Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental experience. Students completing their degree in psychology will have:
* a fundamental understanding of major principles in behavioural science;
* detailed knowledge of a range of areas and theoretical issues drawn from the biological, social and cognitive aspects of the discipline;
* been exposed to a broad cross-section of topics relevant to contemporary applied and professional psychology;
* a good understanding of research and evaluation methods in psychology;
* developed skills in the application of statistical techniques;
* acquired competence in applying psychological tests.
The discipline
The Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Science consists of three sections: Caulfield/Peninsula, Clayton and Gippsland. The structure of the courses and the subjects offered in each section is indicated below. The department offers courses for students who intend to specialise in psychology by completing a major sequence in the subject, with the option of proceeding to a degree with honours, or into postgraduate programs of study.
Courses accredited by the Australian Psychological Society, and approved for registration purposes by the Victorian Psychological Council and the Psychologists' Registration Board are offered at Clayton, Caulfield and Peninsula campuses, and at Gippsland.
The Gippsland section offers its program through two degrees available both on the Gippsland campus and by distance education. The section is part of the School of Applied Science. The Bachelor of Behavioural Science is offered by the Faculty of Science, and details of this course are included in the Gippsland section of this handbook. The psychology major sequence is also included in the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Humanities), details of which are provided in the Faculty of Arts handbook. Subjects offered by the Gippsland section may be included in other degree programs with permission.
It should be noted the first-year programs taught in the three sections are regarded as equivalent in terms of being able to progress to higher-year subjects.