When it comes to choosing which degree to enroll in at college, it can be tough making the decision. You haven’t worked in the field, so you don’t truly understand what’s involved in each career path. That’s where research comes in handy.

If you’re interested in getting into health care, you’ll find that many specialties within this industry are growing well and worth investigating further. The health care industry is big and booming. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 20 fastest-growing occupations in the United States, many of the professions on the list are health care–related ones.

If mental health careers have been on your radar, it’s time to find out some of the fields likely to have excellent career prospects over the coming years. Read on for the lowdown on some specialties you might want to study at college soon.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Have you always been fascinated by how different businesses are organized and how people work within them? If so, a field that might be a good option for you is industrial-organizational psychology. Practitioners of this area (also known as occupational psychologists) strive to assist groups to work more effectively and efficiently and to have higher levels of job satisfaction. Groups may be in government departments, private companies, listed Fortune 500 firms or other organizations.

Industrial-organizational psychologists work on tasks such as evaluating business models and various management theories; creating better human resources policies; and screening workers for roles. Much of their work is also done one-on-one with employees.

Neuropsychology

If you’re particularly interested in the way the brain operates and what is happening when it doesn’t function optimally, neuropsychology could be a good fit for you. Neuropsychologists work with people of all ages and with a variety of issues, but in particular they deal with patients who have neurological illnesses, such as strokes, tumors, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative disease and the like, or who have suffered from a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

People working this area assist sufferers in recovery from their injuries or illnesses and in finding new ways of living their lives. If you become a neuropsychologist, you will probably work in an “acute” setting. Many people work in specific neuroscience clinics, which study and search for treatments for the effects of neurological diseases and trauma. They focus on brain functions and conduct neurosurgeries. Neuropsychologists also find employment as expert witnesses for court cases and are hired to work in rehabilitation centers or research clinics.

School Counseling

People who like the idea of working daily with children should think about studying to become a school counselor or psychologist. To work in this field, you’ll need a degree in Psychology or Counseling with a specialty in this topic. Alternatively, consider a more general yet advanced Master’s in Mental Health Counseling online.

There is greater awareness now of the key link between learning outcomes and mental health. School counselors and psychologists are in demand to help provide counseling services to students who need assistance coping with personal crises at school or at home. People specializing in this area also often work with students with special needs, behavioral issues and learning difficulties. They can investigate factors (either at home, school or elsewhere) that may be affecting a student’s learning and help the young person to overcome their challenges.

Forensic Psychology

A type of psychology that’s likely become more popular over the last decade because of the amount of crime and thriller-based TV shows and movies, is forensic psychology. If you choose to focus in this area, you will learn about the functioning of justice systems and may work in any number of legal contexts, such as prisons, child protection units, police departments, federal government units, policy departments, private practice and mental health and family services.

Forensic psychologists are hired to give input into family, civil and criminal legal cases. They can assist various groups, such as litigants, victims, perpetrators, community organizations, government personnel and more. These psychologists diagnose people and conduct assessments, evaluate what the mental state is like of people who have been charged with crimes, conduct forensic interviews and collect and report on evidence. They also get involved with research, perform psychological interventions and evaluate mental health programs.

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