Course details

The Psychology extended major provides an advanced scientific understanding of human thoughts and behaviours, the psychological processes underlying these and the relationship of these processes to brain function. You will find an emphasis on the measurement of psychological behaviour and abilities; the social and multicultural contexts for human behaviour; and psychology in the workplace. You can also develop an understanding of the biological underpinnings of behaviour, and will learn how psychological processes are affected by ageing, brain damage and disease.

About the course

Psychology is a fascinating and diverse area of study that touches upon many aspects of daily life, seeking to answer questions about how and why people behave the way they do. The Psychology extended major will help you develop a scientific understanding of human thoughts and behaviours, the psychological processes underlying these and the relationship of these processes to brain function. There is an emphasis on the measurement of psychological abilities, how these develop through the lifespan, and on the processes that govern the relationships between people and groups in society. You'll also develop an understanding of how psychological processes are affected by ageing, brain damage and disease.

Career Pathways

Psychology is relevant to almost any human endeavour, which means a psychology degree, or some complementary psychology studies, are relevant not only for traditional psychology careers, but for a wide range of careers. For example, there are psychologists designing cockpits for NASA, computer software interfaces, personnel selection systems, or age-appropriate toys; psychologists develop market research strategies, or train people in a variety of settings.

Career Opportunities

Social Worker

Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Educator

Foreign Affairs and Trade Officer

General Manager

Human Resource Professional

Market Research Analyst

Marketing Specialist

Psychologist

Research and Development Manager

School Psychologist

Secondary School Teacher

Health Promotion Officer

Health Researcher

Health and Welfare Services Manager

Further Study

The Honours program in Psychology aims to develop your skills in addressing advanced conceptual issues in psychology and integrating a broad range of research findings within central theoretical concepts. You’ll also gain a deep understanding of current research within several areas of the discipline. You’ll learn to plan, implement, and interpret the findings of a major piece of empirical research and give brief oral presentations of research findings in a manner that is understandable to people not working in the same research area. The honour's specialisation continues the research preparation from the earlier undergraduate years and prepares you for entry into a PhD and into discipline-accredited Master degrees that have a research component.

At present, postgraduate professional training is available in Industrial and Organisational Psychology, Business Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Clinical Neuropsychology. Psychology Honours has been awarded Conditional Accreditation by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as a fourth-year of psychology study, and graduates are eligible for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.