Psychological Science

If you want an overview of many areas within psychology, and to understand why people think, act, and feel the way they do, this could be the major for you.

Psychological Science is the required major in the Bachelor of Psychology—and is also offered as a major in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science.

Psychology is where evidence-based science meets real-life challenges, and it covers a huge number of specialised areas. Our core psychology major—Psychological Science—is designed to give you a comprehensive overview of the field, from the history of psychology through to the cutting-edge research being undertaken by your lecturers. You’ll learn about everything from perception—how our brains can tell red from blue or hot from cold, to how we store and retrieve memories, to the impact of our culture and experiences on how we develop. You’ll also gain practical experience   in psychological research, and learn to use statistics to analyse findings in surveys and lab experiments.

Some of the topics covered in this major include:

• Biological bases of behaviour
• Culture in psychology
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Social psychology
• Life span development
• Neuropsychology
• Cognition and personality.

Career options

This major will provide you with the skills you need to work in a wide range of organisations. You’ll graduate equipped for roles that involve data analysis, communication and collaboration skills, and require a good understanding of people and relationships. Some examples include in marketing, communications, disability support, youth engagement, or in the business and ICT sectors in software testing, user-centred design, or training. If you decide to pursue a career as a professional psychologist—which requires additional postgraduate study—this major will also provide you with the best possible foundation for your future career pathway.

Learn more about the career pathways available when you graduate with a degree in Psychology.

Complementary majors

You can tailor your degree to suit the career path you’d like to take by taking a complementary major that aligns with your interests and future career goals—find out more information on each of our complementary psychology majors here.

Postgraduate study

This major also provides a good basis if you are interested in studying postgraduate psychology.