BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE

A degree in Behavioural Science equips graduates with the skills to work in a range of professional settings including government, the private sector and not for profit organisations.  Students can study this discipline in a Bachelor of Behavioural Science or as a major in such Bachelor degrees as Arts, Science, Communication, Counselling or Education. The Behavioural Science course incorporates specialised knowledge developed in the disciplines of Psychology, Sociology, Political Science and Cultural Studies.  The three-year program combines formal studies in individual, group and community behaviour and places a strong emphasis on the context in which behaviour occurs.  Students of the Bachelor of Behavioural Science may also include a specialist major or minor from any of the Arts, Science, Communications or Counselling degrees, such as Politics, Sociology, History or Communications.  Students might also consider taking one of the many Double Degree options offered by the University.  Behavioural Science is a popular combination with Education, Law and Business. Behavioural Science at Notre Dame is based on the premise of social justice and equity for all peoples.  It concerns itself with the practical application of such principles to all aspects of human interaction.  A Behavioural Scientist values human diversity and works collaboratively with communities to identify and advance the goals of the group and the individuals that comprise it.  Behavioural Science promotes the concept of Wellbeing and aims to facilitate this at the individual, relational and community levels.		Back to Arts and Sciences Fremantle | Sydney
		Units eligible
		Unit descriptions
		Degree Planners
		Internships
		Study Abroad
		Experience the World
		Honours
		Double Degrees available
		Postgraduate Study

BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE UNITS

Behavioural Science units are run either annually or in a two-year rotation cycle. 

There are various requirements for the Bachelor degree, the 8 unit Major and the 6 unit Minor in Behavioural Science.  Please see the Majors and Minors lists and the Degree Planners made available by the School on our homepage.

Behavioural Science units include the following:

PS100 Developmental Psychology
PS103 Introduction to Behavioural Science
PS104 Themes & Perspectives in Behavioural Science
PS221 Social Psychology
PS225 Culture & Society
PS235 Health Psychology
PS264 Psychology of Work
PS309 Social Psychology of Justice
PS311 Research Methods and Practices
PS312 Beyond Family Violence: Issues and Responses
PS315 Professional Practice in Behavioural Science
PS393 Community: Policy & Development
PS394 Behavioural Science Internship
RM100 Research Methods

UNIT DESCRIPTIONS, UNITS ON OFFER and DEGREE PLANNERS

The following resources are published on the School’s homepage and provide information regarding unit availability, unit content and program requirements:

• Units on Offer
• Majors, Minors and Specialisations lists
• Degree Planners
• Unit Descriptions

STUDY ABROAD

The Study Abroad program allows Notre Dame’s Behavioural Science students to spend one semester of their degree at an overseas university in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe or Asia while gaining full credit in their degree at home.  Some students may be eligible for a Student Exchange Scholarship to help reduce the cost of airfares, accommodation and other expenses.

Behavioural Science students may be particularly interested in spending a semester with our North American partners, Boston College or American Catholic University in Washington DC.

For more information please contact Notre Dame’s Study Abroad office.

EXPERIENCE THE WORLD

A variety of opportunities for extended scholarly and service learning exist for those students conducting a degree in Notre Dame’s School of Arts and Sciences.  Participation in these programs will provide students with additional professional and life skills that will not only enrich their learning experience at University, but will make their degree more marketable and attractive on completion.

East Kimberley Community Immersion
Students of such Arts and Sciences majors as Behavioural Science, Social Justice, Politics, History, Communications, English Literature, Legal Studies, Sociology and Theatre Studies may be eligible to participate in our East Kimberley immersion program.  This unique and often life-changing educational experience sees small teams of students travel to remote communities of Australia’s north-west twice a year.  In such towns as Wyndham and communities as Oombulgurri, Notre Dame students spend four weeks living and working with local young people in a project designed to achieve meaningful reconciliation and greater engagement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia.

This program is normally available as an elective within a degree program and may, on approval of the Dean, be eligible to be counted towards a major or minor.

Caritas Australia development program
We believe that university education should be about more than training for a profession.  Rather, we want Notre Dame students to be ready to change the world.

Students of Arts and Sciences at Notre Dame are eligible to participate in an overseas program we conduct each year in partnership with the aid organisation, Caritas Australia.  Teams of Notre Dame staff and students visit an overseas location such as Cambodia, Uganda or India. In an immersion experience of up to four weeks, the team explores the development work conducted by Caritas and studies, among other things, the intersection of poverty, development, politics and globalisation.

The Caritas program may be available as an elective within a degree program and may, on approval of the Dean, be counted towards a major or minor.

DEGREE PLANNERS

To review the content of a Bachelor of Arts, Behavioural Science, Communications, Counselling or Science, or to download the official course planner for your degree, please click here.

HONOURS

Honours in Behavioural Science provides a professional finish to your undergraduate degree and should make your educational qualifications more competitive in the professional in which you hope to build your career.  Honours in Sociology may lead students to higher degree research such as a Master of Arts (MA) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

Because of the unique nature of Notre Dame’s School of Arts and Sciences, students completing an Honours degree in Behavioural Science have the opportunity to develop an inter-disciplinary research project which may combine their work with such other disciplines as Politics, History or Sociology.

Students completing an Honours program in Behavioural Science will undertake a major research project under supervision, complete coursework in Behavioural Science or related units, participate in a regular interdisciplinary seminar series and contribute to a conference program regarding their research activities.

Students who have completed an Arts, Behavioural Science, Communications or Science degree, with at least a distinction average in their major, may be eligible to undertake a fourth year in the School’s Honours program.

For further information on Honours please speak with any academic member of staff or contact the Honours coordinators.

INTEGRATED BACHELOR OF ARTS (BA) & DIPLOMA OF EDUCATION (DipEd, Secondary)

Students of Behavioural Science may be interested in a combined Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Diploma of Education in Secondary Education (DipEd), now available at Notre Dame.  This four year double degree program provides a double major in two Arts disciplines and integrates training in Education, including practical placements, throughout the four years of study.

This is a highly professional and demanding degree which offers the best of both worlds: thorough grounding in two key disciplines of study as well as extensive training in Educational philosophies and practices.

The integrated BA/DipEd provides those studying such disciplines as Behavioural Science, History, Politics and English Literature with an opportunity to seek employment in government, private industry or the education sector, and provides students with even greater options for employment upon graduation.  Better still, students enrolled in the integrated BA/DipEd may be eligible to receive a Commonwealth Support Place.

DOUBLE DEGREES

Behavioural Science combines well with the study of other degrees at Notre Dame, including a Bachelor of Arts, Business, Communications, Education Law or Science.

POSTGRADUATE DEGREES

Behavioural Science, History, Politics, International Relations, Social Justice, Archaeology, English Literature and a range of other discipline areas are available for postgraduate study at Notre Dame.  A Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are available as postgraduate research degrees by thesis and are completed under supervision by an academic member of staff.