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Undergraduate Certificate of Psychological Studies

This undergraduate certificate provides you with a foundation in statistical modelling, psychology and human behaviour.

Key Information

Duration

4 months

Intake Dates

Campus Location

Melbourne  On-campus

Domestic Fees

Not available to domestic students

2025 International Fees

A$18,824

Articulation options

Your pathway into human behavioural studies

This certificate provides you with foundational skills to enter the field of psychology in an entry level position or begin careers where an understanding of psychological analysis is an advantage.

In completing this certificate, you’ll learn about human behaviour, neuroscience, brain structure and professional communication within the psychology field. You will have the opportunity to critically discuss how people and societies may have been impacted by global events and consider pathways to recovery. You’ll also learn about the psychology of culture and global citizenship, human relationships, or even animal-human relationships.

You may also study four more subjects to complete the Diploma of Psychology. With this Diploma you may be eligible to transfer directly to the second year of your Bachelor of Psychological Science at La Trobe University.

Course structure

What you’ll be studying

You’ll need to complete four subjects during your program.

Students are strongly encouraged to undertake PPSY1SFP and PPSY1BAM together; 1-2 elective modules may also be undertaken, unless otherwise indicated. 

In this subject you will be introduced to the philosophical, historical, and methodological foundations of the discipline of psychology. You will critically examine how theories are developed and used in psychological science and examine how they are operationalised in experimental contexts. As part of a team, you will propose your own research question in an applied area of psychology and present this enquiry to your class, and as an individual you will analyse, present, and discuss the results in a written report

Assessment: Group discussion and display poster oral presentation (15%), 1500-word Laboratory essay (35%), 4x Online Quizzes (2x mid-trimester, 2x end of trimester; 50% total)

In this subject you will discover how your brain works in creating your behaviour, how your brain and behaviour change across the lifespan, how, why and in what way you are different from other 6 people. You will learn about how you sense the world and how you process and understand the information that arises from your senses. Assessment: Group Oral Presentation (15%), 1500-word Critical Essay (35%), Exam (50%).

Students are strongly encouraged to undertake PPSY1PAC and PPSY1APP together; 1-2 elective modules may also be undertaken, unless otherwise indicated.

In this subject you will be introduced to key areas of psychology with a socio-cultural perspective. People share knowledge with others in society. The shared knowledge (i.e., culture) gives meanings to people’s lives as well as influencing their everyday behaviour, the sense of who they are, their personal relationships and psychological wellbeing. We will discuss psychology of individuals in diverse contexts to understand how personal experiences, including emotions, motivation, intimacy with others and health behaviours are shaped by cultural understanding and social expectations in those contexts.

Assessment: Reflective Video Oral Presentation (15%), 1200-word Critical Essay (35%), 3x Online Topic Quizzes (50% total)

In this subject you will learn about how the discipline and practice of psychology can be applied in different ways (e.g., to promote mental health, physical health, social participation, and inclusion), and in different areas including individual and public health, sports, forensic, and community-based psychology. You will consider how psychological theories and evidence can be applied to a range of psychology and health-related fields and be introduced to key practical skills relevant to these fields. You will create a personal development plan, which will involve self-reflection and evaluation of existing skills, skills to be developed, and strategies to developing self-efficacy, self-confidence, and self-esteem, with a view to your future career goals.

Assessment: Group oral presentation (20%), Personal development plan and portfolio (40%), Online quizzes (40%)

More information

Would you like to know more? Speak to our team today!

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