Faculty of Health & Behavioural Sciences
  • Students are to follow the requirements of the Handbook for the year they commenced the course.

    However, the subject links below do not contain the subject information for the current year. You can view current subject information through the new Course Handbook.

Psychology

UAC Code 757651

Single Major

Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour and experience, the physiological, sensory and cognitive processes that underlie it, and the profession that applies this knowledge to practical problems. Psychologists help us to understand who we are and how we think, feel, act and change. They aim to help people function better, and to prevent ill-health and other problems developing. Psychologists' clients include children, adults, couples, families and organisations.

Entry Requirements / Assumed Knowledge

Domestic school leavers are assumed to have completed at least 2 units of English at HSC level. International students are required to have achieved an IELTS score of 6.5 with at least 6.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Alternative pathways exist for mature age domestic students.

Major Study

The Bachelor of Science (Psychology) requires the successful completion of 144 credit points of subjects in accordance with the table below.

Subjects to the value of at least 90 credit points must be selected from the Health and Behavioural Sciences or Science Schedules. Subjects taken as part of the Psychology major count toward this requirement.

Elective subjects should be taken in line with the degree requirements to complete the degree. Students should refer to Course Requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Course Code 749) for further details.

Double Majors

Students may undertake a double major in:

The details of this double major are listed under Major Study Areas of the Bachelor of Science.

Honours

Honours in Psychology is a fourth year of study accredited by the Australian Psychological Society (APS). It is offered on a one year full-time or two year part-time basis. Psychology Honours is a route to the Postgraduate coursework or research degrees in Psychology. It is also a partial qualification for registration as a Psychologist with the Psychologist's Registration Board of New South Wales - a post degree supervision period also being required. Graduates of the University of Wollongong with a major in Psychology are eligible to apply for admission to Psychology Honours provided that: they have completed an undergraduate degree curriculum with a major in psychology; they have completed PSYC249 Applied Psychology, PSYC348 History and Metatheory of Psychology and PSYC354 Design and Analysis; they have completed at least 76 credit points of Psychology subjects at 200- and 300- levels; they have at least a credit average for Psychology subjects at 200- and 300- levels.

Professional Recognition

To apply for registration as a professional psychologist with the Psychologists Registration Board of NSW it is necessary to complete an accredited 4-year course of study plus 2 years supervised practice. Accreditation with the Australian Psychological Society, the national professional association, requires 6 years of approved academic study.

Course Program

Subject Code

Subject Name

Session

Credit Points

PSYC121

Foundations in Psychology A

Autumn

6

PSYC122

Foundations in Psychology B

Spring

6

PSYC123

Theory, Design and Statistics in Psychology

Spring

6

PSYC234

Biological Psychology and Learning

Autumn

6

PSYC236

Cognition and Perception

Autumn

6

PSYC250

Quantitative Methods in Psychology

Autumn

6

PSYC231

Personality

Spring

6

PSYC241

Developmental and Social Psychology

Spring

6

PSYC347

Assessment and Intervention

Autumn

8

And 16 credit points of electives, which must include at least one of the following:

PSYC345

Advanced Topics in Cognition

Autumn

8

PSYC352

Psychophysiology

Spring

8

PSYC349

Visual Perception

Spring

8

And may include:

PSYC315

Psychology of Abnormality

Autumn

8

PSYC350

Social Behaviour and Individual Differences

Autumn

8

PSYC318

Change Throughout the Lifespan

Not offered in 2010

8

PSYC348

History and Metatheory of Psychology

Spring

8

PSYC354

Design and Analysis

Spring

8

Plus a further 72 credit points of elective subjects

72

Further Information

Ms Nicola Ronan
Undergraduate Psychology Coordinator
+61 2 4221 3716
nicola@uow.edu.au