Specialise in an area of your choosing, with combined degrees in Criminology, Law, or Sport and Exercise Science. Learn more about this, and what else makes our school special.
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that psychology is utterly fascinating.
We know about selective attention thanks to a curious video of someone dressed in a gorilla costume. A study with dogs led to the discovery of a phenomenon now called learned helplessness. We’ve studied twins to get an insight into nature vs nurture. Then there’s the now-famous cognitive bias called the Dunning-Kruger effect, whereby people with limited expertise in a particular area overestimate their abilities.
Can you see yourself stepping into a career in this extraordinary field? Get to know our School of Psychology and find out why Murdoch stands out above the competition.
A day in the life of a Psychology student
There are so many interesting topics and activities in psychology. You might:
- Get an insight into how people think, plan, remember and make decisions
- Develop an extensive knowledge of psychological disorders and how psychologists can help
- Explore the power of statistics
- Study the structure of the brain and learn how biology influences behaviour, and
- Take part in a cognition experiment.
There’s never a dull moment in psychology! Have a read of the career opportunities open to you and get excited about your future.
The Murdoch difference
Did you know we have a QS Five-star rating for Skills Development for Psychology, and we’re #1 in WA for Learner Engagement and Skills Development in Psychology, according to the Good Universities Guide 2024? We’re proud of what we can offer our students, the next generation of psychology professionals. Explore our:
Murdoch Psychology Clinic
Get real-world work experience providing assessments and therapy to the community under the supervision of qualified clinical psychologists. You might be helping people with mood disorders, life transitions, social skills, or OCD support.
Mind-Body Lab
Our world-class research and laboratory facility furthers cognitive neuroscience, and integrates psychology, psychophysiology, exercise science, health and rehabilitation research.
Undergraduate research opportunities
A unique aspect of our undergraduate degree is the opportunity for high performing students to take a research internship in their third year.
Beyond the classroom
What happens outside class is just as important for your future career, and may count towards course credit.
- Internships and work experience. Put theory into practice with Work Integrated Learning. Understand workplace culture, work in a team, develop your leadership confidence, and make professional contacts.
- International programs. Get a global perspective, make lifelong memories, and build precious job skills while on tour with students from your study area.
- Spend a semester or two at a partner university overseas, seeing the world through the eyes of another culture. Live it up in Asia, Europe or North America.
Choose your adventure: which degree and major will you pick?
We offer two core undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and a Bachelor of Science (Psychology). The difference between these two being the option to study arts units vs science units.
You might also like to study one of our combined degrees. For example, maybe you want to use psychology to understand criminal behaviour and crime prevention, so the Bachelor of Criminology / Bachelor of Arts in Psychology might be a great fit.
Learn more about our courses here.
Your future awaits
The scope of psychology is huge. No matter what path you plan on exploring, feel secure knowing you’ll be career-ready and confident in your abilities. We’re building a better future, together, and we welcome you to join us on the journey.