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New Generation Undergraduate Psychology Studies
(NB: For current students who started their studies in psychology pre-2008, please click here for program details)
Psychology is intellectually fascinating and has direct applications to everyday life. As a discipline, it embraces a wide range of perspectives and approaches that contribute to the scientific study and understanding of behaviour, especially human behaviour. Taught at the University since the late 1800s, the Department of Psychology at Melbourne offers a diversity and quality of undergraduate subjects.
Psychology can be studied in a number of different ways as part of the six New Generation degrees offered at the University. It is not offered as an independent undergraduate degree. The majority of undergraduate students studying psychology will complete an APAC (Australian Psychology Accreditation Council) major sequence. Students enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science can complete a major sequence in psychology. Students enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce may be able to complete 100 points of breadth in psychology depending on their area of specialisation.
Applying to Study Undergraduate Psychology
For information about the main degree courses, including entry requirements and procedures, in which psychology can be studied, please refer to:
The emphasis in the psychology major is on developing a wide understanding within psychology. The structure encompasses a sequential development of knowledge in areas of psychology through advanced units in third year. Research skills are introduced in the first year subjects and developed across second and third units, contributing to your broad education as well as giving you the depth of understanding for postgraduate studies. The third year also contains a capstone unit integrating key features of your earlier studies and the possibility of choosing a unit of applied study.
Linking psychology to your personal experiences and establishing a style of working together is the emphasis in Year 1. In the second year and in advanced studies in third year, the emphasis will be on the linking of knowledge to research, both through the research-led teaching and through an emphasis on individual practical research experience for you. In other third-year level studies, such as the capstone study and the applied psychology subject, you will be able to work collaboratively, linking psychology to issues in contemporary society, informed by the research perspective you have developed.
Students wishing to undertake further study to become a practicing psychologist. After completing a psychology major, students must undertake a Fourth Year or Honours course in psychology to be eligible for Professional Training Programs which can result in professional registration as a psychologist in Victoria.
What is a Psychology Major?
A three-year accredited psychology major requires the completion of a minimum of 125 credit points worth of undergraduate psychology subjects. This requires the completion of nine compulsory subjects and at least one elective subject. All undergraduate subjects are worth 12.5 each and run for a single semester. A listing of all undergraduate psychology subjects is available below.
The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredits programs in psychology once they meet the standards outlined in the APAC Accreditation Guidelines. Accreditation ensures courses provide suitable preparation for students to enter the profession.
Undergraduate Psychology Subjects - for New Generation Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Graduate Diploma in Psychology students
| Subject Title |
Credit Points |
| 100-Level Subjects |
|
| Mind, Brain and Behaviour 1 |
12.5 |
| Mind, Brain and Behaviour 2 |
12.5 |
| Subject Title |
Credit Points |
| 200-Level Subjects |
|
| Biological Psychology |
12.5 |
| Cognitive Psychology |
12.5 |
| Developmental Psychology |
12.5 |
| Personality and Social Psychology |
12.5 |
| Subject Title (from 2010) |
Credit Points |
| Compulsory 300-Level Subjects |
|
| Psychological Science: Theory & Practice (Capstone) |
12.5 |
| Research Methods for Human Inquiry |
12.5 |
| Subject Title (from 2010) |
Credit Points |
| Elective Subjects (Choose TWO) |
|
| Advanced Studies of Human Cognition |
12.5 |
| Developing Persons in Social Worlds |
12.5 |
| Neuroscience and the Mind |
12.5 |
| The Unconscious Mind |
12.5 |
| Advanced Personality & Social Psychology |
12.5 |
| Development of the Thinking Child |
12.5 |
| Organisational Psychology |
12.5 |
| Psychopathology and Everyday Life |
12.5 |
| Psychobiology of Sleep and Emotions |
12.5 |
NB: 300-Level & Elective Subjects listed are subject to Academic Board Approval
- Biological Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Personality & Social Psychology
Level
second year
Offered in
Semester 1
Summary
Biological Psychology - This subject investigates the brain-behaviour interface within an explicitly psychological framework. At its most fundamental level, the subject develops an understanding of the neuroscience of behavioural state, progressing to the neuroanatomical basis of consciousness and its cognitive contents. An introduction to methodological approaches in the behavioural neurosciences, and the effects of selected brain diseases on behaviour, illustrates the evidential sources of model building in the field.
Level
second year
Offered in
Semester 1
Summary
Developmental Psychology - This subject examines the ways in which cognitive, biological, socio-emotional and personality factors affect the developing individual from birth to adulthood. It aims to provide students with an interpretive framework for analysing contemporary debates in child development, and to introduce them to some of the research methods used to study children's behaviour. Its purpose is to increase students; awareness of changes in the psychological status of the developing individual in the pre-adult period.
