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Psychologist

A psychologist helps people understand their feelings, behaviour and relationships. They listen, ask questions, run tests and work with the person to find a way out of a difficult situation. If you wonder why people act the way they do and friends often come to you for advice, take a closer look at this career.

Psychologist

Psychologists work in very different places. A school psychologist helps students deal with anxiety, conflicts and choosing a career. A counsellor sees private clients, and psychologists in companies help hire and train staff. One thing to know: a psychologist is not a doctor and does not prescribe medication. Their main tools are conversation, observation and proven methods.

What the job involves

  • Counsels individuals, families and groups
  • Chooses and runs psychological tests and interprets the results
  • Helps people cope with stress, anxiety and conflict
  • Runs workshops for students, parents or employees
  • Keeps records and protects everything a client shares

Skills you need

  • Listening

    People need to be heard, not interrupted with advice.

  • Empathy

    Understanding how someone feels while staying calm yourself.

  • Observation

    Noticing pauses, tone of voice and what a person leaves unsaid.

  • Analytical thinking

    Connecting facts, testing ideas and working with test results.

  • Ethics and resilience

    Keeping client secrets and looking after yourself to avoid burnout.

Who it suits

Personality types

Strong intelligences

  • Interpersonal
  • Intrapersonal
  • Linguistic

UNT subjects to take

State grants 2026

Main competition, full-time study. Quotas and separate state orders can have lower scores. Check your chances

Where to study

To become a psychologist you need a 4-year bachelor's degree in Psychology. The UNT profile pair is biology and geography. Psychology is taught, for example, at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University and Kazakh National Women's Teacher Training University. Students learn general, developmental and social psychology and practise running tests and counselling sessions.

If you want to work as a school psychologist, also look at group B001 Pedagogy and Psychology. It uses the same subject pair, but it is a teacher-training field that prepares educational psychologists for schools, kindergartens and colleges. To counsel private clients, most people keep learning after university: a master's degree, courses in counselling methods and work under an experienced colleague.

Outlook

In Kazakhstan, psychologists work at schools, colleges and universities, kindergartens, family support centres, hospitals and rehabilitation centres, HR departments and in private practice. Many also counsel clients online. Those who pick a focus, such as working with children, family counselling or crisis support, and keep learning after graduation stand out.

Frequently asked questions

Which UNT subjects do I need to become a psychologist?

For the Psychology programme (group B041) the profile pair is biology and geography. You also take the compulsory UNT subjects: history of Kazakhstan, mathematical literacy and reading literacy.

What is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who graduates from a medical university, makes diagnoses and can prescribe medication. A psychologist is not a doctor and does not prescribe drugs. They work with thoughts, emotions and behaviour through conversation, tests and exercises.

Does a psychologist need maths?

A little. Psychology degrees include statistics, which you need to process test and research results. It is less about complex formulas and more about understanding what the data shows.

Is this career right for you?

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