This course will operate under a student workload model based on 100 credit points for a full-time academic year. One credit point is deemed to be equivalent to one hour of student work per week over a semester, whether in contact with staff or in private study. Four units of study, each worth 12.5 credit points, will generally be taken each semester. The typical student's average weekly workload during semester is therefore expected to be 50 hours. Total student contact hours, including lectures, classes, tutorials, flexible learning and laboratory and field sessions will be approximately 16 hours/week during academic semesters.

For the Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) program students must complete 300 credit points, normally 24 units of 12.5 credit points each, comprising:

• Psychology Professional Major, 16 units of 12.5 credit points each (200 credit points); and
• one Co-Major (8 units) or two minors (4 units each).

Additionally the following rules apply: 

• the non-credit unit, HAC0001 Careers in the Curriculum, is compulsory;
• two (2) Major Project units must be completed as part of the major studies sequence;
• the same unit cannot be counted more than once. Where there are overlaps in Majors, Co-Majors or Minors, the 300 credit points of study must be made up in the first instance by a Minor where 50 credit points is required, otherwise by freeelectives or Options Plus units;
• students will normally not be permitted to successfully complete more than 26 units (325cps);
• students may only enrol in two Majors where both Majors have sufficient unit overlap to enable both to be completed within a total 300 credit-points of study; and
• Professional Major Co-ordinators have the authority to approve alternative units if required for students to complete in a timely fashion. To be noted at Faculty Academic Committee.

Careers in the Curriculum (CIC)
In addition to the above, students must complete a compulsory unit of study HAC0001 Careers in the Curriculum to be awarded the degree. Careers in the Curriculum (CIC) is an innovative unit designed to assist Swinburne students to enhance their employability and career prospects. It is usually undertaken in the second year of their course and is compulsory for all undergraduate students. Students studying CIC will not incur a HECS or fee debt as the cost will be met by the university as part of an initiative to enhance students' career skills.

Final Year Experience - Major Projects
As part of the Swinburne Model for Professional Learning, all incoming undergraduates will undertake 25 credit points of professionally focused final year major projects within their programs of study. Entry with advanced standing may require alternate study sequences to be undertaken.

Winter and Summer Term
This program also provides opportunities to undertake study in an optional six-week Winter and Summer term allowing you to complete extra study between the standard semesters. These terms are not mandatory.  However, if you wish to vary your study load you may want to consider this option.

Electives Plus Minors
Electives Plus combinations provide Swinburne degree students with options to broaden their career skills and strengthen their employability by undertaking specially selected groups of units from outside their degree discipline.

For further information visit the Elective Plus website. Electives Plus Minors are available in all Swinburne degree programs subject to timetabling constraints, with the exception of double degree programs, specialist double major degrees, and where entry has been approved with advanced standing.

Options Plus Students will have access to a small set of approved individual Options Plus units of study which provide either a distinctive learning experience or targeted study support. This could include optional study tours, an Intercultural Communications unit, and an ‘introduction to undergraduate research’ unit. In some cases, students may be advised or directed to take specially targeted Options Plus units, for example the Analysing and Writing English unit to be offered for credit in Winter Term for NESB students.

Students undertaking a full 300 cp program are allowed to substitute at least one Options Plus unit for one existing unit within their Co-Major– but not in their Professional Major. They will be advised by their Faculty on which unit(s) of the Co-Major.

In the case of students who enter with significant levels of advanced standing and whose program is therefore composed only of a Professional Major, the Faculty may approve a substitution, or else require the students to undertake the Options Plus unit in addition to their Major studies.

Majors
A Professional Major (200 credit points or 16 units of study) is designed to provide students with appropriate breadth and depth of knowledge in a particular field of study and provide suitable preparation for professional graduate employment. It may be based on a single, recognised discipline, or it may be inter-disciplinary in character.

Study areas in the Psychology Professional Major include Australian politics, media, psychological testing and assessment, psychology, abnormal psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, personality psychology, social psychology, philosophy, research methods, sociology and statistics.
The Professional Major in Psychology incorporates the Psychology sequence accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).

Co-Majors
A Co-Major (100 credit points or 8 units of study) is a sequence of study focused on a specific discipline and is normally self-contained, in that it includes any requisite foundation studies. Where a student has studied a Co-Major they are not normally eligible to apply to graduate with the associated tagged degree outcome.

