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How to become a Correctional Psychologist

Works in juvenile classification homes, juvenile training schools and prisons, using psychology at the front line of work with young offenders and adult criminals.

Workers in this job say a master's degree or university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

You must pass the Ministry of Justice specialist staff (human sciences) recruitment exam, a national public service exam, in the Correctional Psychologist A (men) or Correctional Psychologist B (women) category, and then be hired. The exam has a first stage (basic ability test and specialist test) and a second stage (interview, medical examination and physical measurements), and the specialist test includes compulsory questions on university-level psychology. For 2025, about 25 people are expected to be hired as Correctional Psychologist A and about 20 as Correctional Psychologist B. Once hired, you take a basic course for new staff in your first year and an applied course to build your expertise in your fifth year, at the Training Institute for Correctional Personnel. At around 10 years there is a special course for even more advanced knowledge and skills. There are also senior courses for those becoming managers, various specialist courses, and schemes to study overseas or elsewhere in Japan. As for promotion, you usually become a specialist officer about 5 years after joining, and after that, depending on ability, you can rise to chief specialist officer (equivalent to section head), principal specialist officer and head of an institution. As well as advanced knowledge of psychology such as clinical psychology, you need specialist knowledge of sociology and related laws, starting with the Juvenile Act, and you must keep studying to build that expertise. Because you deal with people's inner lives and life stories through psychological interviews and group work, you must be willing to stand alongside them while also judging calmly and objectively. You also need cooperation and flexibility to work with staff from other bodies such as family courts and probation offices.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Correctional Psychologist?

You must pass the Ministry of Justice specialist staff (human sciences) recruitment exam, a national public service exam, in the Correctional Psychologist A (men) or Correctional Psychologist B (women) category, and then be hired. The exam has a first stage (basic ability test and specialist test) and a second stage (interview, medical examination and physical measurements), and the specialist test includes compulsory questions on university-level psychology. For 2025, about 25 people are expected to be hired as Correctional Psychologist A and about 20 as Correctional Psychologist B. Once hired, you take a basic course for new staff in your first year and an applied course to build your expertise in your fifth year, at the Training Institute for Correctional Personnel. At around 10 years there is a special course for even more advanced knowledge and skills. There are also senior courses for those becoming managers, various specialist courses, and schemes to study overseas or elsewhere in Japan. As for promotion, you usually become a specialist officer about 5 years after joining, and after that, depending on ability, you can rise to chief specialist officer (equivalent to section head), principal specialist officer and head of an institution. As well as advanced knowledge of psychology such as clinical psychology, you need specialist knowledge of sociology and related laws, starting with the Juvenile Act, and you must keep studying to build that expertise. Because you deal with people's inner lives and life stories through psychological interviews and group work, you must be willing to stand alongside them while also judging calmly and objectively. You also need cooperation and flexibility to work with staff from other bodies such as family courts and probation offices.

Do you need a degree to become a Correctional Psychologist?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 67% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Correctional Psychologist?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026