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BSocSci (Hons) in Psychology
The BSocSci (Hons) in Psychology curriculum is designed as a 4-year programme. Over the four years, students complete core and elective psychology 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.
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
For Polytechnic graduates:
- NTU General Admission Requirements
- A good grade in 'O' Level Additional Mathematics
International & Other Qualifications:
- A good grade in Additional Mathematics at Junior High School Level/Mathematics at IB Standard Level
and a good grade in English at Senior High School Level/ IB Standard Level
The distribution of the courses of study and the number of academic units are shown in the table below.
A. Major Requirements | B. Interdisciplinary Collaborative Core (ICC) | C. Broadening and Deepening Electives (BDE) | Total | |||
Core | Prescribed | GP or Two | Common Cores | Foundational Cores | ||
27 | 34 | 8 | 17 | 10 | 32 | 128 |
Table B: Interdisciplinary Collaborative Core (ICC)
ICC – Common Cores | 17 |
CC0001 Inquiry & Communication in an Interdisciplinary World | 2 |
CC0002 Navigating the Digital World | 2 |
CC0003 Ethics & Civics in a Multicultural World | 2 |
ML0004 Career and Entrepreneurial Development for the Future World | 2 |
CC0005 Healthy Living and Well-Being | 3 |
CC0006 Sustainability: Society, Economy and Environment | 3 |
CC0007 Science and Technology for Humanity | 3 |
ICC – Foundational Cores | 10 |
HW0208 Effective Communication II | 2 |
Digital Literacy II | 3 |
Internship | 5 |
Table C: Broadening and Deepening Electives (BDE)
BDE (Students may choose from the list of courses offered by NTU) | 32 |
Interest in psychology is rapidly growing internationally and locally. In a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, psychology was the most popular intended undergraduate major among university freshmen. This is in part a reflection of the increasing demand for psychology majors across diverse industries and sectors.
Two-thirds of students surveyed with a psychology degree are in for-profit business settings, usually the sales/service sector. These students often have good research and writing skills, are good problem solvers, and have well-developed, critical thinking skills when it comes to analysing, synthesising, and evaluating information. Many find jobs in administrative support, public affairs, education, business, advertising, health, the media, the biological sciences, and computer programming. They work as employment counsellors, correction counsellor trainees, interviewers, personnel analysts, and writers. Two thirds believe their job is closely or somewhat related to their psychology background and that their jobs hold career potential.
Psychology graduates generally report being pleased with how their degree helped prepare them for both life and work. A vice-president of human resources of a notable multinational Singapore-based firm described psychology majors as having very useful skills for her business, stating, "after all, psychology is the business of life."
In Singapore and overseas, opportunities for graduates in psychology are increasing. The Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and the Police are among the Singaporean government agencies interested in hiring psychology graduates. In the private sector opportunities range more widely.
For students who wish to work as professional psychologists, we strongly recommend that they receive training beyond the bachelor level. Typically these students go on to do a masters or a doctoral degree in one of the many subfields in psychology.
For more information as described by the American Psychological Association, click here.
Minor programmes equip students with multiple skills and broader knowledge, beyond what their major disciplines may provide.
More than 40 minors are available. Students will not be offered a minor in the same field as his major (single degree, double degree or double major programme). Students intending to pursue a minor are to indicate their intention and when they have fulfilled the minor requirements, they are to file for the award of the minor.
The award of minor will be reflected in a graduate’s transcript but not his degree certificate. No additional certificate will be issued.
Important Notes
Students have to read minor courses as Unrestricted Electives and the academic units earned will count towards the students’ academic unit requirements for Unrestricted Electives. A minor course that is NOT read as Unrestricted Electives* (e.g. read as Major Prescribed Electives or GER Prescribed Electives) cannot be counted again towards fulfilling the minor.
*Exception for the minors in Art History, Business, Communication Studies, Environmental Humanities, Environmental Sustainability, Finance, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Risk Management and Insurance
Students who are admitted in AY2013 and onwards are allowed to count ONE (1) GER Core or GER Prescribed Elective or USP core or USP Elective towards the minor requirement IF the said GER Core/GER Prescribed Elective/USP core/USP Elective is also in the minor's list of courses. The remaining courses must be Unrestricted Electives.
- A course cannot be counted towards the requirements of two minors (unless otherwise stated).
- To be awarded a minor, students must not opt for these courses to be graded Satisfactory (S)/Un-Satisfactory (U).
- NIE students have to consult the NIE Office of Academic Administration and Services (OAAS) if they have intention to pursue a minor.