Depending on which area of Psychology or Mental Health you are interested in, and of course what levels of study you achieve there are almost endless career possibilities out there.
In this article, we are going to explore some of those possibilities and opportunities.
"Psychology, unlike chemistry, unlike algebra, unlike literature, is an owner's manual for your mind. It's a guide to life. What could be more important than grounding young people in the scientific information that they need to live happy, healthy, productive lives? To have good relationships?"
- Daniel Goldstein
Careers Opportunities With QQI Level 5 or 6
Generally, people study who study Mental Health and Psychology have a keen interest in community, health or social care sectors and are committed to enhancing their current knowledge and practice skills in developing opportunities to support recovery for people who experience mental health difficulties, to exploring their own and societal attitudes to mental health and emotional distress.
If you wish to continue your education upon completion of these courses, you might want to consider some of the following:
- Psychology, Maynooth University
- Psychology, UCD
- Psychology, NCI
- Psychology, WIT
- Psychology – Applied Psychology, AIT
- Mental Health Nursing, UL
- Mental Health Nursing, DKIT
Of course, this is not your only option. Many people who complete these courses go on to how very successful jobs/careers in areas such as:
- Health Care (carers, counsellors, nurse aides)
- Rehab Support Services (AA, NA etc...)
- Emergency Response Services (Phone responders)
- Prison Services (workshops, prison officers)
- Youth Support Services (coaches, counsellors etc...)
- Social (Children/Family) Support Services
- Homeless Support Services
- Disability Services
- Elderly Care
These are just some of the wonderful opportunities for people to pursue in work or university once they have completed these two QQI courses. Which, is possible to do in less than one year, that's right it is possible to study Psychology QQI Level and Mental Health QQI Level 6 in the same year.
Believe me, I've done it.
What it's Like to Study Psychology and Mental Health
I have said it is possible to complete these two courses in less than a year. That is true, however, yet to mention is that it is possible to complete these two courses in half that time.
YEP!
Depending on how you prefer to study and your circumstances, it is possible to have these courses completed and your work graded within 6months.
How? Well, I'm about to tell you how I managed to do both while working on blogs for Superprof.
QQI Level 5 Applied Psychology in 3 months
I started with the QQI Level 5 in Applied Psychology. Luckily for me, I was able to enrol and study online. As someone who was already working online, I was well versed in meeting deadlines, being self-motivated, had experience in research and because of all this, I knew that I wouldn't miss the social support/atmosphere that comes with the classroom-based experience.
Peer/group support can be a deal-breaker for some people when it comes to whether they study online or on campus. The main reason is they find being around other students can help motivate them or inspire their work.
I was given 2 months to read the course material of which there was a lot! I also purchased a book which I found super helpful, it's called "Psychology - The Science of Mind and Behaviour" by Richard Gross. I cannot stress how important the information in this book was. Yes, it was expensive. Yes, it weighs more than a bag of bricks. But almost every single bit of cross-referencing and research I needed to do, lay within the pages of this book. Anything I couldn't find in this book was usually more specific to Ireland and websites such as Mental Health Ireland and the HSE usually had what I was looking for then.
To complete the course I handed in two fully referenced assignments and sat an exam on campus. Around one month later I received my qualification in the post. I was so proud and happy to have achieved my level 5 QQI Award within 3 months that I decided to pursue this career path further, that's what led me to Mental Health Awareness.
"Dreams can become a reality when we possess a vision that is characterised by the willingness to work hard, a desire for excellence, and a belief in our right and our responsibility to be equal members of society."
- Janet Jackson
QQI Level 6 Mental Health Awareness in 3 months
Once again I was able to enrol and study online. Again this suited me because of my working arrangements and my home schedule.
Again the book by Richard Gross which I had purchased for the previous course proved useful for research and referencing these modules. Which I had to do throughout the course, the main difference this time was I did not have to prepare for an exam at the end of the course.
Instead, I had to prepare a learner journal after each module of the course and a project for the end of the course.
What is a Learner Journal?
The purpose of keeping a learner journal is to record, reflect on and evaluate the learning that occurs. Learner Journals are increasingly used in higher education as means of facilitating or of assessing learning.
The idea is complete each module you fill out different sections usually on an A4 document, for each module you will fill out a paragraph or so under headings that looks something like the following:
- The topics studied in this module were:
- Wash I found most interesting in this module:
- Some things I learned in this module that I will use in the future are:
- Extra research I carried out during this module:
- References:
Careers With a University Degree in Psychology or Mental Health
Earlier in this article, I mentioned some of the areas you could end up working in with level 5 or 6 QQI qualifications in education. Before I let you go, I want to take a quick look at some of your career options if you choose to study at the university level.
When you embark on this journey you are committing years possibly 5 to becoming a professional in this field. Unlike the QQI level which is more about understanding, counselling and awareness. University level study of psychology and mental health is more medical based and clinical based, usually working in conjunction with either the public or private health services.
Upon successful completion of any of your courses which were mentioned earlier on you are looking at long and healthy careers as a professional in the following areas:
- Clinical psychologist
- Psychiatrist
- Mental health nursing
- Children's psychology
- Criminal psychologist
However you choose to follow your ideal career path into psychology or mental health, I wish you the best of luck, remind you that a Superprof tutor is waiting to help you at the click of a button.
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