Psychology in Society

Psychology is a fascinating and diverse area of study that touches on many aspects of daily life – seeking to answer questions about how and why people behave the way they do. The Psychology in Society major helps you build a scientific understanding of human behaviour and its underlying psychological processes. The major has a particular emphasis on developmental psychology, social psychology, intelligence and personality and abnormal psychology. 

In particular, this major looks at the measurement of psychological abilities such as intelligence, how these abilities develop through the life span and on the processes that govern the relationships between people and groups in society.

If you’re hoping to pursue further study at postgraduate level leading to professional accreditation as a psychologist, you should complete the Psychology extended major.

An undergraduate degree in psychology equips you with:

Specialist knowledge

• Normal and abnormal development – How do psychological abilities develop through the lifespan and how are psychological processes affected by ageing, brain damage and disease?
• Groups and organisations – How do our psychological abilities impact on relationships between people and groups in society? How do you optimise human performance in a work setting?
• Cognition and perception – How do our brains interpret inputs from the world? How do we perceive, think, remember and make decisions?
• Research methods – How do you measure psychological constructs such as intelligence, personality traits and social skills? How do you analyse data to make evidence-based decisions?

Core skills

• Apply psychological principles to personal, social and group issues
• Recognise and appreciate the impact of mental health issues
• Think critically and creatively
• Use scientific methods to solve problems
• Plan, implement, and evaluate research projects
• Communicate effectively in a variety of formats and settings
• Act professionally within an ethical framework
• Work independently and as part of a team

Specific skills

• Perform statistical analyses and use computer programs to analyse data
• Code, synthesise and interpret data
• Systematically observe and record behaviour
• Persuasive and technical writing
• Editing and proof-reading
• Peer review
• Public speaking

Psychology can take you anywhere and everywhere. Psychology is relevant to almost any human endeavour, meaning a psychology degree, or some complementary psychology studies, are relevant not only for traditional psychology careers, but for a wide range of careers. 

Teaching excellence

• Learn from experts who operate at the cutting edge of the discipline. We don’t just teach the textbooks, we conduct the work in the textbooks.
• Our teaching standards are high and teaching is constantly evaluated by our students. Our scores are among the best at UWA, with about 90 per cent of our students agreeing or strongly agreeing that we provide a good educational experience.
• We offer fantastic student support staff to provide you with advice and guidance.

• You'll be involved in the cutting-edge research from your first year of postgraduate study.
• Our School has received the top rating of 5 in all three rounds of the Commonwealth’s Excellence in Research for Australia exercises (2010, 2012, 2015). Our research is rated as 'well above world standard'. We are one of only two Australian psychology schools to achieve this.
• We consistently rank in the top 100 psychology departments in the world (QS World University Rankings by Subject) and are the only WA school in the top 100.

• We offer work-integrated learning through our large network of corporate partners.
• Our postgraduate programs are leading the way in terms of research-integration, evidence-based practice and innovation. Our students are in high demand across many sectors.
• UWA is an international hub for the areas of Business and Industrial and Organisational Psychology, and we have strong links with various industries.
• Our clinical programs are recognised as among the very best in the country, and we have extensive networks with clinical service providers.

• UWA courses are progressive, flexible, and benchmarked against the world’s best.
• Flexibility means you're not locked into a named degree from first year.
• Graduates are equipped with communication and critical thinking skills at the highest international standards, and are trained to have a interdisciplinary, global perspective.

• Expand your skills - Taking a second major either in a complementary area or in something like Economics or Business Law will show you have developed skills such as, teamwork, critical thinking, digital literacy and presentation skills – which are highly sought after in the workforce.
• Add it to your resume – Employers are looking for graduates who have skills in a variety of areas. Two majors will expand your career prospects and help you stand out amongst the crowd.
• Study your passion alongside your interests – Do you love Marketing? Law? History of Art? Pursue a career while studying something else you love! Your second major can be from any other school across the university.
• No additional time – Choosing two majors instead of one won’t add any additional time to your undergraduate degree. A standard bachelor degree consists of the same amount of units either way.
• Discover what you want to do while you’re doing it – Not sure what career you want when you graduate? It’s very common for undergraduate students to be unsure. Choosing two majors in different areas will give you the opportunity to explore multiple interests and see what fits best. Majors can be switched until the end of your first year without adding any time onto your degree.

Check out the popular combinations for this major to get some inspiration on complementary areas to study.