Monash University Handbook 2010 Undergraduate - Area of Study

The Department of Psychology in the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine in 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 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.

Objectives

On completion of the 48 credit point (non-accredited) psychology major sequence students should be able to:

• describe and discuss the major theories and empirical findings in core areas of the discipline of psychology at an introductory level, and some of these core areas at an advanced level, eg basic psychological processes such as perception, cognition, learning, motivation and emotion, language; social and biological bases of behaviour; abnormal psychology; lifespan developmental psychology; individual differences in capacity and behaviour; history of psychology, testing and assessment, intercultural and indigenous psychology
• investigate and critically evaluate a range of issues related to psychological inquiry in a wide range of areas of psychology
• contribute to discipline knowledge through the research process, including: identifying research problems; designing and conducting research investigations of the bases of behaviour by applying a range of appropriate methodologies; applying the appropriate univariate statistical analysis to evaluate and interpret research outcomes; and clearly communicating the findings of their psychology inquiry according to the professional requirements of the discipline
• describe and discuss the basic ethical standards governing research and practice in the discipline of psychology
• recognise the importance of the relationship between knowledge of the scientific discipline of psychology and the application of this knowledge in the practice of psychology.

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.

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 course 0050 Bachelor of Science.

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).

Full details regarding entrance requirements and course structure for honours is described in the course entry in this Handbook for the course 0051 Honours degree of Bachelor of Science.