women	INR 16,970
Jesus and Mary College	INR 16,010
Jai Hind College	INR 5,730
TATA Institute of Social Science	INR 24,000
Indian Institute of Psychological Research	INR 60,000

How much does an Industrial Psychologist earn on an Average?

An industrial psychologist is one of the highest-paid jobs in India. The salary of industrial-organizational psychologists ranges from ₹4lakh to ₹26lakh, depending on the knowledge and experience of the individual. On the other hand, industrial psychologists out of India earns around $80,000(INR 59,65,824) annually. The highest earners make up to $250,000(INR 1,86,43,200) per year. 

FAQs

From what we have discussed earlier in this blog, we can conclude that industrial psychologists are professionals who work in a rich and varied field and perform a range of different tasks on a day to day basis. If you are interested in applying for this course outside India then Leverage Edu provides study abroad services that are very accessible for aspirants. You can call our experts at 1800 572 000 for a free consultancy session anytime.