Bachelor of Social Sciences in Psychology with a Second Major in Biological Sciences

Single Degree with 2nd Major

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The Bachelor of Social Sciences in Psychology curriculum is designed as a 4-year programme.  Over the four years, students complete core and elective psychology and biological science courses in conjunction with a series of broadening courses in other academic disciplines. Psychology is the study of behaviour and cognition, and is both a social science and life science.

The broad-based undergraduate programme reflects this dual nature. Humans are studied in interaction with others, and to answer questions about how we perceive our world, learn, formulate goals, react to stress, and interact with others. Psychology is highly interdisciplinary, drawing on neurophysiology, sociology, philosophy, and mathematics. A student with varied interests can frequently find a place for them in psychology.

Psychology is the study of human mind and behavior. It is an interdisciplinary subject, spanning topics from biological science, medical science, neuroscience, to social science.

The broad-based undergraduate programme offers students a comprehensive education in psychology, with basic knowledge of the main fields of psychology, as well as opportunities for focused study in more specialised areas such as clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience, psychological study of culture and social cognition. Students develop strong research and writing skills, and become good problem solvers, with a well-developed critical thinking ability when it comes to analysing, synthesising, and evaluating information.

In Singapore and abroad, opportunities for graduates in psychology are increasing in both government agencies as well as in the private sector. Psychologists use the scientific method to conduct both basic and applied research. They serve as consultants to communities and organisations; diagnose and treat people's mental states; and assess intelligence and personality. They study how human beings relate to each other and also to machines, and they work to improve these relationships.

In a globalised world characterised by human interaction across borders and continents, psychologists bring important knowledge and skills to understanding other cultures, as well as facilitating inter-cultural communication. Psychologists traditionally study both normal and abnormal functioning, and they concentrate on behaviours that affect mental functioning and emotional health. For example, they work with business executives, actors, and athletes to reduce stress and improve performance. They advise police on the personality profiles of criminals and they collaborate with educators on school reform. Immediately following a calamity, such as a highway collapse or natural disaster, psychologists help victims and bystanders recover from the trauma of the event. Most psychologists surveyed say they thoroughly enjoy their work. They cite the variety of daily tasks and the flexibility of their schedules. They are attracted by the exciting changes taking place in the field, from adapting technology to humans, to working as part of primary health care teams.

While the study of psychology is ideal for students intending to work in this field, it is also excellent preparation for many other professions in areas such as business (advertising, service sectors, human resources, management, marketing, and organisational behaviour), education, the military, the police, the media, in public affairs, the health sciences, social work, and psychology related professions. 

For GCE 'A' level certificate holders:

  • NTU General Admission Requirements
  • A good grade in H1 Level Mathematics
  • A good grade in General Paper/Knowledge & Inquiry
  • H1 Level pass in Physics/Chemistry/Biology

For International Baccalaureate Diploma holders:

  • NTU General Admission Requirements
  • A good grade in Mathematics at Standard Level
  • A good grade in English at Standard Level
  • Physics/Chemistry/Biology at Standard Level

For NUS High School Diploma holders:

  • NTU General Admission Requirements
  • Major CAP of 2.0 in Mathematics, and
  • Good Overall CAP in English Language
  • Major CAP of 2.0 in Physics/Chemistry/Biology

For International Students & Students with other qualifications:

  • NTU General Admission Requirements
  • Mathematics at Senior High School Level, and
  • A good grade in English at Senior High School Level

More details on admission can be found at the Office of Admissions website.

Successful Polytechnic applicants will be exempted certain courses that will be confirmed before the start of their first semester.
curriculum is designed as a 4-year programme.  Over the four years, students complete core and elective psychology and biological sciences courses in conjunction with a series of broadening courses in other academic disciplines.

is designed as a four-year course. To graduate, students are required to complete 135 academic units (AUs) from the Psychology Major Requirements, Biological Sciences 2nd Major Requirements and General Education Requirements (GER). Students are required to maintain a CGPA of at least 4.0 throughout their programme. Students who do not fulfil the minimum CGPA of 4.0 will be transferred to the Bachelor of Social Sciences in Psychology programme, i.e. without 2nd Major in Biological Sciences. The distribution of the courses of study and the number of academic units are shown in the table below.

