Welcome by Head of Department
WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
Prof. Joseph Osafo
On behalf of faculty and students at the Department of Psychology, I warmly welcome you to the university of Ghana and the Department. The Department of Psychology is part of the School of Social Sciences, and one of the largest in terms of student population within the College of Humanities. Psychology, which is concerned with the scientific study of human behaviour trains students at Undergraduate Level: Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Bachelor of Arts (BA); Master Level : MPhil Clinical Psychology, MPhil Counselling Psychology, MPhil Developmental Psychology, MPhil Industrial & Organizational Psychology, and MPhil Social Psychology PhD) levels. Our PhD is a generic one and there are no programme-based specializations. The PhD programme is rigorous and encourages independent/critical thinking and research.
The Department also offers teaching and training to students at other units including Department of Family & Consumer Studies, Allied Health Sciences, University of Ghana Business School, City Campus and Distance Education. Faculty members at the Department are also cognate staff members to other Departments and centers such as Centre for Ageing studies.
Our training and teaching of psychology at the University of Ghana is largely based on offering students a theory-driven psychological education interlaced with some level of practical/experimental training and research. This approach is however scaled-up at the master’s level where there is strong emphasis on both research and clinical/competence-based learning. Thus, at the end of the postgraduate training in psychology, the student demonstrates competence in both research and practice.
A psychology degree opens a wide range of career opportunities both within and outside the psychology field. Within the psychology field and the laws that regularize psychological training and practice in Ghana (Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 Act 857, Part 5), you can become a qualified psychologist, after postgraduate studies, leading to careers in clinical psychology, child & adolescent psychology, educational psychology, forensic psychology, health psychology, social & community psychology, industrial & organizational psychology, and other career paths. Although a bachelor’s degree in Psychology does not qualify you to become a psychologist, it provides you a good ground for further professional training in psychology and other non-psychology careers such as law and business administration. It further provides you with the opportunity to be registered with the Ghana Psychology Council as “Psychologist Assistant” to benefit from the tutelage and mentoring of senior psychologists in your career path.
Currently, the Department of Psychology is working on introducing additional regular and sandwich/weekend postgraduate programmes: MSc/MPhil in Health Psychology, MSc Applied Social & Community Psychology, MSc Counselling Psychology, MSc Forensic Psychology and Legal Psychology, MPhil Forensic Psychology, MSc Leadership & Managerial Psychology, MSc Occupational Health & Safety.
Research is a major arm of psychological education in Ghana. The Department of Psychology is arguably a leader in psychological research in the country. Currently, some of the major ongoing research at the department are:
- Suicidal behaviours in Ghana- Prof Joseph Osafo/Prof Charity Akotia/ Dr. Johnny Andoh-Arthur/Dr. Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie
- Long Term Effects of early Nutrition in Ghana (under the auspices of International Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements- ILiNS): Dr Benjamin Amponsah (Collaborator)
- Evidence for Better Studies (EBLS)- focusing on child and maternal health (Multi-sites study) https://www.vrc.crim.cam.ac.uk/vrcresearch/EBLS: Prof Joseph Osafo (collaborator)
- Together for Mental Health (multi-sites study). https://movie-ment.org/together4mentalhealth/ Prof Joseph Osafo (Collaborator)
- Representation of personhood project: Prof Charity Akotia/Prof Joseph Osafo/Dr Angela Gyasi-Gyamerah/ Dr Johnny Andoh-Arthur
- Covid-19, Stigmatization, Violence and Mental Wellbeing Research Project: Joseph Osafo, Samuel Adjorlolo, Johnny Andoh-Arthur, Irene Kretchy
- Preventing Suicide in Ghana: A cross sectional study of risks and Protective factor among university students with policy implications: Joseph Osafo, Kwaku Oppong Asante, Irene Kretchy, Johnny Andoh-Arthur & E.N.B Quarshie
- Psychosocial Effects of the COVID-19 on Families with Small Children: A Comparative Analysis in Six Low- and Middle-Income Countries (EBLS-C19): Joseph Osafo & Manuel Isner
- The impact of COVID-19 on people with psychosocial disabilities in rural and urban settings in Ghana and Indonesia and priorities for inclusive recovery: Ursula Read, Erminia Colucci, Annabella Osei-Tutu, Diana Setiyawati, & Lily Kpobi
- Community integration and mental illness in Palestine and Ghana. Investigators: Hanna Kienzler, Rita Giacaman, Annabella Osei-Tutu, & Ursula Read.
- Banking Sector Clean-up Project: Dr Agyemang Badu Collins
- Project Focus: Covid-19 Adjustment Study in Ghana: Dr Agyemang Badu Collins and collaborators.
Students are encouraged to engage faculty, interact with them and fashion out their research project during their studies at the Department. The Department also collaborates with various institutions in the country in order to provide students with avenues for competence-based training and learning.
During your period of training as a “psychologist assistant” or a “psychologist” as stipulated by the law governing psychological education in Ghana, I encourage you to abide by these key attitudes: respect for all persons, be empathic with people, read wide and participate in all lectures and practical/experimental training. Also, attend all colloquia/seminars organized by the department or the University of Ghana Association of Psychology Students (UNIGAPS). Always show respect and relate well with everyone, including lecturers.
I wish you the best of everything, great success and God’s immeasurable blessings!
Prof Joseph Osafo
(Head of Department)
Email: josafo@ug.edu.gh