Short Courses in Psychology

More information about the Psychology discipline

Psychology is the science of mind and behaviour. The discipline examines the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the physiological and neurobiological processes that trigger certain functions and behaviours. The immediate goal in psychology is to understand humanity by both discovering general principles and exploring specific cases. Many practitioners of applied psychology believe that one of the objectives of the field is to benefit society. Psychologists investigate such concepts as perception, cognition, attention, emotion, phenomenology, motivation, brain functioning, personality, behavior and interpersonal relationships.

While psychological knowledge is typically applied to the assessment and treatment of mental health problems, it is also applied to understanding and solving problems in many different spheres of human activity. Following a degree in psychology, you can choose to be involved in some kind of therapeutic role (clinical, counseling, and school positions). Alternatively, you can do scientific research on a wide range of topics related to mental processes and social behavior (typically in university psychology departments) and/or teach such knowledge in academic settings. Also, working in industrial and organizational settings in relevant roles (e.g., human resources or training and employee development) is an option for those with a degree in the field.