Objectives
On completion of the course, students are expected to have developed:
* an understanding of psychology as a scientific discipline and an appreciation of the role it plays within society as a whole;
* a broad understanding of the main bodies of knowledge and intellectual traditions of the disciplines in the humanities and social sciences alongside the intensive study of psychology and the relevant methodology it requires;
* a high order of self-motivated intellectual curiosity and the desire for continued learning;
* soundly based knowledge and skills that will permit graduates to seek a broad range of employment situations where a knowledge of psychology will complement their learning in other disciplines.
Entry requirements
Applicants should possess the Victorian Certificate of Education (or equivalent) including English, or the first year of a TAFE associate diploma or advanced certificate, or previous tertiary level study. Mature-age applicants may be required to undertake the Special Tertiary Admissions Test if they do not otherwise meet tertiary entrance requirements. All applicants should be willing to undertake a normal work load of eight subjects (forty-eight points) a year full-time or four subjects (twenty-four points) a year part-time or by distance education. Part-time and distance education students should note that this may have implications regarding eligibility for Austudy or similar schemes.
Course structure
The various components leading to the awarding of the degree are defined in terms of disciplines, interdisciplinary programs, subjects and sequences. A discipline is a distinct area of study in which a major can be taken. An interdisciplinary program is a distinct area of study comprising subjects from more than one discipline. A subject is a prescribed amount of work extending over a semester at a certain year level within a discipline or interdisciplinary program.
The disciplines from which students may select subjects for inclusion in an arts degree are not confined to those taught by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Students who are interested in taking subjects from outside the school should discuss this option with the administrative officers at the outset of their studies. In most disciplines there is more than one subject at a given level. A student must spread first-year work over at least four disciplines, two of which must be offered by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The value of a subject is expressed in points and a normal year's work for a full-time student is eight subjects (forty-eight points).
Major and minor sequences
Students must complete a major sequence in psychology, and a major and a minor to be chosen from within the following disciplines and interdisciplinary programs:
(a) Disciplinary majors or minors: English, history-politics, mass communications, sociology;
(b) Interdisciplinary minors: Australian studies, gender studies.
Students should be aware that they may include subjects from other disciplines for credit towards the BA (Journalism and Communication). Currently these subjects include GSC1301 (Welfare issues), GSC1306 (Behavioural studies A), GSC1307 (Behavioural studies B), GSC2601 (Methods of social research), GSC2602 (Basic statistics and computing for social research), GSC1801 (Introduction to Koorie society), GSC2806 (Koorie archaeology), INM1115 (Beginning Indonesian, part 1) and INM1125 (Beginning Indonesian, part 2).
A first-year sequence is a pair of first-level subjects which form the first part of a major or minor sequence.
A minor sequence shall require four subjects (twenty-four points) of study and will normally comprise two successive parts, being either a first-year sequence followed by two second-level subjects, or two second-level subjects followed by two third-level subjects.
A major sequence shall normally comprise three successive parts to include a minimum of eight subjects (forty-eight points) and a maximum of ten subjects (sixty points). Normally a major will include a first-level sequence and such second and third-level subjects as are prescribed in the outline of studies to complete the remaining six to eight subjects (thirty-six to forty-eight points).
Most upper-level subjects require prerequisites.
A candidate for the degree must fulfil the following requirements to receive the award of the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Humanities):
(a) complete a total of twenty-four six point subjects (24 x 6 = 144 points);
(b) complete a total of twelve subjects (12 x 6 = 72 points) within the School of Humanities and Social Sciences;
(c) complete a minimum of six and a maximum of ten first-level subjects;
(d) complete at least two first-level sequences from disciplines offered by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences;
(e) complete the prescribed major sequence of study in psychology (48 to 60 points), one major sequence (48 to 60 points) and a minor sequence (24 points) from the Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines listed above. Normally a major will include a first-level sequence totalling two subjects (twelve points) and such second and third-level subjects as are prescribed in the outline of studies to complete the remaining six to eight subjects (thirty-six to forty-eight points).
(f) undertake additional subjects to complete the twenty-four subjects (144 points) needed for the degree.
The course of study is normally a minimum of three years full-time or six years part-time, and normally cannot extend beyond ten years.