BSc Curriculum Review – Position Paper
School of Psychology
November 2005
Background - Psychology involvement in the BSc
The School of Psychology is responsible for the psychology field of study within the BSc and has
some involvement in the neuroscience field of study. Students studying psychology in the BSc
can either take the 28 unit sequence of study accredited by the Australian Psychological Society
(this is the pre-registration requirement for students wishing to pursue a career as a psychologist)
or they can complete a field of study in psychology by taking 8 units of 3rd year courses offered
by the school. The APS-approved sequence is highly structured and requires students to take 6
units of 1st psychology courses, 10 units of 2nd year courses, and 12 units of 3rd year courses. On
completion of this sequence, students are eligible to apply for an honours program in psychology
– this 4th year gives students the necessary qualification to apply for provisional registration as a
psychologist. A 2-year postgraduate course or 2 years of supervised practice is required before
students meet the requirements for full registration. For students with the appropriate background
in science and broader interests in this area, the BSc has been a very useful program in which to
embed the accredited sequence of study in undergraduate psychology.
Issues for the consideration in the forthcoming BSc Curriculum review
From the School of Psychology’s perspective, there are a number of issues that we would like to
see taken up in the BSc review. The main challenge that we see is the need to balance the extent
to which students are able to obtain the skills, knowledge and attributes that distinguish BSc
students from other students with the capacity for students to specialise in their areas of interest/s.
To this end, we would like to see the review give consideration to the following issues:

The possibility of building stronger sequences of study or majors, involving articulated
programs of courses at all levels, within the BSc. The generic graduate attributes of the
BSc should be embedded in such sequences of study, as should the specific attributes of
the particular program of study. Even at advanced levels, more structure may be required
to ensure that the appropriate breadth is obtained in a particular program of study,
particularly those that span discipline boundaries – for instance, in neuroscience, a major
should require students to study courses ranging from the molecular study of
neurophysiology to the ‘whole person’ aspects of the field that include such topics as
behavioural and cognitive neuroscience.

The need to have clear breadth requirements – these could operate in terms of both
foundation level courses and sequences of study.
o In terms of the foundation courses, a range of different areas should be considered
– e.g., coverage of the “enabling” sciences and relevant social sciences,
behavioural sciences and humanities (e.g., philosophy of science, public policy
and science etc). The possibility that the foundation requirements will differ for
different students entering the BSc should also be considered – this could be
achieved by building relevant foundation courses into each of the majors.
o In terms of sequences of study, the BSc should be flexible enough for students to
specialise in more than one area – in the case of psychology, relevant joint
specialisations that should be possible include psychology & neuroscience,
psychology & physiology, psychology & genetics etc.

The need to embed clearly into all sequences of study the opportunity for hands-on
practical training, involvement in research-related experiences, the capacity for students to
spend a semester abroad, and the flexibility for appropriately qualified students to fasttrack their degree programs.
Where do School of Psychology students go?
A large number of our 3-year graduates go onto further study, predominantly honours in
psychology but also into professional training programs such as medicine and graduate entry
allied health programs. Those who enter the workforce go into a wide range of areas including
positions in health care settings both public and private, government positions, and positions in
industry and management. Many 3-year psychology graduates are employed to undertake
applied research.
What are our BSc Psychology program objectives?
Objective 1: To provide a broad understanding of psychology as the scientific study of human
behaviour that will permit graduates with the APS-approved psychology sequence either to go on
to further study or to gain employment in a diverse range of settings.
Objective 2: To provide a critical understanding of the key theoretical approaches and empirical
findings in the core areas of basic psychology (cognitive, developmental, social and biological
psychology), and provide basic skills in applying this understanding in real-world contexts.
Objective 3: To provide a deep understanding of the basic research methodologies used across the
range of the discipline of psychology. This includes the study of statistics within the context of
psychological research, research design, and the understanding of psychological test construction
and interpretation.
Objective 4: To provide a deeper level of understanding in areas of the student's choosing
(cognitive, developmental, social and biological psychology, and the applied and professional
areas of psychology).
What attributes should BSc Psychology graduates possess?
Attribute 1: In-depth knowledge of the field
Attribute 2: Effective communication
Attribute 3: Independence and creativity
Attribute 4: Critical judgement
Attribute 5: Ethical and social understanding