Understand people and help improve their wellbeing

Explore the human mind and learn the skills to promote mental and emotional wellbeing with a dual degree in psychology and counselling. This program gives you in-depth knowledge on the science and applications of psychology, along with a strong foundation in counselling theory and skills.

In this program you will:

• Study the core areas of psychological science, including human development, cognitive perception, personality, learning, and abnormal psychology
• Learn about the range of scientific methods, analyses and ethical standards used in psychological research
• Gain a thorough understanding of counselling theories and skills, and how to use them in diverse and multicultural workplaces and communities
• Develop skills in cognitive behaviour therapy, personal and relational empathy, positive psychology, family counselling and responding to crisis, trauma and loss
• Work in the community through two counselling placements, working with multidisciplinary teams across a range of human services agencies

Introductory courses (8) 96 units

• CRM101 Introduction to Criminology
• COU101 Theories of Counselling: From Freud to Integrative Practice
• COU176 Group Processes and Practice
• COU180 Therapeutic Communication Skills
• PSY100 Introduction to Psychology A
• PSY101 Introduction to Psychology B
• PSY104 Research Methods and Analysis 1
• SCS130 Introduction to Indigenous Australia

Developing courses (9) 108 units

• COU200 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Skills and Applications
• COU265 Strengths Based Counselling: Collaborative Approaches
• PSY202 Physiological Psychology
• PSY203 Introduction to Human Development
• PSY204 Social Psychology
• PSY205 Motivation and Emotion
• PSY206 Interpersonal and Group Skills
• PSY207 Research Methods and Analysis 2
• SWK278 Ethics, Law and the Helping Professions

Graduate courses (15) 180 units

• COU300 Counselling for Crisis, Trauma and Loss
• COU301 Positive Psychology for Counselling
• COU361 Counselling Development and Supervision 1
• COU362 Counselling Development and Supervision 2
• COU363 Counselling Placement 1
• COU364 Counselling Placement 2
• COU381 Developmental and Family Counselling
• PSY300 Advanced Methods in Psychology
• PSY301 Cognitive and Perceptual Psychology
• PSY302 Intercultural and Indigenous Psychologies
• PSY303 Personality and Assessment
• PSY304 Human Associative Learning
• PSY305 Abnormal Psychology
• PSY306 Psychology of Health and Wellbeing
• PSY307 Adult Development and Ageing

Note: Program structures are subject to change. Not all USC courses are available on every USC campus.

Career opportunities

• Administration of counselling services
• Aged services
• Careers Disability support
• Child protection
• Community development
• Community health
• Corrections
• Education
• Families and groups
• Government departments
• Mental health
• Non-government organisations
• Research
• Telephone counselling
• Welfare work
• Working with individuals
• Youth work