- 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.
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)
The course information on this page is for new students commencing their degree in 2016 only.
Students should follow the rules and requirements for the year that they commenced their course. The online course information for years prior to 2016 are available from the Archives link in the menu.
Students should also review current subject availabilities via the Subject Descriptions link in the menu.
Testamur Title of Degree: | Bachelor of Arts |
Abbreviation: | BA |
UOW Course Code: | 708 |
CRICOS Code: | 012087M |
Total Credit Points: | 144 |
Duration: | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
Home Faculty: | Faculty of Social Sciences |
Intake Session(s): | Autumn/Spring |
Delivery Mode: | On-campus |
Delivery Campus / UAC Code: | Wollongong / 753200 |
Additional Information: |
Overview
Psychologists help us to understand who we are and how we think, feel and act. They aim to help people function better and to prevent ill-health and other problems developing. Clients include children, adults, couples, families and organisations.
A three-year degree in Psychology provides comprehensive training in the processes basic to human psychological functioning required for qualification as a professional psychologist. These include biological and social bases of behaviour, cognition, learning, perception, social and organisational behaviour, personality, abnormality and research and assessment tools.
Psychology can be usefully combined with most disciplines available in the Bachelor of Arts degree. The Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts offers a range of other subjects that you may wish to take as complementary to the study of Psychology. Arts allows for an integration of a wider range of methods for understanding the human experience.
Students with an excellent academic record may apply to transfer to the four-year Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) degree, or apply for entry to the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) at the end of Year 3.
Entry Requirements
Academic requirements and English requirements are available from the Course Finder.
Course Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) will be able to:
- Demonstrate a broad and coherent knowledge of core topics in the discipline of psychology, their applications, and ethical behaviour in research and professional contexts.
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge of research methods, including an evaluation of the characteristics of the science of psychology/scientific method.
- Demonstrate an ability to apply research methods to address psychological questions related to behaviour and mental processes.
- Write standard research reports and orally present information in various formats.
- Exhibit a capacity for independent learning to sustain personal and professional development in the changing world of the science and practice of psychology.
- Apply critical thinking skills and knowledge of scientific method to evaluate claims regarding psychological phenomena.
- Use information in an ethical manner and apply knowledge of ethical and legislative requirements to determine appropriate ethical conduct in a range of contexts.
- Develop a knowledge of the person and their relationship to society.
Course Structure
The Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) requires the successful completion of 144 credit points as specified in the table below, comprising:
- 78 credit points of core Psychology subjects; and
- 6 credit points selected from the approved list of 100-level subjects from the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts; and
- At least one of either:
a) an additional 22 credit points of Psychology subjects for honours eligibility; and/or
b) remaining elective credit points from the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts, Faculty of Social Sciences, or the General Schedule; and
4. No more than 60 credit points will be at 100-level.
Students are encouraged to use their electives to complete either a minor from the General Schedule of Minors, or a second major, from either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Social Science.
Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Year 1 | |||
PSYC120 | Critical Thinking and Communication Skills in Psychology | 6 | Autumn |
PSYC121 | Foundations of Psychology A | 6 | Autumn |
PSYC122 | Foundations of Psychology B | 6 | Spring |
PSYC123 | Research Methods and Statistics | 6 | Spring |
Select ONE of the following three subjects: | |||
PHIL107 | Introduction to Philosophy | 6 | Autumn |
SOC 103 | Introduction to Sociology | 6 | Autumn |
PHIL151 | Critical Reasoning | 6 | Spring |
Plus 18 credit points of subjects that contribute to either a second major, a minor, and/or elective credit. | |||
Year 2 | |||
PSYC231 | Personality | 6 | Autumn |
PSYC234 | Biological Psychology and Learning | 6 | Autumn |
PSYC250 | Quantitative Methods in Psychology | 6 | Autumn |
Plus 6 credit points of subjects that contribute to either a second major, a minor, honours eligibility, or elective credit. | |||
PSYC236 | Cognition and Perception | 6 | Spring |
PSYC241 | Developmental and Social Psychology | 6 | Spring |
Plus 12 credit points of subjects that contribute to either a second major, a minor, and/or elective credit. | |||
Year 3 | |||
PSYC347 | Assessment and Intervention | 8 | Autumn |
Select TWO from the following eight subjects, including at least ONE of PSYC345, PSYC349 or PSYC352 : | |||
PSYC345 | Advanced Topics in Cognition | 8 | Autumn |
PSYC349 | Visual Perception | 8 | Spring |
PSYC352 | Psychophysiology | 8 | Spring |
PSYC348 | History and Metatheory of Psychology | 8 | Autumn |
PSYC350 | Social Behaviour and Individual Differences | 8 | Autumn |
PSYC355 | Forensic Psychology | 8 | Autumn |
PSYC354 | Design and Analysis | 8 | Spring |
PSYC356 | Topics in Applied Psychology | 8 | Spring |
Plus a further 24 credit points of subjects that contribute to either a second major, a minor, honours eligibility, and/or elective credit. |
Psychology extension for Honours eligibility
If you intend to apply for the honours year (a requirement for registration as a professional psychologist) you must complete the 100 level core, the 200 level core and the following 200 level subject, and take 300 level subjects as specified below.
Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
---|---|---|---|
200-level subjects | |||
PSYC251 | Psychology of Abnormality | 6 | Spring |
300-level subjects | |||
PSYC347 | Assessment and Intervention | 8 | Autumn |
PSYC348 | History and Metatheory of Psychology | 8 | Autumn |
PSYC354 | Design and Analysis | 8 | Spring |
And 16 credit points from the following, including at least one of PSYC345, PSYC349 or PSYC352 : | |||
PSYC345 | Advanced Topics in Cognition | 8 | Autumn |
PSYC349 | Visual Perception | 8 | Spring |
PSYC352 | Psychophysiology | 8 | Spring |
PSYC350 | Social Behaviour and Individual Differences | 8 | Autumn |
PSYC355 | Forensic Psychology | 8 | Autumn |
PSYC356 | Topics in Applied Psychology | 8 | Spring |
Students who complete the extended requirements in psychology are eligible to apply for the one year honours program to confer the Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours.
Credit Arrangements
Credit and articulation arrangements are available from the Course Finder. Refer to UOW's credit arrangements for information on how to apply for credit.
Professional Recognition/Accreditation
The three year Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and the additional honours year are accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council as a four year sequence for the purposes of provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia. An additional two years of supervised practice is necessary to apply for general registration. This can be through two years supervised practice in the community or a fifth year at University plus one year of supervised practice in the community or an approved Masters degree.
Other Information
Further information is available at:
UOW Course Finder
Email: ssc@uow.edu.au