Minors in the Bachelor of Psychology

A minor is an optional additional area of focus for a degree. You can take a BPsyc minor as part of most Bachelor degrees at Victoria University of Wellington.

A minor is made up of a collection of courses in a particular subject. The workload for a minor is lighter than for a major—fewer courses to do, fewer points required. This makes a minor a good way to build a second or third area of focus or concentration into your degree. Find out more about how minors work.

Minors are made up of at least 60 points from the relevant subject area at 200 level or above. At least 15 of these points must be at 300 level and not counted towards a major or another minor.

Psychological Science

Psychological Science will give you insights into why people think, act, and feel the way they do. Examine social behaviour, emotion, personality, and motivation, and consider what leads to healthy development and what causes dysfunction.

Requirements for this minor

Complete four courses:

Brain Sciences and Mental Health

Brain Sciences and Mental Health focuses on the role of the brain and central nervous system in supporting psychological health and wellbeing. It combines specialised psychology courses with others from chemistry, biology, and health.

Requirements for this minor

Complete four courses:

Cognitive Science

Cognitive Science combines specialised psychology courses with others from computer science, artificial intelligence, philosophy, and linguistics. Cognitive scientists are employed in user experience research, interaction design, data science, artificial intelligence, and other design applications.

Requirements for this minor

Complete the following courses:

And a further 15 points from:

Criminal Justice and Psychology

This subject explores the psychological aspects of offending behaviour and how people interact with the criminal justice system. It embeds this knowledge within a multidisciplinary framework that considers broader socio-cultural, political, and economic factors that shape behaviour and justice outcomes.

Requirements for this minor

Complete the following courses:

Health Psychology

Health Psychology is a branch of psychology that helps people stay healthy, cope with illness, and recover from diseases. It also studies how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours affect our physical and mental health, and how our health influences our psychological wellbeing. Health psychologists also work with doctors, nurses, and other health professionals to improve the quality of health care and make it more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Requirements for this minor

Complete the following courses:

And two further courses from:

Māori Psychology

This subject focuses on the psychological wellbeing of the Māori community and considers Māori perspectives on a range of psychological issues. It's designed for students interested in pursuing careers working with Māori or in relevant policy positions.

Requirements for this minor

Complete the following courses:

    Mental Health: Principles and Applications

    This subject focuses on individual psychological problems that present in an applied setting and examines their mechanisms and treatment. You’ll explore the biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to psychological problems, and how behavioural treatments may be used to address them.

    Requirements for this minor

    Complete the following courses:

    Work and Organisational Psychology

    Work and Organisational Psychology considers human behaviour within an organisational setting. It combines psychological perspectives with those from management, human resources, and employment relations. You’ll gain a highly relevant background for working in industry and organisations, particularly in the human resources area.

    Requirements for this minor

    Complete the following courses: