Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Psychology

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK)

Programme Aims

The Programme aims to equip graduates with a solid background in psychological knowledge and research, enabling them to competently integrate the science and application of psychology. Upon successful completion of the programme, students will be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge of major principles/theories of psychology;
• apply major psychological principles/theories to analyze human behaviours in real life situations;
• evaluate major psychological principles/theories in relation to real life issues in various applied settings;
• evaluate research evidence using scientific principles; and
• design and carry out psychological research.

Programme Structure

To promote whole person development, the programme constitutes a total learning experience for all students incorporating Major Courses, Electives, General Education, Co-curricular and Service Learning and Language courses to prepare our graduates to be able to apply psychological knowledge in various job settings.

Major Courses

The primary purpose of the Foundation Course, Basic Principles of Psychology, is to expose students to the major areas in the science of psychology, equipping students with a base and working knowledge of key areas, persons, events and issues in the broad discipline of psychology.

The Core Courses aim to introduce students to the content, methods, and applications of modern psychology, covering topics that represent the substantive areas (i.e., lifespan development, social psychology, personality, and abnormal psychology, biological psychology, cognitive psychology, learning theories and processes), methodological (i.e., research methods and statistical methods), and practical side of psychology.

The purpose of the Major Elective Courses is to provide students an opportunity to diversify and extend the knowledge and skills gained from the Core Courses. The eleven Major Electives serve three areas of concentration (refer to the next session for detailed explanation). Four Major Elective courses are designated for each concentration. For students who do not opt for the concentration scheme, the range of major electives serves as a platform to broaden their knowledge base in psychology.

Concentration Scheme

It is desirable for psychology students to acquire more advanced knowledge of the field and the relevance of psychology to community needs, in addition to the general overview provided by the core courses. Therefore, the curriculum provides a concentration scheme so as to balance the breadth of content in core areas and research methods with opportunities for concentration in areas that are relevant to the needs of the community. Psychology majors may opt for one of the three areas of concentration. Each concentration involves a series of courses plus an Industrial Attachment at local agencies or an Honours Project. Through consultation with their faculty advisor, students will be able to find the concentration that best matches their interests, training goals, and career aspirations. The three areas of concentration are:

• School Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Human Relations and Communication

Career Prospects/Professional Qualifications

Graduates of BSocSc (Honours) in Psychology are eligible to apply for membership in the Hong Kong Psychological Society as well as international psychological associations. This programme thus helps to develop the University's reputation as a provider of Education Plus programmes by offering a qualification which is professionally and internationally recognized.