When you join a master’s program, you do not just continue ahead of the undergraduate degree that you received. It is no way a continuation of the undergraduate course. In the master’s program, you do specialization in a specific field of study or a particular subject. The master’s course is a process of becoming an almost expert in a certain field. An undergraduate degree surely has its own benefits. It opens the door to a range of job opportunities for you. But the master’s degree streamlines these opportunities. Once you are done with your master’s degree, the world looks at you as an expert. The degree puts you on a specific track and thus your job opportunities increase after the degree but in a certain domain.
In a master’s program, the thesis or dissertation is one of the most important elements. It is surely the most important assignment that a student has to do during the course. In simple words, a thesis is what you show for the entire time that you spend while pursuing the course. If you do not have any work experience, then the thesis or dissertation becomes even more important for you.
Psychology is a subject that has always been on the rise. It is one of the most important branches of study for the entire humankind. This branch of study has probably existed ever since the inception of human life. We have always been trying to understand each other and devising ways to improve our understanding. However, it is in the recent past that psychology has been accepted as a proper academic discipline in the world. Millions of students apply to a high range of courses of this discipline every year all around the world.
How to choose the thesis topic for your master’s in Psychology:
Just like all the other master’s courses, the thesis or dissertation is quite important for this course as well. However, it is not easy for one to choose the topic for the thesis or dissertation. It is the first step that you take towards writing the thesis and perhaps the most difficult one as well. As a psychology student, you have to figure out which narrow field you are interested in and then only you can decide on the topic. If you are a psychology student pursuing a master’s course, keep in mind that your thesis will tell the employer what you can add to his company. Most of the times, a student or applicant is asked to describe his dissertation project during the job interview.
There is no good, bad, or perfect topic to select a thesis. But a strategically designed project can decide the career path for you. No matter who you meet after completing the master’s degree, he will ask about your thesis and examine it with scrutiny. Therefore, it can be said that there are plenty of other things that you need to keep in mind while selecting the topic. Here are a few of them:
1. Narrow down your interests
The first thing that you need to do as a psychology student is narrowing down your interests. At the beginning of the course, it is usual for students to be confused about their interests and the field that they want to go in. But as you come to the final stage of the master’s course, your supervisor, your parents, and in fact everyone would expect to have clear thoughts about where you want to reach and what career path you wish to follow. Therefore, if you do not have your thoughts and interests narrowed, it is high time you do it. Before selecting the thesis topic, you have to do so. counsellor things like whether you are interested in clinical health, mental psychology, or any other field. Think about where you want to go and how you want to make use of your degree once you get done with your degree. There is a huge range of jobs that one can go for after studying Psychology. For instance, you can be a guidance counsellor at a high school and you can also be a prison therapist for convicted felons in a prison facility. The reason you need to decide on your interests is that you need different studies for each of these career paths. Your thesis should be related to the career path that you want for yourself. So, narrow your interests down before you decide the topic.
2. Examine the Job market
Since you are a Psychology student, it is obvious that once your degree is complete, you are going to work in that domain only. Moreover, it is already mentioned above that the dissertation of the master’s course can have a huge impact on your job prospects and chances. Therefore, when you select the topic for your thesis, keep in mind the job prospects as well. Find out what all skills are being demanded by the employers in your domain. Most of the students worry too much about the grades. But you need to understand that when you complete a master’s degree, grades matter less than the research. If you have done some good research and have not-so-low grades, then there is nothing that you need to worry about. Therefore, it would be wise of you to focus on the research and prepare a killer thesis that you can flaunt in front of the employer.
3. Choose something that you are passionate about
This is one of the biggest favours that you can do to yourself while writing the thesis. If you choose something that you are passionate about, then the process ahead will become very easy. You will already have a lot of research material regarding the subject. Even if you don’t, you will surely have an idea about where to find good research material for the subject or the topic. If you are not excited about the topic that you choose, you will find it extremely difficult to finish this monster of a project. Keep in mind that there will come a time when you will be required to sell your thesis as you interview for jobs and Ph.D. programs. It would be easier for you if the employer or the admission committee sees the excitement in you about your thesis topic.