Course Type AU
Psychology Requirements 
Major-Core 27
Major-PE 42
GER-Core 17
GER-PE
 Business and Management (BM) 3
Liberal Arts (LA) 3
GER-UE 10
Biological Sciences 2nd Major Requirements 
GER-UE  Compulsory Courses 18
Prescribed Elective Courses 15
Total AU 135

A. Major Requirements (69 AUs)

The Major Requirements for Psychology Major consists of 2 components:

  • Major Core Courses (27 AUs)
  • Major Prescribed Electives (42 AUs)

Requirements of the Psychology Major:

A1. Major Core Courses (Major-Core)

The 9 Major Core courses (27 AUs) are compulsory foundation courses designed to provide broad overviews of major areas of psychology. They serve as the basic foundation for more advanced studies in psychology. Each course is equivalent to 3 AUs. Level 1000 courses should be completed in Year 1. The remaining core courses should ideally be completed by the end of Year 2.

HP1000 Introduction to Psychology
HP1100 Fundamentals of Social Science Research
HP2100 Research Design and Data Analysis in Psychology
HP2200 Biological Psychology
HP2300 Developmental Psychology
HP2400 Social Psychology
HP2500 Personality and Individual Differences
HP2600 Cognitive Psychology
HP2700 Abnormal Psychology
 
A2. Major Prescribed Elective Courses (Major-PE)

Major Elective courses provide students with opportunities to explore specialized areas of psychology in more depth and intensity. The students may select their courses of study according to their own interests and career goals.

Students must choose 10 electives (34 AUs) from the wide range of Psychology Prescribed Electives with 6 level 3000 courses and 4 level 4000 courses.

HP3001 Learning and Behavioral Analysis
HP3002 Positive Psychology
HP3003 Engineering Psychology
HP3100 Selected Topics in Basic Psychological Sciences
HP3101 Applied Statistical Methods for Psychological Research
HP3200 Selected Topics in Social and Personality Psychology
HP3201 Evolutionary Psychology
HP3202 Alcohol, Drugs and Behaviour
HP3203 Conservation Psychology
HP3300 Selected Topics in Applied Psychological Sciences
HP3204 An Ape's Guide to Human Language
HP3301 Issues and Concerns in Adolescence
HP3302 Cognitive Development 
HP3401 The Social Psychology of Human Communication
HP3402 Social Cognition
HP3501 Human Motivation
HP3601 Human Memory
HP3602 Reading Development and Disorders
HP3603 Sensation and Perception
HP3701 Psychological Adjustment and Mental Health
HP3702 Child Psychopathology
HP3703 Health Psychology
HP3704 Introduction to Clinical Neuropsychology 
HP3705 Clinical Community Psychology
HP3706 Biofeedback & Neurofeedback: Health and Performance
HP3707 The Psychology of Pain and its Management
HP3708 Biopsychosocial Criminology
HP3801 Psychology in the Workplace
HP3802 Personnel Psychology
HP3804 Psychological Testing 
HP3805 Managing Organisational Behavior
HP3806 Consumer Psychology
HP3807 Occupational Health Psychology
HP3901 Cultural Psychology
HP3902 Psychology in the Asian Context

Level 4000 courses are divided into four types: Laboratory courses, Professional courses, Seminars and Graduation Project/FYP (for eligible students).

  • Graduation Project/FYP
    The Graduation Project/FYP exposes students to the elements that are inherent in independent research work in psychology.  

    HP4099 Graduation Project/FYP (8AUs)

Note:

Students are recommended to take an average of 3 psychology courses every semester (except for the first semester of Year 1).

Students are strongly encouraged to read the Psychology Core courses as soon as they are offered. These courses form the pre-requisites for more advanced psychology courses. A failure to clear the core courses as early as possible will impose restrictions on the choice of courses in future semesters.

Students should complete one laboratory course in Year 3, before the start of the Graduation Project/FYP.

Important note to students going on exchange (both overseas and local)

  1. Students must complete all Major Core courses at NTU.
  2. Students are only permitted to complete up to a maximum of three courses during the exchange and have them count towards fulfilling their Major-Electives requirement.

B. General Education Requirement (GER) (66 AUs)

The GER-Core courses are specified by the School as being essential for the training of today’s Humanities and Social Sciences graduates. The courses cover areas such as communication and environmental sustainability.

