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Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (AB PSY) is a four year degree program that helps students
understand human behavior and different thinking processes through the use of basic scientific
principles and psychological theories.
The AB PSY program equips students with the knowledge and skills to assess and conduct
empirical research regarding individual and group behavior by integrating subjects in
personality, human development and psychological testing.
Elective subjects are also integrated in the AB PSY curriculum, and include:
o Current Issues in Psychology
o Educational Psychology
o Filipino Psychology
o Group Dynamics
o Clinical Psychology
o Environmental Psychology
o Positive Psychology
o Family Psychology
o Forensic Psychology
o Cognitive Psychology
The AB PSY program is taught to students through classroom discussions and clinical exposures.
In addition, students also need to attend an internship or a practicum in a company or
organization where they can practice the lessons that they’ve learned during classroom
lectures.
As a requirement for graduation, some schools require students to accomplish a research paper
and defend it facing a panel composed of faculty members and an expert in the field of
psychology.
Is Psychology a profession?
Many careers in the field of psychology are considered a profession. A graduate of AB in
Psychology who passes the relevant board exams might be employed as a Psychometrician, a
Guidance Counselor or a Psychologist (which also requires a Master’s degree), all of which are
considered to be professions.
The career paths for each of these professions are described later on, as well as their
corresponding board examinations.
o Inquisitiveness – a desire to understand the inner workings of the human mind and to
discover why people act and think the way they do.
o Inter-personal skills – able to work well with varying groups of people and understand the
reasons behind their actions and behavior
o Intra-personal skills – this includes the personal capacity for self–reflection and assessment.
You must be able to understand yourself in order to understand others.
o Analytical skills – the ability to understand the complexity of human behavior with the use of
scientific method to analyze and measure the variations for certain actions.
o Decision making skills – suggesting courses of action for different individuals requires
gathering evidence, assessing probable consequences and making quick yet difficult judgment
calls.
o Communication skills – has excellent written and oral communication skills and can effectively
communicate with diverse groups of people.
o Patience – understands that significant periods of time can pass before substantial results can
be seen.
o Being an effective listener – you must be an active listener who understands the uniqueness
of every person and yet communicates in a patient manner in order to change the behavior of
others.
How difficult is AB in Psychology?
AB in Psychology is not considered a difficult course. Although you need to learn certain
theories and principles to properly deal with different kinds of people, these lessons are not
particularly difficult to understand. Also, the workload involved when studying this course is not
as heavy compared to many other courses.
Review for the board examinations (if you wish to take them) will take a few additional
months.
The BS in Psychology degree has a heavy biological and physical sciences emphasis; it is
considered to be more specialized and specific. In addition, the B.S. Psychology course requires
more laboratory, statistics and science classes. B.S. students are also trained to become more
computer-oriented, knowledgeable with technology and other practical skills needed for a
particular discipline within the field.
While one degree is not necessarily better than another, some educational experts suggest that
students who earn a B.S. degree in psychology have greater flexibility and more career
opportunities.
Practicum in Psychology
A student of the AB PSY program is required to attend a practicum where he/she will be
assigned in different units of an organization, company, or institution by a practicum on-site
supervisor, as approved by the practicum faculty coordinator. During the practicum, students
are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge and practice their skills in actual settings.
The student is required to finish a total of 150 hours for the Practicum in Psychology. (See
sources 1 and 2)
o Educational Psychologist – works with students for both counseling appointments and
also to examine flaws in educational systems and determining appropriate guidelines for
faculty–student relations.
o Clinical Psychologist – assesses diagnoses and treats patients suffering from various
psychological disorders. Beyond psychoanalysis, the clinical psychologist is able to
prescribe drugs for the treatment of mental illnesses.
o Industrial / Organizational Psychologist – increases workplace productivity by
determining which employees are suitable for given job descriptions while overseeing
and maintaining the welfare of the organization.
o Occupational Psychologist – apply psychological knowledge, theory and practice to the
world of work. They aim to help an organization get the best performance from their
employees and also to improve employees' job satisfaction.
o Forensic Psychologist – works with law enforcement agencies to examine crime scenes
and determine motives for criminal behavior.
o Engineering Psychologist – examines the relations between humans and machines to
determine ergonomic standards and suggest better technology for user capabilities.
o Rehabilitation Specialist – work with people whose disabilities make it difficult for them
to engage in a full spectrum of activities.
o Sports Psychologist – focus on the psychological aspects of sports and athletics, including
topics such as motivation, performance and injury.
In the Philippines, a guidance counselor with 1 to 4 years of experience has an average salary
of P10,000 to P15,000 per month. Those who have 5 years of experience and above have an
average salary of P14,000 to P22,000 per month (see source).
Psychometricians with 1 to 4 years of experience can expect to earn P11,000 to P16,000 per
month (seesource).
My current job:
Self-employed