Undergraduate - Area of Study Behavioural studies

Students who commenced study in 2012 should refer to this area of study entry for direction on the requirments; to check which units are currently available for enrolment, refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your area of study.

print version

All areas of study information should be read in conjunction with the relevant course entry in the Handbook. The units listed for this area of study relate only to the 'Requirements' outlined in the Faculty of Arts component of any bachelors double degrees.

Managing faculty	Faculty of Arts
Offered by	School of Political and Social Inquiry
Campus(es)	Caulfield, Clayton

Notes

Unit codes that are not linked to their entry in the handbook are not available for study in the current year.
From 2005 the 'behavioural studies programs' offered at Gippsland campus and via off-campus learning were renamed 'psychological studies' - Gippsland students should refer to the psychological studies entry in this section of the Handbook.

Description

Behavioural studies is a field that is concerned with an exploration of human behaviour in the rapidly changing, and challenging environments of the 21st century. The major draws on historical and emerging insights from sociological, cultural, philosophical, biological and psychological explanations of human behaviours. Behavioural studies promotes a multi-disciplinary orientation to the study of a range of issues including the following: the relationships between the individual and the social; human relationships; theories of personality, identity, self and others; explanations of criminal behaviours; individual development across the life course; conflict and difference; health and wellbeing; behaviour change; and the self in digital environments.

The discipline offers an undergraduate program (minor and major) at the Clayton and Caulfield campuses and an honours program at the Caulfield campus.

A major in behavioural studies can play a vital part in preparing students for employment in most areas that involve the understanding, management and direction of human behaviours and relations, particularly in private and public sector areas such as the human services field, management, marketing, communications and media. It can also provide a basis for further studies in social work, education, mind and society, counselling and law.

Units

First-year level

Students studying a sequence in behavioural studies must complete two units (12 points) from the following:

ATS1261 Understanding human behaviour
ATS1262 Introduction to social behaviour

For the purposes of a major or minor in behavioural studies the following first-year level combinations may also be counted as a first-year level sequence in behavioural studies:

PSY1011 Psychology 1A and PSY1022 Psychology 1B
PSY1022 Psychology 1B and ATS1261 Understanding human behaviour
PSY1011 Psychology 1A and ATS1262 Introduction to social behaviour

Note: students are not permitted to study both ATS1261/ATS1262 and PSY1011/PSY1022.

Second/Third-year level

Students studying a minor or major in behavioural studies must have completed the first-year sequence. In addition:

a minor requires completion of a further two units (12 points) from the units listed below, including all compulsory units
a major requires completion of a further six units (36 points) from the units listed below, including the compulsory unit. A minimum of three units must be taken at third year level.

Compulsory unit

ATS2723/ATS3723 Social research methods*

(or prior to 2011 ATS2397/ATS3397 Researching behaviour: Principles and practice)

*This unit is also a compulsory unit for sociology. Students doing minors/majors in both behavioural studies and sociology would need to choose another unit to make up credit points for both. A unit cannot be counted twice towards different minors/majors.

Elective units

ATS2398/ATS3398 The criminal mind
ATS2399/ATS3399 The self and others: Identity and the experience of difference in the 21st Century (previously: Relationships: You, me, us and them)
ATS2400/ATS3400 Personality: Beyond the persona
ATS2715/ATS3715 Sexuality, and society
ATS2716/ATS3716 Multiculturalism, citizenship and identity
ATS2875/ATS3875 The moral psychology of evil
ATS3748 Digital selves
ATS3852 Contemporary issues in social science research

Further elective units

Students completing a major in behavioural studies can also undertake a maximum of 12 points of the following units:

ATS2459/ATS3459 Prisons, power and justice
ATS2466/ATS3466 Sex and crime
ATS2469/ATS3469 Victimology
ATS2560/ATS3560 Theorising sexed bodies: Contemporary feminist theory
ATS2691/ATS3691 Politics, violence and memory
ATS2718/ATS3718 Families, relationships and intimate life
ATS2720/ATS3720 Youth, culture and social change
ATS2726/ATS3726 Social psychology
ATS2727/ATS3727 Men, masculinity, society

Relevant courses

Diplomas

2327 Diploma in Liberal Arts
2552 Diploma of Tertiary Studies

Associate degree

4074 Associate Degree in Arts and Social Sciences

Bachelors

Single degrees

0002 Bachelor of Arts
3920 Bachelor of Arts - at Sunway
4073 Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences
1638 Bachelor of Arts as a Participant in the Dean's Scholars Program
3914 Bachelor of Arts (Criminal Justice)
3907 Bachelor of Arts (English Language)
3910 Bachelor of Arts (Global)
4077 Bachelor of Arts (International)
2396 Bachelor of Arts (Journalism)
1366 Bachelor of Arts (Languages)
1708 Bachelor of Arts (Professional Communication)
1712 Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)
1719 Bachelor of Behavioural Science
2476 Bachelor of Communication - at Sunway
1731 Bachelor of Community Welfare and Counselling
4042 Bachelor of Journalism
0202 Bachelor of Letters
1144 Bachelor of Performing Arts
1275 Bachelor of Professional Communication
4086 Bachelor of Social Science

Double degrees

3277 Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and Bachelor of Arts
0550 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
0553 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance)
0555 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Business (Management)
0556 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Business (Marketing)
0542 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce
0170 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Economics
1541 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education-primary
1641 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education-secondary
0080 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws
3054 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music
0530 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science
3426 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work
0002 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology
3779 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Visual Arts
1807 Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences and Bachelor of Business and Commerce
1806 Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences and Bachelor of Community Welfare and Counselling
4208 Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences and Bachelor of Education
4089 Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences and Bachelor of Visual and Media Arts
4403 Bachelor of Arts (Global) and Bachelor of Commerce
3537 Bachelor of Arts (Global) and Bachelor of Science
2131 Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) and Bachelor of Science
1798 Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and Bachelor of Community Welfare and Counselling
1941 Bachelor of Business and Commerce and Bachelor of Communication
4423 Bachelor of Business and Commerce and Bachelor of Professional Communication
4075 Bachelor of Community Welfare and Counselling and Diploma of Community Services (Alcohol, Other Drugs and Mental Health)
4076 Bachelor of Community Welfare and Counselling and Diploma of Disability
0116 Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Arts
3281 Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering and Bachelor of Arts
1945 Bachelor of Professional Communication and Diploma of Professional Writing