Level
second year
Offered in
Semester 2
Summary
Cognitive Psychology - Mental processes such as attention, memory, language and problem solving form the basis of our creative human cognitive abilities. Understanding of these cognitive abilities and the methods used by cognitive psychologists to study them provides an essential foundation for ongoing study in psychology. Classic and current research findings will be discussed to reveal what is known about the workings of the human mind. Students will also be taught the experimental design and analysis techniques used to study cognitive processes.
Level
second year
Offered in
Semester 2
Summary
Personality & Social Psychology - How are individuals unique but also connected to others? This subject examines human individuality and relatedness, the core themes of personality and social psychology. It considers the nature and structure of individual differences, how these differences are assessed, and how they are explained psychologically and biologically. It examines how individuals construct their sense of self and identity, how they perceive and evaluate other people, how they form relationships, and how their behaviour is influenced by their social and cultural context.
- Research Methods for Human Inquiry
- Psychological Science: Theory & Practice
- Advanced Studies of Human Cognition
- Neuroscience and the Mind
- Advanced Personality & Social Psychology
- Development of the Thinking Child
- Developing Persons in Social Worlds
- Organisational Psychology
- The Unconscious Mind
- Psychopathology and Everday Life
- Psychobiology of Sleep and Emotions
Level
third year (compulsory subject for a psychology major)
Offered in
Semester 1 (from 2010)
Summary
Research Methods for Human Inquiry - This subject aims to develop students; research skills and methods to measure and investigate human behaviour, social interactions, and cognitive processes. The focus will be on understanding and applying data analysis techniques related to real-world human problems which can inform theoretical ideas, individual assessment decisions and research developments in psychology and other disciplines. Emphasis will be placed on students being able to critically evaluate and use the research skills and knowledge being taught rather than on learning underlying statistical foundations of these techniques.
Level
third year (compulsory subject for a psychology major)
Offered in
Semester 2 (from 2010)
Summary
Psychological Science: Theory & Practice - This subject draws together students; undergraduate experiences in psychology and prepares them for further studies in the discipline or the practice of psychology in the workplace. It examines the nature of psychological disorders; how psychological measures are used in practice; and experiences in developing research skills. It emphasises links between the science and practice of psychology in contemporary life and offers opportunities to reflect on the rights and obligations of individuals with special psychological knowledge.
Level
third year
Offered in
Semester 1 (from 2010)
Summary
Advanced Studies of Human Cognition - This subject investigates how information processing in the brain gives rise to high-level mental functions such as perception, attention, language, memory, thought and consciousness. Research in cognitive psychology uses human behavioural experimental techniques to develop and evaluate theories of cognitive function. This subject will focus on current topics in cognitive science and provides an opportunity for students to develop an advanced understanding of the theories and experimental techniques used to answer those questions.
Level
third year
Offered in
Semester 1 (from 2010)
Summary
Neuroscience and the Mind - This subject explores the relationship between the brain and psychological attributes, such as behaviour and cognition. Particular attention is devoted to the techniques of scientific investigation and how they are applied to discovering the interrelation between the mind and brain. The subject content includes a number of more specific areas including: the structure and function of the brain in clinical and non-clinical populations, laterality, memory, epilepsy, neuroimaging, attention, perception and language.
Level
third year
Offered in
Semester 2 (from 2010)
Summary
Advanced Personality & Social Psychology - This subject explores contemporary research and theory on human individuality and social processes. The personality component investigates abnormal personality, personality change and positive psychology, and the social psychology component examines the self, social cognition, close relationships and the psychology of culture. Throughout the subject, emphasis is placed on the diversity of perspectives, theoretical integration and scientific methods of discovery.
Level
third year
Offered in
Semester 2 (from 2010)
Summary
Development of the Thinking Child - This subject aims to provide students with an understanding of the cognitive functioning in the developing child. It focuses on both typical and atypical development. Contemporary views of common disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia) as well as the consequences of genetic anomalies and neurological insult are discussed. Students participate in research that identifies and analyses individual differences in children cognitive competencies. The aim is to increase awareness of the nature of differences in cognitive functioning across childhood.
Level
third year
Offered in
Semester 1 (from 2010)
Summary
Developing Persons in Social Worlds - This subject invites students to examine how people develop in their social worlds. It is an advanced subject of contemporary life-span developmental psychology. The focus is on how people of all ages interact with their social environments. Person by environment interactions involve responding to social demands and taking initiatives. They are important for individuals; pathways through life. Students will carry out a case study of a young adults experience of personal development.
