How to become a School Psychologist

Becoming a psychologist in a school is a rewarding career choice for individuals who have a passion for helping students’ mental, emotional and academic well-being at various stages in their lives, from kindergarten to the more problematic part of their lives – like 8th grade or high school. These psychologists team up with kids, teachers, parents and heads of the departments of school to make sure there is a conducive learning atmosphere. 

Moreover, they tackle learning difficulties among others such as behavior challenges and emotional disorders. Do you want to be a psychologist in a school? Is it possible that a joiner could become a psychologist? This article answers all questions regarding the training of a person who aspires to become a psychologist in a school.

Understanding the role

School psychologists play a pivotal role in helping students academically, socially, and emotionally successful. They collaborate with teachers, parents, and other professionals to develop safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments. Some of the roles include — interpersonal relationships, mentor/protegee situations and relationship dynamics with parents as well as teachers.

• Carrying out psychological evaluations to identify areas of learning and behavior needs.
• Offering counseling services to students.
• Making individualized education programs for those children who require special attention.
• Advisory services to teachers and parents regarding schoolwork or psychological problems.
• Enhancing awareness about mental health issues and intervention programs within schools.

How to become a psychologist in a school

For those wondering how to become a child psychologist in India, or for information about what it takes to become a psychologist for a school. Here are the steps involved:

#1. Get an undergraduate degree in Psychology

In your journey to becoming a school psychologist, the first move should be made toward attaining a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or a related field. During your course work in college, you should take several areas like infancy to adolescence to study — areas that are geared towards developmental psychology and have contributed greatly to a much better understanding of this phenomenon today than ever before.

#2. Get a Master’s degree in Psychology

After you have finished your undergraduate studies, the next step is to pursue a Master’s degree that majors in either school or child psychology. When taking these courses, one is encouraged to consult a top psychology university to get a quality education since education believes they produce good psychologists.

This is important for those who want to know how can we get into school psychology as well as other areas such as clinical or forensic psychology but not limited to it since some people have an interest in becoming sports psychologists among many others. To become a licensed professional working in schools all over India you need a Master’s from a recognized university for credibility.

3. A Postgraduate Diploma or internship in School Psychology

For one to graduate with a Master’s degree, one needs to have working experience as a clinical or educational psychologist. Through this, one will have a general understanding of what they are expected to do in their line of work. 

In most schools in India, students must undergo postgraduate diplomas or internships in school psychology although they must already have a Master’s degree in psychology to qualify. In addition, clinical experience might not be necessary but it would be useful while working with some challenging cases.

4. Get certified and licensed

A school psychologist needs certification or a license they can present that proves their credentials for having trained within that specific sector of education. Due to this reason, many require a postgraduate diploma or an internship in school counseling whereas others combine the two as part of their training programs. Moreover, they may be required to join certain professional bodies or register with boards that regulate their practice within the country.

5. Attain advanced certifications

Sometimes, higher qualifications are necessary for this role to be able to work in specialized areas such as neuropsychology or pediatric psychology. To become a board-certified psychologist in a school, you must meet certain requirements of the National Association of School Psychologists.

Salary expectations for this role

You can earn between INR 4 lakh and 8 lakh per year which depends on your level of qualification & experience in the country as demography makes it has varied income earned by school psychologists.

Conclusively, this role requires research-based strategies and assessment tools that can easily identify children’s mental illnesses or specific health problems which may include autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other behavioral disorders.

Can a commerce student become a psychologist?

One of the questions that frequently arise is whether it is possible for a student from a commerce background to study psychology. Indeed yes! Typically, psychology courses are pursued by art or science students although Commerce students can still venture into the field by engaging in postgraduate study in psychology. 

A number of universities run psychology programs that do not require the discipline as a prerequisite at the undergraduate level. Thus, Commerce students must be ready to study basic psychology early enough to enable them to transition effectively.

How to become a child psychologist in India

To become a child psychologist in India, it’s quite analogous to becoming a psychologist in a school. Nonetheless, a children’s psychologist is one who is more likely to work in diverse situations such as hospitals and private clinics among others than just schools.

Studying through Online Manipal

Online Manipal enables access to high-quality online education by linking it with various departments of the integrated universities belonging to the Manipal Group. Through Online Manipal, adults who wish to continue their education or career can earn online degrees like undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) and Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ).

The following courses by SMU can establish a solid foundation to pursue Psychology and become a psychologist:

• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Master of Arts in English (MA)
• Master of Arts in Sociology (MA)
• Master of Arts in Political Science (MA)

At Online Manipal, an online MBA from MUJ can be very lucrative for jobs requiring leadership skills and business insights, particularly for those with work-study balance issues. In this way, working psychologists who also want to develop business acumen can do so without letting go of their jobs. Online Manipal offers a range of online degree courses that can be relevant to individuals pursuing school psychologist roles by providing foundational knowledge, specialized education as well as flexible learning options.

The bottom line

If you are considering becoming a school psychologist, you should go ahead with it because it is a satisfying job that lets you help students maintain emotional and psychological stability. If you are a student of commerce who wants to know whether you can switch to psychology or already pursuing this path, as a child psychologist, you will have to get advanced education and practical experience.

Online Manipal is, therefore, a perfect platform for students willing to continue with education without limiting their schedules in any way including working professionals who desire more qualifications. Check out Online Manipal’s online degree courses to amp up your resume and pursue higher education in alignment with your goals.

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