Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences : Guide to courses 12. Psychology as a major

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12. Psychology as a major
    12.1. Course objectives
    12.2. Course structure
    12.3. Mid-year entry

12. Psychology as a major

The University of Melbourne offers psychology as an area of major study, rather than as a single degree on its own. Psychology may be studied through undergraduate programs run by a number of faculties, including the Faculties of Arts, Science, and Economics and Commerce. Many students undertaking combined degrees study psychology to complement their specialisation since it is considered as either a humanities or science major.

The advantage of studying psychology as an area of major study is that students can complete a three-year accredited major in psychology, leaving the way open to a career as a psychologist, and at the same time complete a broader discipline, such as science. This gives students the opportunity to choose a career in a number of different areas.

Students who are not interested in completing an accredited major in psychology may still wish to undertake individual psychology subjects to complement their studies in other areas. For example, a student undertaking an economics or commerce degree could study psychology to further develop skills in the areas of marketing or management.

Students may enrol in any number of psychology subjects. To complete a major in psychology, at least 125 credit points must be undertaken. A psychology major can be undertaken through a number of different courses:

• Bachelor of Arts (BA)

• Bachelor of Science (BSc)

• Bachelor of Commerce (BCom)

• or through many combined degree courses.

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce degree complete a major in psychology with 112.5 credit points. Bachelor of Commerce degree students may count 512-320 Research Methods 3 as part of the required Economics and Commerce points. They also have permission to count 325-201 Organisational Behaviour as their third-year psychology elective. Bachelor of Commerce students, therefore, have no elective component in their psychology major.

Please note, the psychology major is not available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce (Management).

Students enrolled in mathematics as a major study may complete 620-371 Linear Models instead of 512-320 Research Methods 3.

12.1. Course objectives

Level 1 psychology subjects are designed to give students an overview of the study of psychology and provide grounding in the methodology of the discipline. Introductory Experimental Psychology 1 introduces students to behavioural neuroscience, learning and cognition, perception, and research design and descriptive statistics. Introductory Social, Developmental and Clinical Psychology 1 covers the areas of human development, social psychology, personality and clinical psychology, and inferential statistics.

Levels 2 and 3 psychology subjects provide students with the opportunity to critically examine basic psychological concepts and theories in the areas of biological bases of behaviour, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, sensation and perception, and social psychology. Students also develop skills in research methodology and data analysis. In the third year, students choose at least one elective which allows them to study an area of interest in depth.

12.2. Course structure

Students have the flexibility to study any number of subjects in psychology, as long as the prerequisites and corequisites of subjects are met. A major study in psychology, accredited by the Australian Psychological Society, consists of nine compulsory subjects and at least one elective subject (a minimum of 125 credit points).

Students choose at least one Level 3 elective subject.

Normally, a full-time student undertaking a major in psychology completes:

• in first year, the two compulsory level-1 subjects;

• in second year, either three or four compulsory level-2 subjects;

• in third year, the remaining compulsory level-2 subjects, the compulsory level-3 subjects, and at least one elective level-3 subject.

Students must note that subject 512-220 Quantitative Methods for Psychology should normally be undertaken in their second year.

12.3. Mid-year entry

Students who commence their undergraduate degree in Semester 2 may undertake the level-1 subject 512-120 Introductory Experimental Psychology 1 in conjunction with the level 2 subject 512-220 Quantitative Methods for Psychology 2 in Semester 1 of the following year, in order that they can complete their psychology major within the three-year period. Students taking these subjects concurrently must have passed 512-121 Introductory Social, Developmental and Clinical Psychology 1.

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