Moreover, while writing the dissertation, you wouldn’t need any extra motivation. You will be tempted to work on it as it will be about something that you would deeply care about.
4. Take feedback
Since you are about to write your thesis, there are chances that you have some perspective topics in mind. If it is so, you should always take advice before finalizing one. You can try talking to your potential supervisor. If you have a personal tutor, he can be a nice person to talk to about the topic for your thesis. Moreover, you can also try talking to a senior that you know. All of these people can prove to be the source of some prudent advice in such a time. All of them would have gone through the same dilemma and confusion that you, as a student, would face while writing your dissertation. Therefore, it would be wise to talk to them.
Moreover, many times, a third eye or an outsider’s opinion is really important. You might feel that you have selected the best topic out there for your thesis but having an outsider’s perspective can still prove to be highly useful. Therefore, always talk to someone and take advice before finalizing the topic for your thesis.
5. Decide the trajectory of your career
It is better for you if you choose a topic that helps you grow in your career. There are chances that you have already decided about the path that you want to follow in your career and the place where you wish to reach. Try and choose a topic that helps you achieve that goal. In other words, choose a thesis topic that creates a trajectory for you. If you can continue to work in a field related to the topic of your thesis for the next few years, it can prove to be great for you. Obviously, it wouldn’t be compulsory for you to take the trajectory or the path that the topic of your thesis decides for you but there is no harm in keeping your options open.
Not every student can enjoy a single topic for five-six years and many times, the master’s students decide not to pursue a Ph.D. Even if you are one such student, keep in mind that it does not take anything away to keep the options open for yourself. Even if you wish to join a course like MBA or PGDM, the thesis can prove to be helpful.
6. Try and choose something new
This is a point that is very important to be kept in mind. If you select a topic that has already been analyzed and researched about from every possible aspect, then you wouldn’t have anything left with yourself to write about. If most of the research would have already been done, then you wouldn’t have anything original to do. And mind you, a repeat or copy of something that your supervisor would have already seen hundreds of times is not going to impress him. Therefore, try and choose something that has not been fully researched.
However, this does not mean that you should choose something totally new. If you do so, you would face a problem in finding the relevant resources to conduct research. You will end up making your thesis even more challenging.
Therefore, in the simplest of words, try and choose something that is not completely untouched and at the same time has some aspects to look at.
Top 20 ideas for topics:
Below are some of the best topics or examples of topics that you can choose from. However, the advice would be to pick one that you find intriguing or that you have already researched a little about.
- How does romantic jealousy impact the balance of a committed relationship?
- How does having alcoholic parents impact the lives of children?
- An analysis of how job satisfaction is directly linked to the performance of an employee.
- Workplace stress and the coping mechanisms employed by the employees.
- A study to identify the social factors that influence adolescents to get involved in drug abuse
- How influential can the teammates prove to be on the strategic thinking of a player?
- What are the demerits and benefits of using positive reinforcement and praise in special education?
- How is the use of technology in the modern-day classrooms impacting the way students learn?
- A study of the most painful learning difficulties in the workplace and how do they affect the workforce
- A study of the biggest factors that can have an impact on social cognition within a family.
- Psychological effects on the minds of autistic children because of the attitude of their families.
- Ways in which the issues related to reconciliation affect two persons after their divorce.
- A study of the complex relationship between self-esteem, consistency, and enhancement of self.
- How can the job roles in a workplace have a direct impact on the behavioural disorders of a person?
- Analysing the relation of suicide in young people with cognitive brain change.
- The psychological reasons behind the eating disorders in young children.
- Different ways in which bullying affect the attitude of a person towards life.
- A study of how maternal stress affects the language acquisition of children.
- An analysis of the new teaching methods in modern-day schools and classrooms.
- How does being the part of a team impact the mind of a child?
The topics that are mentioned above are good enough to be used by any Psychology student all over the world. However, you can always come up with your own ideas. One last tip: spend enough time choosing the topic. Do not rush the process because once you have started writing, it would be very difficult to change the topic. So, make sure that you choose the right one in the first place.
