1999 Science Handbook - Bachelor of Behavioural Science

Bachelor of Behavioural Science

General
Objectives
Course structure
Course requirements
Psychology major
- Requirements of the major in psychology
Science core studies
Additional sequences

General

Gippsland campus or distance education
Course code: To be advised
The Bachelor of Behavioural Science (BBS) is a science-oriented degree designed to provide a substantial specialisation in psychology, with supporting studies in other disciplines which are commonly studied with psychology. Students completing the major sequence in psychology may be eligible to proceed to a degree with honours, or into a postgraduate program of study. The Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Humanities) is a course that provides for a major in psychology to be combined with more extensive studies in the social sciences and humanities. Details of the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Humanities) are provided in the Arts handbook.
The major sequence in psychology offered within the BBS is accredited by the Australian Psychological Society, and approved for registration purposes by the Psychologists Registration Board of Victoria.
The Bachelor of Behavioural Science takes three years to complete full-time and six years by distance education or part-time study. An honours program in psychology will require one further year of full-time study or two years part-time.

Objectives

On completion of the Bachelor of Behavioural Science students should:

understand the role of empirical research and theory in progressing knowledge in the scientific discipline of psychology;
appreciate the contribution of biological processes in human and animal behaviour, and how they interact with environmental factors;
have a sound understanding of the major theoretical foundations of psychology and the research results on which these are based in each of the following major sub-areas - perception, learning and cognition, motivation and emotion, personality, developmental psychology, social psychology;
appreciate how these theoretical foundations are applied in education, clinical and business settings, and have a sound basic knowledge of at least one area of professional psychology;
be sufficiently competent in conducting and analysing the major types of research studies used in psychology at a level that will enable them to undertake independent research study at fourth-year level; and
have a sound understanding of at least one other discipline that is closely related to research or professional practice in psychology.

Course structure

The course structure comprises (i) the psychology major; (ii) additional sequences in supporting disciplines: (iii) core subjects in scientific methods and (iv) electives.
Students are expected to undertake a normal work load of forty-eight points a year full-time or twenty-four points a year part-time or by distance education study.
It is advisable for full-time students to complete at least three first-level sequences in their first year in disciplines in which they may wish to complete further studies. Due to the flexibility of the course students are encouraged to seek guidance from administrative officers within the Department of Psychology.

Course requirements

A total of 144 credit points must be completed to satisfy the requirements of the BBS. Students must complete a full psychology major of at least fifty-two credit points. Together with the major sequence in psychology, students must also complete either two additional sequences or one extended sequence from applied biology, applied chemistry, applied physics, management, marketing, mathematics (including applied statistics and operations research), computing, sociology or mass communications. Students must also complete at least two core subjects in science.

Psychology major

The Department of Psychology commenced a new major sequence in psychology in 1997. This common program is offered on the Berwick, Caulfield/Peninsula, Clayton and Gippsland campuses. The new first-level subjects of this program were introduced in 1997, the second level in 1998 and the third-level subjects will be introduced in 1999.
Most psychology subjects include a component requiring on-campus attendance by distance education students.
The psychology major sequence may also be studied in the Graduate Diploma in Psychology by students who have completed an undergraduate degree majoring in another discipline. Details of this diploma are given in a separate section of this handbook.
Details of postgraduate courses in psychology are located in the graduate studies section of this handbook.

Requirements of the major in psychology

The major is structured into three distinct levels. The requirement of each level must be completed before students are eligible to study at the next level.

Science core studies

The BBS must include at least two subjects in approved studies in science. The following schedule identifies approved science core studies.
1 Any two of the following science subjects: SCI1010M, SCI1020, ASC1736.
2 Two subjects comprising a first-year sequence in any of the science supporting studies (see below). Students are highly recommended to take this option, which would give them the opportunity to complete one of their supporting sequences in science. A supporting sequence in biology for example, would be a highly relevant complement to a psychology major.

Additional sequences

A first-level sequence consists of two subjects in a single discipline at level one.
An additional sequence comprises subjects in a single discipline which amount to twenty-eight credit points, with at least sixteen points being at second level.
An extended sequence comprises subjects which total at least fifty-two credit points in a discipline, with at least sixteen points at second level and at least twelve points at third level.
First-level sequences may be taken in biology, chemistry, mathematics (including applied statistics), environmental science, computing, management, marketing, sociology and mass communications.
Additional and extended sequences are available in most of the above disciplines. Consult the subject descriptions offered elsewhere in this handbook for details of the relevant science subjects, and other faculty handbooks for details of non-science subjects. Note that some science subjects offered at level one require an appropriate Year 12 background.