Study Psychology at Otago

• Overview
• Career opportunities
• Contact details
• Qualifications
• Papers
• Programme requirements
• Minor subject requirements for undergraduate programmes

Overview

Psychology is the science of behaviour and how behaviour is represented in the brain.

Academic staff in the Department of Psychology study the way humans and other animals interact with the world and each other. They examine how our abilities change with age, what might underlie abnormal behaviour, and how we process and store information using our senses and memory. They study how our experiences shape our behaviour, and why things such as drugs, hormone levels, and lack of sleep can influence the way we behave.

The research conducted in the Department of Psychology addresses problems in areas as diverse as sleep disorders, industrial relations, phobias, drug rehabilitation, aircraft safety, hyperactivity in children, how nonhuman animals think, as well as how the brain works.

Psychology is a very popular course.

It may be a major in either Arts or Sciences and can be taken in conjunction with a number of degrees such as Commerce, English, Law, Physical Education, and Applied Science, to name but a few.

The Department of Psychology at Otago has a highly-regarded teaching programme and is internationally renowned for the strength of its research.

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Career opportunities

Graduates from the Department of Psychology have gone on to secure jobs in universities, health services, business and industry, road safety, communications and planning, and various government agencies. Clinical Psychology graduates have gone on to work in the public health sector or in private practice.

Graduates with appropriate postgraduate qualifications work in research sections of the government, such as the Departments of Health, Justice, Social Development, Transport, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Many of our graduates spend time working overseas, particularly in the United States, United Kingdom, or Australia.

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Contact details

Department of Psychology
William James Building
275 Leith Walk
Dunedin 9016
Tel +64 3 479 7644
Email psychology@otago.ac.nz
Website otago.ac.nz/psychology

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Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc)
• Bachelor of Science (BSc)
• Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons))
• Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc(Hons))
• Diploma for Graduates (DipGrad)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology (PGDipClPs)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Science (PGDipSci)
• Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA(Thesis))
• Master of Science (MSc)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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Papers

See the full list of Psychology (PSYC) papers.

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Programme Requirements

Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Psychology

Level	Papers	Points
100-level	PSYC 111  Brain and Behaviour PSYC 112  Human Thought and Behaviour Either STAT 110 Statistical Methods or STAT 115 Introduction to Biostatistics is recommended	18 18
200-level	PSYC 210  Principles of Psychological Research PSYC 211  Brain and Cognition PSYC 212  Social and Applied Psychology	18 18 18
300-level	Four of: PSYC 313  Cognition and Neuropsychology PSYC 315  Social Psychology PSYC 317  Biopsychology PSYC 318  Developmental Psychology PSYC 319  Comparative Cognition PSYC 321  Special Topic PSYC 323  Sensation and Perception PSYC 324  Health Psychology PSYC 325  Psychology in Legal Contexts PSYC 326  Cognitive Engineering PSYC 327  Psychology of Language PSYC 328  Behaviour Analysis in Everyday Life PSYC 329  Cultural Psychology Students intending to advance to postgraduate study should also take PSYC 311 Quantitative Methods	72
Plus	198 further points which may include STAT 110 or STAT 115; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts	198
Total		360

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Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)) in Psychology

Papers
PSYC 490  Dissertation Papers worth 80 points from PSYC 401-439 Prerequisites: At least five 300-level papers including: PSYC 311  Quantitative Methods and four from PSYC 313, PSYC 315, PSYC 317, PSYC 318, PSYC 319, PSYC 321, PSYC 323, PSYC 324, PSYC 325, PSYC 326, PSYC 327, PSYC 328, PSYC 329

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Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) in Psychology

The Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) programme in Psychology is the same as the programme for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)).

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Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA(Thesis)) in Psychology

Thesis
Thesis: PSYC 5 Note: Students who have not completed a Bachelor of Arts (BA(Hons)) in Psychology or a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) in Psychology must complete the required papers for the BA(Hons) in Psychology prior to undertaking the thesis.

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Bachelor of Science (BSc) majoring in Psychology

Level	Papers	Points
100-level	PSYC 111  Brain and Behaviour PSYC 112  Human Thought and Behaviour Either STAT 110 Statistical Methods or STAT 115 Introduction to Biostatistics is recommended	18 18
200-level	PSYC 210  Principles of Psychological Research PSYC 211  Brain and Cognition PSYC 212  Social and Applied Psychology	18 18 18
300-level	Four of: PSYC 313  Cognition and Neuropsychology PSYC 315  Social Psychology PSYC 317  Biopsychology PSYC 318  Developmental Psychology PSYC 319  Comparative Cognition PSYC 321  Special Topic PSYC 323  Sensation and Perception PSYC 324  Health Psychology PSYC 325  Psychology in Legal Contexts PSYC 326  Cognitive Engineering PSYC 327  Psychology of Language PSYC 328  Behaviour Analysis in Everyday Life PSYC 329  Cultural Psychology Students intending to advance to postgraduate study should also take PSYC 311 Quantitative Methods	72
Plus	198 further points which may include STAT 110 or STAT 115; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Science	198
Total		360

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Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc(Hons)) in Psychology

Papers
PSYC 490  Dissertation Papers worth 80 points from PSYC 401-439 Prerequisites: At least five 300-level papers including: PSYC 311  Quantitative Methods and four from PSYC 313, PSYC 315, PSYC 317, PSYC 318, PSYC 319, PSYC 321, PSYC 323, PSYC 324, PSYC 325, PSYC 326, PSYC 327, PSYC 328, PSYC 329

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Postgraduate Diploma in Science (PGDipSci) in Psychology

Papers
PSYC 490  Dissertation Papers worth 80 points from PSYC 401-439

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Master of Science (MSc) in Psychology

Papers and Thesis
PSYC 495  Master's Thesis Preparation Papers worth 80 points from PSYC 401-439 Thesis: PSYC 5 Note: The papers are normally taken before undertaking the thesis.

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Minor Subject Requirements

Psychology as a minor subject for a BA, MusB, BPA, BTheol, BSc, BAppSc, BCom, BHealSc, or BASc degree

Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Applied Science (BAppSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Health Science (BHealSc), or Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) degree

Level	Papers	Points
100-level	PSYC 111  Brain and Behaviour PSYC 112  Human Thought and Behaviour	18 18
200-level	PSYC 210  Principles of Psychological Research PSYC 211  Brain and Cognition PSYC 212  Social and Applied Psychology	18 18 18
300-level	One of PSYC 313, PSYC 315, PSYC 317, PSYC 318, PSYC 319, PSYC 321, PSYC 323, PSYC 324, PSYC 325, PSYC 326, PSYC 327, PSYC 328, PSYC 329	18
Total		108

*Further information will be available for this paper in early September 2018, or see the 2019 Guide to Enrolment.

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Regulations on this page are taken from the 2020 Calendar and supplementary material.