Degree structure
A three-year accredited psychology major requires the completion of a minimum of 125 credit points worth of undergraduate psychology subjects, including eight compulsory subjects and at least two Level 3 elective subjects.
Major sequence requirements
| Year 1 | |
|---|---|
| Subject | Points |
| Mind, Brain & Behaviour 1Core | 12.5 |
Mind, Brain & Behaviour 1Mind, Brain and Behaviour 1 focuses on the workings of the individual from a psychological perspective. It includes detail of the neural components constituting the brain, the operation of the sensory systems underlying interaction with the external environment and the cognitive processes that construct the internal world experienced by the individual. Careful consideration will be given to the nature of this internal world and the importance of its relationship to the external world. The course is designed to raise significant questions prompting students to think about behaviour and to explore possible answers. Students will be introduced to the tools used in psychology to find answers ... Detailed Information PSYC10003 Type Core | |
| Mind, Brain and Behaviour 2Core | 12.5 |
Mind, Brain and Behaviour 2Mind, Brain and Behaviour 2 focuses on the development of the individual and their interaction with their environment and considers what the consequences are, both when this interaction proceeds smoothly and when it does not proceed smoothly. Questions concerning human development giving attention to cognitive and to social-emotional aspects are explored. An understanding of some basic issues in human development is complemented with an examination of the nature and development of personality and human interaction in social groups and cultural settings. The course is designed to raise significant questions prompting students to think about behaviour and to explore possible answers. Studen... Detailed Information PSYC10004 Type Core | |
| Year 2 | |
|---|---|
| Subject | Points |
| Biological PsychologyCore | 12.5 |
Biological PsychologyThis subject studies the relationship between brain mechanisms and behaviour. Its major aim is to develop an appreciation of the neurobiological basis of psychological function and dysfunction via three approaches. The first emphasises a top-down method that links psychological functions to their biological substrates. Neuroscientific research techniques and what they can reveal about psychological function are emphasised. These techniques are presented within an historical context, beginning with electroencephalography (EEG) and finishing with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The second approach emphasises a bottom-up approach including the topics of brain development, neuro... Detailed Information PSYC20006 Type Core | |
| Developmental PsychologyCore | 12.5 |
Developmental PsychologyDevelopmental science attempts to answer questions about the ways in which: (1) nature and nurture together shape development; (2) development is continuous and/or discontinuous; (3) cognitive and sociocultural factors affect the developing person; and (4) the reasons for individual differences in psychological functioning. This subject examines the ways in which biological, genetic, neuropsychological, cognitive, social, emotional, personality and cultural factors affect developmental functioning from conception and infancy, through childhood and adolescence. Contemporary theories of development are reviewed to determine how well they account for the nature of changes in infancy, childho... Detailed Information PSYC20008 Type Core | |
| Cognitive PsychologyCore | 12.5 |
Cognitive PsychologyMental processes such as attention, memory, language and categorisation form the basis of our creative human cognitive abilities. An understanding of these cognitive abilities and the methods used by cognitive psychologists to study them provides an essential foundation for ongoing study in psychology. Classic and current research findings will be discussed to reveal what is known about the workings of the human mind. Specific topics may include: Perceptual processes and their role in cognition; the nature and function of selective attention; categorisation and the mental representation of knowledge; the structure, function and organisation of the human memory system; human linguistic abi... Detailed Information PSYC20007 Type Core | |
| Personality and Social PsychologyCore | 12.5 |
Personality and Social PsychologyThis subject examines human individuality and relatedness, the core themes of personality and social psychology. Its focus is on how we are unique individuals but also connected to others. The personality section investigates the nature and structure of individual differences, how these differences are assessed, and how they can be explained psychologically and biologically. The social psychology section examines how individuals construct their sense of self and identity, how they perceive and evaluate other people, how they form relationships, and how their behaviour is influenced by their social groups and cultural context. A quantitative methods component will be integrated into the le... Detailed Information PSYC20009 Type Core | |
| Year 3 | |
|---|---|
| Subject | Points |
| Research Methods for Human InquiryCore | 12.5 |
Research Methods for Human InquiryIn this subject, students will aquire research skills and methods to critically investigate, measure and assess research topics involving human behaviour, interactions, and thought in a variety of contexts. In addition, students will aquire an understanding of fundamental principles in psychological assessment of individual traits and dispositions, in particular, how to evaluate the reliability and validity of psychological assessments. Emphasis will be placed on how the skills and techniques being taught are tools for gathering evidence relating to real-world problems typically encountered in the behavioural sciences, but not limited to this area, for which meaningful inferences can be g... Detailed Information PSYC30013 Type Core | |
| Psychological Science: Theory & PracticeCore | 12.5 |
Psychological Science: Theory & PracticeThis subject draws together students’ undergraduate experiences in psychology by emphasising links between the science and practice of psychology in contemporary life (the science-practitioner model). The subject comprises a lecture and a research seminar stream. In the lecture stream the three areas of strength in the Psychology Department—Clinical Sciences, Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience—will be reviewed in depth. In the research stream, students work on a research topic with a small group of peers, under the supervision of a psychology department academic. The aims of the lecture and research streams are to prepare students for further studies within... Detailed Information PSYC30021 Type Core | |