B1. GER - Core (GER-Core) (17 AUs)

     * Online courses that will be offered in Semester 1 of every academic year.   
   ** Online courses that will be offered in Semester 2 of every academic year.   

B2. GER - Prescribed Electives (GER-PEs) (6 AUs)

Students to choose 2 courses from 2 categories of studies

  • Business and Management
  • Liberal Arts

B3. GER - Unrestricted Electives (GER-UEs) (43 AUs)

To qualify for the 2nd Major in Biological Science, students must complete a minimum of 33AUs of courses from Biological Sciences under the General Education Requirement Unrestricted Elective (GER-UE) category.

The following 6 courses are compulsory:

BS1001 Introductory Biology
BS1005 Biochemistry I
BS1006 Principles of Genetics
BS1007 Molecular and Cell Biology I
BS2004 Molecular and Cell Biology II
BS2001 Physiology

Students have a choice of 5 electives from the Tables A, B and C with the following 2 courses highly recommended:

BS3001 Neurobiology
BS3014 Biological Foundations of Behavior

Refer to Table A, B and C

Students can read an additional 10AUs in GER-UE courses outside of their Psychology Major and Biological Sciences 2nd Major. There are no restrictions on the selection of courses to make up unrestricted electives. Students can choose any of the following:

  • Earn AUs under an International Exchange programme.
  • Earn AUs under the optional Professional Attachment programme offered under HSS.
  • Any course offered by any School as long as the pre-requisites are satisfied.

For information about the University Academic Unit System, Grade Point Average System and calculation of Honours Classification, please refer to the AUS Handbook:

http://www.ntu.edu.sg/Services/Academic/undergraduates/Pages/AcademicUnitSystem(AUS).aspx
With a rising emphasis in Singapore on the awareness of mental health, there is increasing demand for professionals with interdisciplinary background in biological sciences and psychology. Graduates from this programme can explore further education leading to careers in professions such as counselling psychologist, occupational psychologist, clinical psychologist, educational psychologist and neuropsychologist. This is an interdisciplinary programme between the School of Social Sciences and School of Biological Sciences that incorporates existing Psychology courses and Biological Sciences courses. Students will read courses from both schools.

The Minor in Psychology provides students with a broad understanding of the major principles in psychology, as well as knowledge and skills related to research methods commonly used in psychology. The Minor in Psychology can be combined with a major in a related field and will provide valuable skills for engaging with others and for understanding and analysing complex individual, group, and social processes. With the growing local and international interest in this field, a minor in Psychology provides an excellent background for students planning careers in a wide range of areas. This includes business (advertising, service sectors, human resources, management, marketing, and organisational behaviour), education, the military, the police, the media, in public affairs, the health sciences, social work, and psychology related professions.

Eligibility 

To take psychology as a minor, students must have taken HP1000 and obtained a B- grade or better. 
 
Requirements

To be awarded a Minor in Psychology, students must complete two Psychology core, one Psychology foundation, and two Psychology elective courses.

Psychology Core

Students must complete the following two Psychology Core courses. These two courses are prerequisites for most other Psychology courses.

HP1000 Introduction to Psychology
HP1100 Fundamentals of Social Science Research

Psychology Foundation

Students must complete one Psychology foundation course from the following list of courses.

HP2100 Research Design and Data Analysis in Psychology
HP2200 Biological Psychology
HP2300 Developmental Psychology
HP2400 Social Psychology
HP2500 Personality and Individual Differences
HP2600 Cognitive Psychology
HP2700 Abnormal Psychology

Psychology Elective

Psychology electives are level 3000 courses. Students must complete two Psychology elective courses.

For list of courses, please click here.

Important notes to all minor students

Please make sure that you complete HP1100 as soon as your schedule allows. Almost all Psychology courses require HP1100 as a pre-requisite.

Important notes to students going on exchange (both overseas and local)

  • All Minor courses must be read as GER-UEs.
  • All Psychology Core courses must be completed at NTU.
  • Students are permitted to complete up to a maximum of two courses during the exchange and count them towards fulfilling their Psychology Foundation/Elective requirement.
  • Students are not allowed to read level 4000 courses.
  • To be awarded a minor, students must not opt for the Minor courses to be graded Satisfactory (S) /
     Un-Satisfactory (U).

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