Co-majors can be taken from any discipline across the University, timetabling permitting. Co-Majors available in the Bachelor of Social Science and Bachelor of Arts programs in the Faculty of Life and Social Sciences include: 
Communications Co-Major - 2010
Community Health Co-Major - 2010
Cultural Studies Co-Major - 2010
Digital Media Co-Major - 2010
Games and Interactivity Co-Major - 2010
Journalism Co-Major - 2010
Media Co-Major - 2010
Philosophy and Cultural Inquiry Co-Major - 2010
Politics and Public Policy Co-Major - 2010
Sociology Co-Major - 2010
Sustainability Management Co-Major - 2010

Minors
A Minor (50 credit points or 4 units of study) is a prescribed set of units that may broaden a student's learning.  A minor is typically derived as a subset of a Major or Co-Major, and it may be based on a single, recognised discipline, or it may be inter-disciplinary in character.  Minors usually contain no elective choices.

Minors can be taken from any discipline across the University, including Electives Plus Minors, timetabling permitting. Credit cannot be given for any minor which contains more than two units of study in common with any other minor, co-major or major a student is undertaking.  Minors available in the Bachelor of Social Science and Bachelor of Arts programs in the Faculty of Life and Social Sciences include:

Arts Minor - 2010
Community Health Minor - 2010
Communications Minor - 2010
Cultural Studies Minor - 2010
Digital Media Minors - 2010
Games and Interactivity Minor - 2010
Journalism Minor - 2010
Media Minor - 2010
Philosophy and Cultural Inquiry Minors - 2010
Politics and Public Policy Minor - 2010
Sociology Minor - 2010
Sustainability Management Minor - 2010

Students also have the option to select their co-major or minors from another faculty, timetable permitting.

Psychology Professional Major
HAY100 Psychology 100
HMA103 Statistics and Research Methods A
HACM104 Media Literature Film: Text and Context
HAS111 Sociological Foundations
HAY101 Psychology 101
HAH100 Introduction to Philosophy
HMA278 Design and Measurement 2
HAY205 Cognition and Human Performance
HMA279 Design and Measurement 3
HAY206 Developmental Psychology
HAY307 Social Psychology
HAY321 Abnormal Psychology
HAY308 The Psychology of Personality
HAY303 Psychology Project A
HAY305 Psychology Project B ** (not available as from Semester 1 2013)
HAH319 Philosophical Psychology

** Note: In place of HAY305 Psychology Project B, students may undertake any one Arts, Social Science or Science unit.

Students who successfully complete this Psychology Major will be eligible for Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) recognition.

This Psychology Professional Major is only available to students enrolled in an Arts or Social Science program. 

The Bachelor of Social Science program is designed to produce graduates who are able to contribute effectively and professionally to a dynamic global economy because they possess:

• knowledge, conceptual understanding and expertise in specific areas of study in the humanities and social sciences
• an understanding of the relationship between theory, research and practice
• a capacity for critical analysis, creativity and problem solving
• professional skills, including the ability to use modern technology
• independent and lifelong learning skills
• comprehensive written and oral communication skills
• a strong sense of personal integrity and an appreciation of the role of ethics in private and public life
• excellent problem-solving, teamwork and decision-making skills

The combined focus on generic skills and sound academic and professional knowledge within the Bachelor of Social Science degree equips students well for a lifelong process of personal development. Students with these attributes are highly sought after by employers who increasingly seek people with well-developed generic skills, in addition to professional competencies. (See Employability Skills for the Future, Department of Education, Science and Training, 2002.)

Psychology graduates are highly sought after in a range of human services positions. These include employment in community and mental health, human resource management, policy development, research, welfare, journalism, marketing and advertising. These courses provide the first step to becoming a professional psychologist. After completing a degree with a major in psychology, you may undertake a fourth year in psychology and then further study in specialist areas of professional psychology such as counselling, health, clinical, organisational, and sports psychology.

Swinburne intends that its teaching programs assist all its graduates to be:

• Capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas
• Entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace or community
• Effective and ethical in work and community situations
• Adaptable and manage change
• Aware of local and international environments in which they will be contributing (such as sociocultural, economic, natural)

For information about Swinburne's fees visit: www.swinburne.edu.au/fees