Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Psychology

Programme Director: Dr LEE, Terence

The Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Psychology is a four-year full-time programme designed for Associate Degree/Higher Diploma graduates who wish to further their studies in psychology. The purpose of this programme is to enhance students’ understanding of the application of psychology in different work settings. One distinguished feature of the programme is its emphasis on practical experience based on the scientist-practitioner model. Students in the programme would have the option to take Psychology in applied settings (Practicum) at selected work settings where they learn to apply knowledge in psychology to everyday situations. Such experience will not only strengthen students’ understanding of the applied nature of psychology, but also enhance their employment prospects and competitiveness upon graduation. The programme offers a diversified range of elective courses so as to enable students to transfer their knowledge and theory in psychology to business, educational, industrial and organizational settings.

The curriculum is designed to prepare students to:

1. Be able to foster positive life attitudes and goals in accordance with the University’s mission of whole-person education;
2. Be equipped with knowledge and skills in the study of human behaviours;
3. Be able to apply fundamental training in their pursuit of further academic development in preparation of a professional career in psychology;
4. Attain a thorough understanding of the discipline, particularly in the area of clinical, developmental and educational psychology; and
5. Be able to demonstrate high levels of proficiency in research methodology related to psychology.

The structure of the curriculum is as follows:

Requirements

The four-year programme requires students to complete a total of 128 units, including 57 units of Major Courses, 6 units of Honours Project, 13 units of University Core Courses, 18 units of General Education Courses and 34 units of Free Electives. Students with Associate Degree or Higher Diploma qualifications will normally be admitted directly into the third year of study to complete the programme in two years.

The number of courses/units that students are required to complete will depend on the number of courses/units for which exemption and/or unit transfer will be granted. All unit transfer or course exemption shall be considered on a case-by-case basis upon admission. Students are required to complete all programme prerequisites, University Core and General Education Courses to meet the graduation requirement. Make-up courses may be required on admission.

Specifically, students are required to complete 39 units of Major Required Courses, 18 units of Major Elective Courses, 6 units of Honours Project, and 3 units of General Education Capstone Course.

The programme structure is set out as follows: