Forensic Psychology Personal Statement

This field involves offering professional expertise to aid the judicial system in both civil and criminal matters. Since the psychological assessment of those involved in the legal system is the primary concern of forensic psychologists, it’s incredibly important for those in the field to possess strong clinical skills. These include clinical assessment, interviewing, report writing, strong verbal communication skills and case presentation (Psychology.org 2016). In general, individuals pursuing forensic psychology careers should make sure that their education is focused on psychology, criminology, and forensics. A student can either earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in criminal justice or criminology or earn a criminal justice

degree or criminology with a focus in psychology.
Employment in this field is expected to continue to rise by 11% from 2012 to 2022, providing 16,400 new jobs to psychologists in the field, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics.

From my own perspective I can take an interest in the field because it involves variety of discipline working in unison i.e. psychology, criminology, law etc.

Forensic psychologist’s works with people from different fields. It exposes one to new environment and new people day in day out. I can be interested in the field because it is a helping career for people going through different criminal and social deviant behaviours.

It offers one critical thinking skills to conduct assessments and analyse data. Forensic psychology in addition will help me develop excellent oral and writing skills for presentation of reports and testifying convincingly in a court.

Industrial organisation psychology

It is also known as I–O psychology, occupational psychology or work psychology, it is the scientific study of human behaviour in the workplace and applies psychological theories and principles to organizations and individuals in their workplace. (Trujillo et al, 2016). This involves working with the management and the human resource department to address the psychological challenges that face workers while at work or even those that face them while at home and affect their work

productivity.
Aspiring industrial and organizational psychologists begin their careers by earning bachelor's degrees in general psychology which mainly takes 4 years of study. But for one to become an I-O psychologists they must move to a master’s level and finally complete with a doctoral degree. I-O psychologists can work in various organizations in relation with the human resources staffs, for example they can work in factories, construction sites, plants, bull collar organizations etc. For one to practise in this field they must be licensed by SIOP (Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychologists) according to SIOP 2016.
According to the United States Department of labour and statistics, I-O psychology is the fastest growing occupation in the United States, based on projections between 2012 and 2022. According to recent salary and employment surveys conducted by SIOP, the median salary for a PhD in I–O psychology was $98,000; for a master's level I–O psychologist was $72,000. The highest paid PhD I–O psychologists in private industry worked in pharmaceuticals and averaged approximately $151,000 per year; the median salary for self-employed consultants was $150,000; those employed in retail, energy, and manufacturing followed closely behind, averaging approximately $133,000. The lowest earners were found in state and local government positions, averaging approximately $77,000. I–O psychologists whose primary responsibility is teaching at private and public colleges and universities often earn additional income from consulting with government and industry. (Medsker et al, 2007).
I can pursue the field since it has a diverse career path ranging from private sector, government, consulting to education. The field addresses the challenges that workers face on their daily duties and tries to enhance good working relationship between the employees and the working environment.
Health psychology
Health psychology is the study of psychological and behavioural processes in health, illness, and healthcare. (Johnstone, M 1994). Psychologists in this field can work in hospitals, clinics, Non-profit organizations, government sectors, corporations and universities. Considering health/medical psychology falls under the broader subject of psychology, it, like is subject to strict rules and regulations about who can be licensed as a health/medical psychologist.
According to the journal of careers in psychology there are two ways to enter the field of health/medical psychology. First is to get either a PhD in Psychology or a PsyD degree. A number of universities offer doctorates in the field of health/medical psychology such as schools like Mercer University, the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. After getting the doctorate, it is often a requirement to get a master’s degree or certificate in psychopharmacology. The other way is to go to medical school to become a medical doctor. Many medical schools offer medical psychology integrated into a medical degree program. All health/medical psychologists need to be licensed and certified before practicing. After getting a doctorate, the candidate is expected to take an exam and going through a supervised internship.
A health psychologist's annual salary is influenced by a few factors. Those with more advanced degrees, for instance, will definitely earn higher salaries. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, psychologists that worked in hospitals made an average salary of $91,810. Those that worked in clinical and counselling positions, however, made an average salary of $73,090, while those working in the field of research and development made an average salary of $100,790.
I would not have any interest in this field because it’s a very narrow field that has no well spelt out distinct responsibilities, most of the duties of a health psychologists can be carried by other professions like clinical and counselling psychology.

Neuropsychology
This is a field that basically brings together biology of the brain and how it influences how we think, perceive the environment and react to the environmental happenings.

It is a field that studies how the brain and the nervous system work and influence cognitions and human behaviours in their day to day encounter with the environment. Professionals in this field study and assess how injuries and illnesses to the brain affect human behaviour. They basically work as researchers studying both healthy humans and animal and those that have illness or injuries in their brain and nervous system. Neuropsychologists work primarily in hospitals and clinics or other health facilities in universities, government agencies and private

sectors.
According to Learn how to Become-neuropsychologist 2016, for one to become a neuropsychologist, a doctoral degree will be needed. Most programs are either a PhD or PsyD in psychology with a neuropsychology concentration. A master’s degree generally not necessarily serves as a terminal degree for neuropsychologists, but some employers might be willing to accept the master’s degree in psychology with emphasis on neuropsychology or neuroscience. In order to practice as a neuropsychologist, state licensure will be needed. While each state has its own requirements, most require graduation from a doctoral program, a certain amount of practical experience and passing the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology.
Since the field is narrow I would not have interests in pursuing it and all its opportunities are at the doctorate level and a few at the master’s level.