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THE inner workings of the human mind seem to be the hot new thing in the world of post-secondary education.
Two polytechnics revealed recently they will offer diplomas in psychology starting next year, joining another very popular programme that made its debut early this year.
Temasek Polytechnic plans a three-year course that will focus on the use of psychology in human resources practices.
Singapore Polytechnic will offer a diploma in applied drama and psychology. The programme, a school official said, will use theatre to resolve problems. Both are three-year courses and will take in 40 students each at the start.
Mrs Lam Yoke Peng, director of Singapore Polytechnic's language and communication department, said psychology is becoming increasingly popular with students.
'It's a subject they can now take without needing to wait until university, and it also helps them understand how people think,' she said.
The new offerings come close on the heels of the debut of a psychology course at Ngee Ann Polytechnic this year. The programme, which includes topics such as crisis intervention and social research, drew some 800 applicants for its 40 spots.
Psychology is a popular option at universities as well. The Nanyang Technological University, for instance, sees about 5,000 applicants every year for 100 openings in its course.
Fields like social services are facing a shortage of trained psychologists, especially those with a background in drama, said Mrs Lam.
That training is ideal for counselling children, who are often asked to dramatise traumatic events like bullying.
Students who graduate from the course may work in positions such as drama educators, rehabilitation facilitators and social work assistants.
Temasek's course in psychology studies will come under its new humanities and social sciences school.
The course will prepare students to use psychology to motivate workers and improve their performance.
The course aims to prepare students for a range of jobs in the human resources industry, from staff training executive to union officer.
Mr Edmond Khoo, deputy principal of Temasek Polytechnic, said the new course provided more options for students outside the usual subjects of hard sciences and technology.
janeng@sph.com.sg
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