Psychology - Faculty of Science

Coordinator: Dr Max Jory, (School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine)

NOTE: Some units may not be available in the on-campus mode to students enrolled at the Gippsland campus. Please check the unit entry for details on availability.

The discipline

The Department of Psychology in the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences 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 the Singapore Psychological Society, 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 with 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 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.

Further details of the psychology units and sequences, and the locations at which they are available, are provided in the `Psychology' entry in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences section of this handbook.

Units offered*

Level one

Core units

PSY1011 Psychology 1A
PSY1022 Psychology 1B

Level two

Core units

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

Elective unit

PSY2112 Organisational psychology (also available by off-campus learning)

Level three

Core units

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

Elective units

PSY3120 Introduction to counselling (also available by off-campus learning)
PSY3130 Health psychology (also available by off-campus learning)
PSY3160 Psychology of language (also available by off-campus learning)
PSY3180 Human neuropsychology: developmental and neurodegenerative disorders
PSY3190 Addiction studies
PSY3220 Philosophical and theoretical psychology
PSY3230 Psychological foundations of law
PSY3240 Psychology of music
PSY3250 Positive psychology

*Offerings of elective units will vary from year to year.

Sequence requirements

Minor sequence in psychology (24 points)

PSY1011 and PSY1022
PSY2051 and one of PSY2031, PSY2042, or PSY2112

Major sequence in psychology (48 points)

PSY1011 and PSY1022
PSY2051 and at least one level-two PSY unit
the remaining 18 or 24 points from the PSY units at level three

Students wishing to gain accreditation by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) or apply for entry into fourth-year courses in psychology must complete 60 points of PSY units including the following nine units: PSY1011, PSY1022, PSY2031, PSY2042, PSY2051, PSY3041, PSY3051, PSY3032 and PSY3062, and one elective PSY unit at level two or three. The additional PSY units required for professional accreditation are above the requirements of a major sequence in the Bachelor of Science.

Recommendations

Level one

Students intending to complete either a minor or major sequence in psychology must complete both PSY1011 and PSY1022 at level one. For information on unit choices contact: psychology.firstyear@med.monash.edu.au or psychology.firstyear.off-campus@med.monash.edu.au

Level two

Students may take an elective unit at level two and some level-three electives may be undertaken at level two providing prerequisites and corequisites are met. Students intending to complete the APS-accredited major sequence are advised to select their level-two units carefully. For information on unit choices contact: psychology.secondyear@med.monash.edu.au or psychology.secondyear.off-campus@med.monash.edu.au

Level three

Up to four elective units are available at level three, so that it is possible for students to study 48 points of psychology at level three. The electives offered may vary from year to year depending on staff availability. For information on unit choices contact: psychology.thirdyear@med.monash.edu.au or psychology.thirdyear.off-campus@med.monash.edu.au

Honours

Students completing a degree with a 60-point APS-accredited major sequence in psychology are eligible to apply for entry to a fourth year in psychology through an honours year, or the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology (refer to the entry for this course in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences section of the Postgraduate Handbook).