2017 Undergraduate Courses
  • 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 Psychological Science | 2017

Testamur Title of Degree:

 Bachelor of Psychological Science

Abbreviation:

 BPsycSc

UOW Course Code:

 364

CRICOS Code:

 086228B

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/ 753220

Additional Information:

Course Finder

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 a wide range of disciplines. This degree offers students the freedom to choose complementary studies from Social Science, Business and, Humanities and the Arts, so that they may create their own professional pathway in the diversity of fields where psychology is applied.

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, English requirements and credit transfer information is available from the Course Finder.

Course Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from the Bachelor of Psychological Science will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a broad and coherent knowledge of core topics in the discipline of psychology, their applications, and ethical behaviour in research and professional contexts.

2.  Demonstrate a basic knowledge of research methods, including an evaluation of the characteristics of the science of psychology/scientific method.

3. Demonstrate an ability to apply research methods to address psychological questions related to behaviour and mental processes.

4. Write standard research reports and orally present information in various formats.

5. Exhibit a capacity for independent learning to sustain personal and professional development in the changing world of the science and practice of psychology.

6. Apply critical thinking skills and knowledge of scientific method to evaluate claims regarding psychological phenomena.

 7. Use information in an ethical manner and apply knowledge of ethical and legislative requirements to determine appropriate ethical conduct in a range of contexts. 

Course Structure

The Bachelor of Psychological Science requires the successful completion of 144 credit points as specified in the table below, comprising:

1. 78 credit points of core Psychology subjects; and

2. At least one of either:

  • an additional 24 credit points of Psychology subjects for honours eligibility; or
  • minor from the recommended list; or
  • major from the approved list; and

3. remaining elective credit points from the General Schedule; and

4.  No more than 60 credit points will be at 100-level.

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
Plus 24 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
PSYC236 Cognition and Perception 6 Spring
PSYC241 Developmental and Social Psychology 6 Spring
Plus 18 credit points of subjects that contribute to either a second major, a minor, honours eligibility, and/or elective credit.
Year 3
PSYC324 Assessment and Intervention 6 Autumn First Offered 2019 
Select THREE from the following, including at least ONE of PSYC327, PSYC328 or PSYC329:
PSYC325 History and Philosophy of Psychology 6 Autumn First Offered 2019
PSYC327 Advanced Topics in Cognition 6 Autumn First Offered 2019
PSYC330 Social Behaviour and Individual Differences 6 Autumn First Offered 2019
PSYC357 Forensic Psychology 6 Autumn First Offered 2019
PSYC326 Design and Analysis 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC328 Visual Perception 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC329 Psychophysiology 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC358 Applied Psychology 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC359 Psychopharmacology 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC360 Research Internship in Psychology 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC361 Child Development 6 Spring First Offered 2019
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
PSYC324 Assessment and Intervention 6 Autumn First Offered 2019
PSYC325 History and Philosophy of Psychology 6 Autumn First Offered 2019
PSYC326 Design and Analysis 6 Spring First Offered 2019
And 24 credit points from the following, including at least one from PSYC327, PSYC328 or PSYC329:
PSYC327 Advanced Topics in Cognition 6 Autumn First Offered 2019
PSYC330 Social Behaviour and Individual Differences 6 Autumn First Offered 2019
PSYC357 Forensic Psychology 6 Autumn First Offered 2019
PSYC328 Visual Perception 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC329 Psychophysiology 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC358 Applied Psychology 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC359 Psychopharmacology 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC360 Research Internship in Psychology 6 Spring First Offered 2019
PSYC361 Child Development 6 Spring First Offered 2019
Plus ONE 6 credit point subject that contributes to a minor or elective credit.

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.

Majors

All students in this degree complete core requirements in Psychology, specified above. The following majors are approved for inclusion in this course for students who elect to take them in addition to the Psychology requirements:

Students may also select language majors offered in the Bachelor of Arts.

Minors

The following minors are recommended for inclusion in this course. You may complete more than one minor, as space permits in your program:

Other minors from the General Schedule of Minors are also available.

Neuroscience Minor

The Neuroscience minor is only available for students in the Bachelor of Psychological Science. Entry may be restricted due to resource limitations.

The Neuroscience minor provides students with an understanding of the human brain and its anatomical and physiological context, metabolism, CNS functional organisation, cranial nerves and their motor and sensory functions, and an introduction to the discipline of neuroscience.

 A minor in Neuroscience requires at least 24 credit points from the following table.

Subject Code subject Name Credit Points Session(s)
MEDI100 Human Structure and Function 6 Autumn
MEDI112 Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology II 6 Spring
MEDI211 Control Mechanisms Physiology 6 Autumn
MEDI311 Fundamentals of Neuroscience 8 Autumn

 

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.

Accreditation / Professional Recognition

The three year Bachelor of Psychological Science 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

Last reviewed: 12 July, 2019