Undergraduate Home Page

Undergraduate Program Chair: Dr Jeff Coney

Honours Program Chair: Dr Ngaire Donaghue

BPsych Thesis Co-Ordinator: Dr Anne Pedersen

Mapping the Old Structure to the New

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Murdoch University works on a semester system. Units are assigned points value, usually 3, but sometimes 4 or 6 per unit. To be worth 3 points, a normal one-semester unit would have, for example, one or two 1-hour lectures per week, one 3-hour lab or tutorial per week, and would require 6000 words of assignments and an examination. To complete a Bachelor of Psychology degree, students have to obtain 96 points. If they are full-time students, they would aim to complete these requirements over 4 years, an equivalent of 12 points per semester.

The University encourages students to major in a special field of study as distinct from undertaking general studies. Majoring refers to a student fulfilling the amount of study required by a particular Programme, such as Psychology. Requirements vary from Programme to Programme but they usually amount to at least half the total studies being carried out in the Programme's discipline. This is normally met by majority specialization in the discipline in Years 2 and 3 and complete specialization in the fourth year of study.

The Bachelor of Psychology, as with all undergraduate degrees at Murdoch, is divided into Parts I and II. Completion of Part I, worth 9 points, is normally accomplished in the first year of full-time study (or equivalent part-time). Part II is completed over the following three years of full-time study (or equivalent part-time). One way of describing the difference between Parts I and II is to say that in Part I, two or three different disciplines can be studied before students have to narrow their sights to one or two disciplines in Part II. In the final year of Part II (fourth year) the field of study focuses exclusively on psychology. Many students are interested in studying Psychology in Part I without intending to continue in Psychology to Part II. The Programme encourages this interest.

Psychology ( BA / BPsych)

Credit Points for Course

BA (Psychology) - 72 points
BPsych - 96 points

Duration

BA: 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent;
BPsych: 4 years full-time or part-time equivalent

Course Description

The study of psychology is a quest to understand behaviour, relationships and the workings of the human mind. In this course students will develop an appreciation of the foundations of psychological knowledge and how modern scientific research methods are used to further this understanding of our differences and similarities. Psychology teaches both research and practical application in the clinical, cognitive, developmental, organizational and social areas.

Psychology students enter either the three-year BA (Psychology) or the four-year Bachelor of Psychology (BPsych) . BPsych students may elect to take out the three-year Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) qualification at the end of the third year of study. BA (Psychology) students may apply to enter the four-year BPsych at the end of any year following their first year. Students in either the BA (Psychology) or the BPsych may apply for entry into the Honours program in Psychology towards the end of the third year of study. 

Employment prospects

Psychology degrees will be of special interest not only to those desiring to enter the psychology profession but also to students envisaging a practical or academic career in education, ergonomics or human resource management.

Professional Recognition

All Murdoch University Psychology degrees are fully accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council, and recognised by the Australian Psychological Society (APS). However, students transferring from another university must ensure that the study they have completed previously, when combined with their study at Murdoch University, meets the requirements of the relevant psychology registration board for equivalence to an accredited four-year Australian degree in psychology. 

The four-year Bachelor of Psychology course is a fully professionally accredited degree which covers all relevant parts of the psychology curriculum to provide a balanced and comprehensive appreciation of psychology from all major perspectives. Especially strong components of the course at Murdoch are represented through minors in developmental, health, organisational and social psychology. Applied psychology is included in the curriculum through organisational, clinical and human factors studies. This degree also provides broad skills in teamwork, communication and problem solving necessary in social and workplace settings. Unlike other institutions, students may apply for direct entry into a four-year degree which is the minimum educational qualification necessary for professional registration. Students who perform well in the first three years of the degree may apply to take their fourth year in Honours, intended for those wishing to specialise in research.

The 3-year BA in Psychology is professionally accredited and recommended for students who desire a solid grounding in Psychology but who do not intend to specialise in research or to be registered as a psychologist. Further specialist training in clinical and organisational psychology is provided through the Master of Applied Psychology course, the Doctor of Psychology course, or the combined Master of Applied Psychology/PhD course

BA in Psychology (Honours)

Credit Points for Course :

Duration

1 year full-time or part-time equivalent 

Course Description

The aim of Honours is to extend the student's grasp of the principles and practice of their subject, and to develop ability for independent research. An Honours qualification of 2A or higher provides for admission to higher research degree study.

The Honours course provides units in research design and the opportunity to carry out a piece of empirical work under supervision. Students are expected to negotiate a research topic in conjunction with a supervisor. The thesis reporting the empirical research represents half of the fourth (Honours) year work. (Detailed guidelines for the writing of the thesis are available from the Honours and Fourth Year Coordinator.)

Students who enter the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Honours year from an existing double major enrolment may have the Psychology minor requirement waived. 

Employment prospects

Psychology degrees will be of special interest not only to those desiring to enter the psychology profession but also to students envisaging a practical or academic career in education, ergonomics or human resource management.

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