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. 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 BBS is accredited by the Australian Psychological Society, and can be used as the basis for further study leading to a qualification as a psychologist.
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.
On completion of the Bachelor of Behavioural Science students should:
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.
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.
The Department of Psychology offers a new major sequence in psychology which commenced in 1997. This is a common program offered on the Caulfield/Peninsula, Clayton and Gippsland campuses. The new second-level subjects of this program will be introduced in 1998 and third-level subjects in 1999.
Students should be aware that the existing third-level subjects will not be offered after 1998.
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.
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.
Students should note that the third-level subjects listed below will not be available from 1999. They will be replaced by PSY3011 (Psychology 3A) and PSY3022 (Psychology 3B). Students must complete at least four subjects at third level. GAS3505 is strongly recommended and a pass in this subject is required for entry into the psychology honours program.
Note that students who have completed GAS3501 (Biological psychology) may count this towards meeting level-three requirements.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 introductory subjects in scientific method, scientific communication or basic science for students without a science background: ASC1609, ASC1619, ASC2626, ASC2639, MAT1049.
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.
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.