Monash University: University handbooks: Undergraduate handbook: Units indexed by faculty
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Psychology

The Department of Psychology, in the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, offers an undergraduate program for students who intend to specialise in psychology by completing a 60-point major sequence which is accredited by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and approved for registration purposes by the Psychologists Registration Board of Victoria. This program provides an avenue to further study in psychology and to the training required to practise as a psychologist. It provides the option of proceeding to a degree with honours or into postgraduate programs of study. The 60-point accredited major sequence may be taken in the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience, Bachelor of Psychology (with honours), Bachelor of Psychology and Business, Bachelor of Behavioural Science, Bachelor of Psychology and Management/Marketing, Bachelor of Arts and some Bachelor of Arts degrees with specialisations. A 48-point major in psychology may be sufficient to satisfy the requirements for a major sequence in any of the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, single or double degrees, but is not APS-accredited and will not permit entry to fourth-year programs in psychology.

The Department of Psychology offers a common curriculum across all campuses and modes of study. The undergraduate psychology program is taught on-campus at Caulfield, Clayton and South Africa. Caulfield offers some evening as well as day classes. At Peninsula campus, the first year of the program is taught on-campus, and second year will be taught in flexible learning mode (with on-campus laboratory classes and unit content taught through study notes and web-based material). At Berwick campus, only the first-year program is offered, and this is in flexible learning mode. Therefore, study in later years needs to be undertaken at another campus or in the off-campus mode. Psychology is also taught in the off-campus learning mode, with compulsory on-campus attendance requirements. At Gippsland campus, all psychology units are taught in this mode (however, commencing in 2006, first-year units will be available on-campus). The psychology program is also offered in Singapore through the off-campus mode.

The department’s curriculum development is based on the principle that training in the discipline of psychology should follow the scientist--practitioner model, where learning about professional practice is taught within the scientific perspective. Students are then able to make informed choices about psychology-related careers and further training at the fourth year and postgraduate level.

Undergraduate units

Students wishing to take the APS-accredited major sequence in psychology must complete 10 six-point units (nine core units and one elective unit) from the list below. The core units are available by on-campus, flexible learning and off-campus learning. Some electives are available in the off-campus learning mode.

First-year core units

PSY1011 Psychology 1A
PSY1022 Psychology 1B

Second-year core units

PSY2031 Developmental and biological psychology
PSY2051 Research design and analysis
PSY2042 Cognitive and social psychology

Third-year core units

PSY3051 Perception and personality
PSY3041 Psychological testing, theories of ability and ethics
PSY3032 Abnormal psychology
PSY3062 Research methods and theory

Elective units

Students may take an elective unit at second year, and up to four elective units at third year (ie it is possible for students to study 100% psychology units in third year). Some third-year electives may be undertaken at second year, providing prerequisites and corequisites are met. The electives offered may vary from year to year depending on staff availability.

Second year

PSY2112 Organisational psychology

Third year

PSY3100 Advanced psychobiology: brain and behaviour
PSY3120 Introduction to counselling
PSY3130 Health psychology
PSY3150 Contemporary social psychology
PSY3160 Psychology of language
PSY3170 Decision making in professional settings
PSY3180 Human neuropsychology: developmental and neurodegenerative disorders
PSY3190 Addiction studies

Diploma of Psychology

This course is offered to undergraduates who wish to complete an APS-accredited undergraduate major in psychology while undertaking a concurrent Monash undergraduate degree. The course is available only to students enrolled in degrees where it is not possible to study the 60-point APS-accredited major sequence. Students must enrol in the diploma in their first year, or not later than the first semester of the second year of their concurrent degree.

Graduate Diploma in Psychology

This course is offered to graduates who have completed an undergraduate degree in any discipline and who wish to complete an APS-accredited undergraduate major in psychology. The course structure is identical to the 60-point APS-accredited undergraduate major sequence in psychology.

Further study in psychology

Students completing a degree with a 60-point APS-accredited undergraduate major sequence in psychology will be eligible to apply for entry to a fourth year in psychology through an honours year, or the Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology. Masters and doctoral degrees are available by coursework and/or research after completion of a fourth year of study in psychology.

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