Level
third year
Offered in
Semester 2 (from 2010)
Summary
Organisational Psychology - This subject provides students with a foundation in the theories, principles, methods and techniques of organisational psychology. Topics will be selected from motivation, selection, performance evaluation, human-computer interaction, job satisfaction, market research, human factors, training, human abilities, skill acquisition, stress, negotiation, leadership, organisational culture, organisational research methods, learning and instruction. Laboratory exercises develop and extend these areas through practical exercises and simulations.
Level
third year
Offered in
Semester 1 (from 2010)
Summary
The Unconscious Mind - This subject traces the origin and development of the concept of the unconscious mind in psychological theories and practice, culminating in a critical examination of the current understanding of psychological unconsciousness from multiple perspectives including neutral, perceptual, cognitive, social, and clinical perspectives. Attention will be given to modern methods used in the empirical observation of unconscious processes, their applications in psychological research and practice, and implications of the psychological knowledge about the unconscious mind in contemporary culture and society.
Level
third year
Offered in
Semester 2 (from 2010)
Summary
Psychopathology and Eveyday Life - This subject covers phenomena such as hallucinations and delusions, anxiety, somatisation, depression, dissociation, and changes in memory and cognition, and places them in the context of everyday experiences. It discusses the various factors, processes and mechanisms thought to lead some people who experience such phenomena to develop full-blown disorders. A theoretical basis for this continuum model is provided and students are encouraged to consider mental health issues from this humanistic perspective in comparison to the traditional categorical model.
Level
third year
Offered in
Semester 2 (from 2010)
Summary
Psychobiology of Sleep and Emotions - Why do we sleep? What constitutes a good night's sleep? What is the relationship between sleep quality and effective waking behaviour? And does sleep promote memory processing? How does the brain control sleep-wake behaviour? This subject will address these questions and also examine how the brain processes emotional stimuli, and the biological processes that underlie emotional experience and expression. The neuroscience of specific emotions such as fear, anxiety and depression will be examined, as will the biological basis of interpersonal behaviours such as deception.
Undergraduate Psychology Subjects - New Generation Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce students wanting to complete the APAC-accredited sequence can complete 100 points of psychology as their breadth component with the remaining 25 points being taken from the core of the Commerce program. This may not be possible in all BCom streams, so please consult the information at the Bachelor of Commerce website http://www.bcom.unimelb.edu.au/
| Subject Title |
Credit Points |
| 100-Level Subjects |
|
| Psychology: Mind, Brain & Behaviour 1 |
12.5 |
| Psychology: Mind, Brain & Behaviour 2 |
12.5 |
| |
|
| 200-Level Subjects |
|
| Biological Psychology |
12.5 |
| Cognitive Psychology |
12.5 |
| Developmental Psychology |
12.5 |
| Personality and Social Psychology |
12.5 |
| |
|
| 300-Level Subjects |
|
| Psychological Science: Theory & Practice (Capstone) |
12.5 |
| |
|
| One of the following BCom subjects may be substituted for Research Methods for Human Inquiry |
|
| 316 316 - Basic Econometrics |
12.5 |
| 316 317 - Econometrics |
12.5 |
| 316 206 - Quantitative Methods 2 |
12.5 |
| 316 205 - Introductory Econometrics |
12.5 |
| |
|
| Electives: choose TWO |
|
| Advanced Studies of Human Cognition |
12.5 |
| Developing Persons in Social Worlds |
12.5 |
| Neuroscience and the Mind |
12.5 |
| The Unconscious Mind |
12.5 |
| Advanced Personality & Social Psychology |
12.5 |
| Development of the Thinking Child |
12.5 |
| Organisational Psychology (325 201 Organizational Behaviour may be substituted for Organisational Psychology) |
12.5 |
| Psychopathology and Everyday Life |
12.5 |
| Psychobiology of Sleep and Emotions |
12.5 |
NB: 300-Level & Elective Subjects listed are subject to Academic Board Approval
Fees
For fee information, please see student administration.
Single Subject Study
Community Access Program (CAP)
The Community Access Program allows people who are not enrolled in a degree at the University of Melbourne to enrol in subjects for interest, or to try to meet entry requirements for the course. Available subjects are offered on an up-front fee basis.
It is possible in some circumstances to obtain credit for previous CAP studies upon gaining entry to some courses. If your aim is to gain entry to a degree program, you should discuss this avenue with the Department's Selection Officer before enrolling in CAP—there is no guarantee of selection into a degree program via CAP.
You can enrol in psychology subjects as long as the prerequisite and corequisite requirements of the subjects are met. Graduates of a bachelors degree who have undertaken some studies in psychology during their undergraduate degree, but do not have a psychology major, have the opportunity to complete this major through CAP.
Access Melbourne
Access Melbourne provides
a combined special entry and access scholarships scheme for students from educationally, financially or socially disadvantaged backgrounds to enrol in undergraduate degrees at the University. Visit Access Melbourne for more information.
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