So, you pretty much know all the details and info on studying a Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology at RMIT — take a quick lookhereif you don’t!
But do you want to know how peoplereallyfeel about this degree?
Well, you’ve come to the right place! Meet Henry, an RMIT Psychology graduate! We ask him all those questions you really want to know the answers to.
Let’s take a closer look!
Why should you study a Psychology degree at RMIT?
Top 3 Pros of a Psychology Degree
Top 3 Cons of a Psychology Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting RMIT Psychology
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying RMIT Psychology
Potential Career Paths
Why should you study a Psychology degree at RMIT?
A Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology at RMITgives you a good overview of the field of psychology, helps to develop your research skills and opens up a lot of interesting debatesin which you’re challenged to form your opinions.
You’ve got the chance tochoose between a research project (like a mini-thesis) or completing placement(120 hours) in your final year!
Top 3 Pros of a Psychology degree
#1: Good overview of psychology
“You get avery good overview of the history of psychology and the different perspectivesthat are relevant to psychology,” Henry said.
Throughout the degree, you’ll cover all kinds of different subjects includingPsychology of Everyday Thinking,Environmental Psychology,Understanding Personality,Biological Psychology,Psychopathology and Interventions of Psychologyand evenStatistics!
So, you’ll learn all thetheories of psychology, the science behind it and of course, how to conduct scientific researchand a little bit ofphilosophy and statistics!
#2: Encouraged to think independently
“I thinkthe degree of intellectual curiosity, which is encouraged,可能是我最喜欢的东西,”亨利told us.
“We were often given an introduction to something and we weren’t necessarily given any definitive interpretation of it— we were encouraged to make up our own minds and really think about it,” he explained.
So, you’re pushed todo your own research and really investigate the issues!
#3: Emphasis on research
Yes — there is quite a large focus on scientific research in this degree!
“You develop a very sort of thorough understanding ofhow to interpret research, and how to synthesise informationthat you derive from previous research literature,” said Henry.
So, you’llread a lot of academic journals, learnhow to take the main ideas away, complete data analysis and evenwrite your scientific reports.
Top 3 Cons of a Psychology degree
#1: It’s either a research project or placement
“I think that they could have done placement as well as the research project in different semestersso that people had the opportunity to do both,” Henry told us.
In your final year, you choose between aresearch projector a120 hour placement—unfortunately you can’t do both.
While Henry chose to complete the research project subject,he also organised his own placement outside of uni so he wouldn’t miss out on gaining that practical experience.
However, he told us, “I think other students would have benefited from getting more practical counselling experience.There seems to be a little bit more of a bias towards research as opposed to clinical, so I think that they can make that a bit more balanced.”
There’s no doubt thatpractical experience is just as important as all the theory and research side of psychology— especially if you’re interested in becoming a clinical psychologist.
#2: Too many people in the Bachelor’s degree
Henry told us that there werearound 300 people in his Bachelor’s degree.Now, a lot of people want to do Honours after this but it’s fairly tricky to get into asthey only take 20 to 30 people.
“There’s significantly more people who do the Bachelor’s degree, then go on to do the Honours degree,” he said.
That means, thatthose people who don’t get into the Honours program end up with nothing to do once they’re finished— so it’s a tricky situation, especially since most people want to do postgraduate studies to do further research or become a registered clinical psychologist.
# 3:没有足够的哲学
“One of the things they don’t teach enough of is philosophywhich is very important in the field of psychology — in a lot of ways it’s kind of an offshoot of psychology,” Henry said.
“So, if they taught more of that, it would be more helpful to people,” he added.
Any regrets?
“I wish I had mastered the research kind of method earlier on because that goes on to be very important,” said Henry.
Here, Henry is talking about theAPA (American Psychological Association) stylewhich is the academic standard for writing in psychology.
Now, don’t worry, they will teach you all about it but because there is such a big emphasis on research and writing,the sooner you can master this style, the easier all those assignments will be!
What do you wish you had known before starting the degree?
When you’re thinking about studying a psychology degree, statistics and maths probably aren’t the first words that come to mind!
“I wish I’d known how important statistics were going to be,” said Henry.
“I don’t think many people will go into psychology realising just how important mathematics and statistics areto that field,” he added.So, that’s definitely something good to know before you start!
What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities?
#1: Great uni culture
“I’ve met people who did psychology in other places, and I thinkRMIT sounds like it has one of the best cultures for that,” said Henry.
Henry was part of thePsychology societywhich is a great chance to meet other students and engage in interesting discussions plus there’s a whole heap of fun social events and networking opportunities.
“I just remember there being lots of really interesting debates,” he said.
“You could talk with other people in the cohort about various issues —we’d often sort of meet up and talk about books we’ve read in psychology and discuss our interpretations of assignments and lectures,” Henry explained.
#2: Different viewpoints
One thing for sure is thatyou’ll never get bored in class!They’re lively and full of interesting debates between the tutors and students.
“I felt like we got quite a broad array of opinions on the sort of debates throughout the history of psychology,” said Henry.
This is great because it means you have to figure out your own opinions and where you stand!
What inspired you to choose this degree?
Towards the end of high school,Henry became more aware of the big mental health crisis in the country.
“I became very interested in figuring out why that was andI felt the vocation to contribute to that in some way and psychology seemed like the best disciplinefor getting involved in that problem,” said Henry.
What are the possible career paths?
A lot of students who study a Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology want to become clinical psychologists — and it’sthe first stepping stone to get there (then you’ve got to completeHonoursand aMaster of Clinical Psychology).
Other students are more interested in the research side of psychology and some decide to do a bit of both!Below are just some the possible career paths that this degree can lead to:
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- Clinical psychologist
- Counsellor
- Behaviour analyst
- Researcher
- Psychology professor
- Mental health consultant
- Case manager
- Childcare worker
- Psychiatric technician
- Probation and parole officer
- Employment interviewer
Tanna Nankivellis a Senior Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is currently in Germany completing a year of study for her double degree in Communications (Journalism) and Bachelor of Arts (International Studies). She has had articles published on Central News – the UTS Journalism Lab and wrote a feature piece for Time Out Sydney during her internship. Tanna has a love for travel and the great outdoors, you’ll either find her on the snowfields or in the ocean, teaching aqua aerobics or creating short films.
