CIRP School of Psychology launches B.Sc. degree programs in Business Psychology & Sports Psychology
Colombo Institute of Research & Psychology (CIRP), Sri Lanka’s leading academic institution in psychology education added two more titles to its list of qualifications giving students more options and diversity within the field of psychology.
With these additions CIRP students now have the opportunity of obtaining a British B.Sc. (Hons) degree in either psychology, Business Psychology or Sports Psychology. This is the first time undergraduate degrees in business or sports psychology are offered in Sri Lanka by a State or a private University.
Thus there is a very high demand for both programs as some students who were waiting for such programs to start in Sri Lanka have already reserved their seats for the February intake.
“We observed that some students have a preference of focusing on a particular area in psychology from their bachelors degree. For example some students wanted to apply their psychology knowledge and skills to the business field. Previously their pathway was to first obtain a B. Sc. in Psychology and then specialize in business & organizational psychology through a postgraduate qualification. But now they are able to focus only on the business psychology modules from day one” added Dr. Darshan, the Director academic affairs explaining the reasons for introducing the new programs. Business Psychology Business psychology, which is sometimes referred to as organizational or industrial psychology is the study of human behaviors and thinking patterns involved with our occupations. Many organizations use personality tests, IQ tests, Leaderships indexes and other forms of psychometric tests to screen their recruits to identify more suitable candidates, as evidence emerges to support that a Job – Personality compatibility is a key factor for productivity and job satisfaction. Psychological skills and tools varying from objective interviewing to strategic handling of different & difficult personalities are vital for success in the today’s corporate setting. Motivations, Leadership, Group Behavior and Training are main areas that psychology is knowledge and skills are largely involved with. Business psychology also extends to disciplines such as work- life balance, stress management and improving workplace to reduce stress and accidents using ergonomics. Another very interesting area in business psychology is the field of work conditions. This is concerned about the physical, psychological and temporal work conditions that affect employees. Research has shown that color of the walls, background music, temperature, illuminations and a range of other factors have a direct affect on the level of efficiency, creativity and satisfaction of people.
Careers in Business Psychology
Business psychology is a very broad field and is one of the most popular areas of applied psychology in the developed countries. Business psychology graduates are recruited by many organizations to have inhouse solutions for their various issues in recruiting, motivation, leadership and productivity. Many leading companies are searching for individuals with such qualifications to be recruited to their HR departments. They work at different levels with different titles such as recruiting officers, HRD specialists, Ergonomic specialists, Marketing and Adverting consultants ect. However many individuals with knowledge and skills in business psychology practice as independent consultants, trainers and business psychologists who offer their services to various corporate entities. This is considered one of the most rewarding careers as far as monitory gains are concerned.
Another area where business psychology would be beneficial is advertising, branding and marketing. Many organizations in these areas are looking for individuals who could understand, analyze and predict human preferences and interests, which psychology is the key factor.
Sports Psychology
Sports psychology is the sub specialty in psychology that is concerned with motivating themselves and others for sports achievements, team building and increasing cohesion in team sports, managing intra- group and inter- group conflicts, reducing stress and anxiety before and during events, psychological techniques of improving concentration and maintain attentions, displaying behaviors that affects the confidence of opponents and so on.
Achieving balance between persona life & sports for professional sportsmen & women is a vital factor. Bad relationships, trouble at home and no time for loved ones are known to affect their performance and in current world context performance of sportsmen & women affect not only them but the entire nation. Thus sports psychology is a very important area in today’s world of professional sports.
Careers in Sports Psychology
Many individuals who take part in sports later on go on to coach or manage teams and athletes later on. With their skills and knowledge in the particular sport, having a sports psychology qualification would be a definite advantage for them.
Today sports have shifted from a mere passion or interest to a serious profession. Even at school level this is becoming very obvious, where school sports teams hire highly paid coaches, exercise instructors and even yoga masters. Many national and club level sports teams have their sports psychologists as well.
Becoming sports psychologists not only offers you a rewarding and a prestigious career, but also a satisfying job which gives you the opportunity to stay within the field you like and become professionally qualified within it.
Therefore CIPR’s initiative to offer degrees in sports psychology and business psychology has not only given Sri Lankan students more study options but also has opened more doors for innovative and rewarding careers for them in the future.