Psychological Science major

Are you interested in how we learn, remember and think? Have you ever wondered how we control our movements? Psychologists are interested in how and why people behave the way they do. Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes and behaviour, and is a challenging and wide-ranging discipline.

The Psychological Science major will provide you with a scientific understanding of our psychological processes and the relationship of these processes to brain function. You will also develop an understanding of how these psychological processes are affected by ageing, brain damage and disease. Students hoping to pursue further study at postgraduate level leading to professional accreditation as a psychologist should complete the Psychology double major.

During the major you will be exposed to sensitive topics (e.g. depression, suicide, trauma, eating disorders). You will also be required to demonstrate skills across a variety of different formats and contexts (e.g. written assessments, participation in practical work, contribution to group discussions, oral presentations), and so it is important to carefully consider whether you are able to cope with the demands of a psychology major and whether there is anything that would impact upon your ability to complete the requirements of the major.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of psychological processes and their relationships with neurobiology; (2) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the scientific method in psychology; (3) demonstrate critical thinking in psychology including an appreciation of the use of the scientific method to study psychological processes; (4) demonstrate skills in the analysis and presentation of quantitative data; (5) demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills; and (6) work effectively as a team member in solving problems.

Degree-specific major

Psychological Science can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

BP004 Bachelor of Science
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Overview of unit sequence

Psychological Science is a degree-specific single major comprising:

  • two Level 1 units
  • two Level 2 units
  • four Level 3 units
  • one Level 1 complementary unit
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2020

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2021 or 2022.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
S2 PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Complementary units
Take the following complementary unit (only for students who do not have ATAR Mathematics:Applications, WACE Mathematics 2C/2D or equivalent or higher):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Prerequisites:
Mathematics Applications ATAR (with a scaled score of less than 50)
or
with permission.
Incompatibility:
Mathematics Applications ATAR (with a scaled score of 50
or
greater)
or
equivalent
or
higher.

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 PSYC2208 Psychology: Atypical Development
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Incompatibility:
PSYC2207 Psychology: Normal and Abnormal Development; PSYC3308 Psychology: Atypical Development
N/A PSYC2215 Cognitive Psychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Incompatibility:
PSYC3315 Cognitive Psychology
S1 PSYC2217 Cognitive Neuroscience
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Incompatibility:
PSYC3317 Cognitive Neuroscience
N/A PSYC2218 Perception and Sensory Neuropsychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Incompatibility:
PSYC3318 Perception and Sensory Neuropsychology

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 PSYC3301 Intermediate Quantitative Methods in Psychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
S2 PSYC3310 Psychology: Specialist Research Topics
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points with at least 6 points from this group:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 PSYC3308 Psychology: Atypical Development
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2207 Psychology: Normal and Abnormal Development; PSYC2208 Psychology: Atypical Development
N/A PSYC3315 Cognitive Psychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Psychological Research Methods
and
one other Level 2 PSYC unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2215 Cognitive Psychology
S1 PSYC3317 Cognitive Neuroscience
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2217 Cognitive Neuroscience
N/A PSYC3318 Perception and Sensory Neuropsychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Psychological Research Methods
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2218 Perception and Sensory Neuropsychology
Degree-specific major units
if required, take one unit to the value of 6 points from this group:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 PSYC3309 Industrial and Organisational Psychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2209 Industrial and Organisational Psychology
S1 PSYC3312 Psychology and Social Behaviour
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2212 Psychology and Social Behaviour
N/A PSYC3313 Psychology: Lifespan Development
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2213 Psychology: Lifespan Development
N/A PSYC3314 Adult Psychopathology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2214 Adult Psychopathology

Choosing your degree-specific major

You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.

To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how the Psychological Science degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Science course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP004-PSYSC

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .

Choosing a second major

You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. or Bachelor of Science course, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.

The following example illustrates how the Psychological Science degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Science course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP004-PSYSC-Generic

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .

Psychological Science can also be taken as a second major.

Second major

Psychological Science can be taken as a second major in the following degree courses:

Overview of unit sequence

The Psychological Science second major is a single major comprising:

  • two Level 1 units
  • two Level 2 units
  • four Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2020

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2021 or 2022.

Level 1

Second major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
S2 PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context

Level 2

Second major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Second major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 PSYC2208 Psychology: Atypical Development
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Incompatibility:
PSYC2207 Psychology: Normal and Abnormal Development; PSYC3308 Psychology: Atypical Development
N/A PSYC2215 Cognitive Psychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Incompatibility:
PSYC3315 Cognitive Psychology
S1 PSYC2217 Cognitive Neuroscience
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Incompatibility:
PSYC3317 Cognitive Neuroscience
N/A PSYC2218 Perception and Sensory Neuropsychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
or
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
Incompatibility:
PSYC3318 Perception and Sensory Neuropsychology

Level 3

Second major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 PSYC3301 Intermediate Quantitative Methods in Psychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
S2 PSYC3310 Psychology: Specialist Research Topics
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Second major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points with at least 6 points from this group:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 PSYC3308 Psychology: Atypical Development
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2207 Psychology: Normal and Abnormal Development; PSYC2208 Psychology: Atypical Development
N/A PSYC3315 Cognitive Psychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Psychological Research Methods
and
one other Level 2 PSYC unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2215 Cognitive Psychology
S1 PSYC3317 Cognitive Neuroscience
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2217 Cognitive Neuroscience
N/A PSYC3318 Perception and Sensory Neuropsychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Psychological Research Methods
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2218 Perception and Sensory Neuropsychology
Second major units
if required, take one unit to the value of 6 points from this group:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 PSYC3309 Industrial and Organisational Psychology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2209 Industrial and Organisational Psychology
S1 PSYC3312 Psychology and Social Behaviour
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2212 Psychology and Social Behaviour
N/A PSYC3313 Psychology: Lifespan Development
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2213 Psychology: Lifespan Development
N/A PSYC3314 Adult Psychopathology
Prerequisites:
PSYC1101 Psychology: Mind and Brain
and
PSYC1102 Psychology: Behaviour in Context
and
PSYC2203 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Psychology
and
one other Level 2 Psychology unit
Incompatibility:
PSYC2214 Adult Psychopathology

Choosing a second major

The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you the option of including a second major. You have the choice to either nominate your second major when you first enrol in the course or delay it until your second year. For a major to be recorded on your academic record it must be nominated before the requirements of the course are completed.

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how Psychological Science can be included as a second major in an undergraduate degree course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSPGeneric-DSMGeneric-PSYSC

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .

Psychological Science can also be taken as a degree-specific major.