| Elective (choose two) | Points |
| The Unconscious MindElective | 12.5 |
The Unconscious MindEver since Freud, the unconscious mind has been a critical part of our understanding of the human mind and behaviour. Despite its power to captivate popular imagination, scientific psychology's treatment of unconsciousness has a history of vicissitudes. This subject has three main components: historical background, contemporary theory and research, and applications and implications in contemporary culture and society. First, the subject traces the historical origin and subsequent development of the idea of the unconscious mind in psychological theories and practice. In so doing, Freud's notion of unconsciousness, as well as lesser known, but critically important theorists' contributions a... Detailed Information PSYC30012 Type Elective | |
| The Psychopathology of Everyday LifeElective | 12.5 |
The Psychopathology of Everyday LifeThis subject covers phenomena such as hallucinations and delusions, anxiety, somatisation, depression, dissociation, and changes in memory and cognition, and places them in the context of everyday experiences. It discusses the various factors, processes and mechanisms thought to lead some people who experience such phenomena to develop full-blown disorders. A theoretical basis for this continuum model is provided and students are encouraged to consider mental health issues from this humanistic perspective in comparison to the traditional categorical model. Detailed Information PSYC30014 Type Elective | |
| Applications in PsychologyElective | 12.5 |
Applications in PsychologyThis subject provides students with an overview of theories, principles, methods, and findings in applied psychology, with a focus on domains such as health and well-being, education, work, and consumer behaviour. Topics will be selected from motivation and emotion; personality and abilities as predictors of real-world outcomes; economic decision-making; performance and achievement; expertise; health promotion; market research and consumer psychology. Tutorial exercises develop and extend these areas. Detailed Information PSYC30015 Type Elective | |
| Social and Emotional DevelopmentElective | 12.5 |
Social and Emotional DevelopmentThis course provides a broad overview of history, theory, research methods, and research findings in social and emotional development. Content areas covered include emotional development, temperament, attachment, self development, social cognition, achievement motivation, sex differences, aggression, moral development, family and peer relationships, and schooling. Detailed Information PSYC30016 Type Elective | |
| Perception, Memory and CognitionElective | 12.5 |
Perception, Memory and CognitionPerception, Memory and Cognition covers a variety of cognitive processes ranging from the initial perception of a stimulus all the way through to decision making. The lecture topics may include visual perception, visual illusions, attention, awareness, consciousness, memory, learning, categorization, decision making and various cognitive disorders. The tutorials will focus on current theoretically important questions and provide an opportunity for students to develop an understanding of experimental techniques and scientific writing skills. By increasing our understanding of normal cognitive processes, we are placed in a better position to understand abnormal behaviours and cognitive diso... Detailed Information PSYC30017 Type Elective | |
| Neuroscience and the MindElective | 12.5 |
Neuroscience and the MindThis subject explores the relationship between the brain and psychological attributes, such as behaviour and cognition. It covers a number of specific areas which may include: the structure and function of the brain in general and clinical populations how to measure brain activity, and how brain activity can be used to inform models of cognitive function a variety of cognitive functions and their neural underpinnings, such as: representation of objects, rules, intentions, decisions, laterality, memory, number processing, attention and perception. Detailed Information PSYC30018 Type Elective | |
| Development of the Thinking ChildElective | 12.5 |
Development of the Thinking ChildIn developmental science the interaction between nature and nurture takes centre stage in answering questions about the reasons for variability in the emergence and growth of children's cognitive abilities. Recent advances in cognitive and neuropsychological assessment procedures provide new ways of understanding changes in typical and atypical development. This subject examines the development of preadolescent children's thinking abilities: specifically, the significance of cognitive, neurological and neuropsychological factors in typical and atypical development. Current research on developmental plasticity and sensitive periods in development will be reviewed. Special attention will be... Detailed Information PSYC30019 Type Elective | |
| The Integrated BrainElective | 12.5 |
The Integrated BrainThere are more connections in a human brain than there are stars in the universe. This subject focuses on the brain as an integrated system and looks at how its many connected networks achieve coordinated effects, linking the mind to the brain and the body. In exploring integration across the nervous system, this subject will examine topics such as the effects of neurotransmitters on emotions and behaviour, the nature of sleep and wakeful states and transitions between them, and mechanisms underlying the control of body movement. The connections between social factors and brain function will also be explored, as well as current ethical dilemmas in the field, such as the ethical consequenc... Detailed Information PSYC30020 Type Elective | |
| Trends in Personality & Social PsychologyElective | 12.5 |
Trends in Personality & Social PsychologyThis subject has two components. Personality: discusses major contemporary issues in the study of personality, and selected areas of contemporary research. Topics will be selected from the neuroscience of personality; personality processes; the emotional and motivational correlates of personality; personality change and stability; trait and type approaches to personality; the interface between personality and abnormal psychology. Social Psychology: extends the understandings gained in the first two levels of the undergraduate program to consider more advanced theoretical and empirical work in the areas of individual, interpersonal and group processes. Topics will be selected from advanced... Detailed Information PSYC30022 Type Elective | |