Neuropsychology vs. Forensic Psychology: Which One to Study in the UK?

Neuropsychology vs. Forensic Psychology: Which One to Study in the UK?

Wanting to move ahead in academic and professional journeys in the field of psychology is a highly noble thought. In the field of psychology, where you practice varies from hospitals and private clinics to police departments or legal settings. The possibilities are varied, and studying at a reputed UK university in fields like neuropsychology and forensic psychology can take you miles ahead in your career as well as your academic journey.

However, you must decide your path based on your preferences and the study you would like to pursue, both as an individual and in terms of career opportunities. Both specialised branches of psychology, which we will discuss in this blog, offer distinct professional opportunities. The best way to choose one among the two is to assess personal interests, career aspirations and academic goals to come to a final decision. 

In the following section, we will deep-dive into each specialised field to help you get a detailed look at neuropsychology and forensic psychology and decide which one to choose. Also if you’re a student interested in pursuing psychology in the future, remember psychology assignment help UK from Digi Assignment Help as a student of top UK university.

Neuropsychology Vs Forensic Psychology

Overview of Specialised Branches of Psychology: Career Prospects & Academic Scope

Psychology is a major subject with various branches where you can create a long and successful career. However, it is crucial that you understand the details of each specialised branch to ensure you can make a successful career based on your interests.

What is Neuropsychology?

Neuropsychology refers to a subdivision of psychology, which revolves around the study of brain function and how it affects your behaviour and cognition. The primary goal of neuropsychologists is to work with patients. They generally help people who have had brain accidents, strokes, people with neurodegenerative disorders. The aim is to help them diagnose and assess their physical problems. Neuropsychologists often work in hospitals and research facilities. However, you can be successful as a neuropsychologist even with a private practice.

Should You Choose Neuropsychology?

Neuropsychology should be chosen by students who are interested in working with people and patients helping them find necessary treatment to improve their neurological and psychological problems. This field is focused around cognition and behaviour, so students who have a thorough interest in understanding how the brain works and its effects on behaviours in human beings will thrive in this field.

Career Prospects in Neuropsychology 

As mentioned previously the career prospects in this subject are often focused around patient care and treating patients in a hospital or private setting. Here is a detailed outlook of the different career prospects of neuropsychology in the UK.

  • Hospitals and NHS: This is the most common career prospect for neuropsychologists as hospital practtices allows professionals to directly help patients in a clinical setting.
  • Private Practice: Private practices are an alternative to hospitals, but offer similar opportunities of helping patients in a clinical setting.
  • Research Facilities: Based on your interests, you can also find research opportunity in neuropsychology that work for advancements of the field as a whole.
  • Artificial Intelligence Corporations: As AI becomes more ingrained in every industry, companies that develop AI software often work with neuropsychologists to integrate cognition in AI.

What is Forensic Psychology?

Forensic psychology as the name suggests is the use of psychological study and analysis in the legal system. Professionals are required to study and assess criminal behaviour and work with law enforcement agencies. The job also requires working with victims of crime to help them recover from the trauma they’ve endured. Forensic psychologists are often required to work in prisons and legal settings to understand the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs as well as the risk assessment of dangerous individuals.

Should You Choose Forensic Psychology?

Students should pursue a career in forensic psychology if they’re interested in the legal system and not afraid of working with criminals and having to deal with barbaric activities. Students must be ready to work with criminal offenders and law enforcement agencies. The purpose of their professional career would be to assess the behaviour patterns in violent criminals and understand if they’re in a position where they can be rehabilitated.

Career Prospects in Forensic Psychology

The career prospects in forensic psychology primarily revolve around different parts of the legal and justic system. Here are some of the most common career opportunities forensic psychologists have.

  • Police Departments: Forensic psychologists work with police to help with criminal profiling and ongoing investigations.
  • Prison System: Experts working in the prison system try to understand the behaviour of criminals serving time. Their job is to help criminals rehabilitate. 
  • Mental Institutions: Experts often get the opportunity to work in mental health institutions where their job is to work with individuals that have a forensic history.
  • Court System: Forensic psychologists often work closely with lawyers and other legal professionals to offer testimony on criminal cases in court.

Conclusion

Now that you know about the details of each subject, make the right choice based on your interests. As the home to some of the top universities in the world, the UK is a great opportunity to help students get quality education and pursue successful careers as both neuropsychologists and forensic psychologists. And if you’re a student currently struggling with psychology education in UK universities, feel free to use our help. At Digi Assignment Help we don’t only provide psychology assignment help UK, we also offer complete assistance for psychology dissertation topics UK, which can help you score highly in your university curriculum.

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