Undergraduate degrees offering a major in psychology
Bachelor of Arts – BA
With Massey's BA, you can study subjects that you enjoy while learning to be a creative, critical and independent thinker. You’ll get transferable skills that employers are looking for in a rapidly changing world.
Bachelor of Science – BSc
Massey’s Bachelor of Science (BSc) is a flexible qualification that will challenge you, while giving you the satisfaction of discovery.
Bachelor of Health Science – BHlthSc
Discover your path in health science at Massey University.
Minimum number of courses
To complete a degree with a major in psychology you need to complete a minimum number of psychology courses within your bachelor's degree.
The exact number depends on the degree. You'll also do several important non-psychology courses, often referred to as core courses.
| Qualification | Minimum number of psychology courses to get a major |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts | 8 or 9 |
| Bachelor of Science | 10 |
| Bachelor of Health Science | 9 |
Differences between degrees
The psychology component in all three degrees is similar. What differs is the other subjects that you include in your degree.
Some degrees have more restrictions on the subjects you may choose than others. For example, the Bachelor of Health Science degree is highly structured. You can only choose three elective subjects with the core courses and courses for your major.
Business psychology major
If you wish to complete a major in business psychology, then you need to do a Bachelor of Arts degree. The business psychology major is unusual and needs 195 credits:
- 135 credits in psychology
- 60 credits from courses offered by the Massey Business School.
Which qualification to take
| Qualification | Why choose this option |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts | If you want to do social science or humanities subjects such as philosophy, media studies, Māori knowledge, or geography, alongside psychology. |
| Bachelor of Arts (Business Psychology) | If you want to a degree that combines work-related psychology with the business subjects of human resource management and management. |
| Bachelor of Science | If you want to do science subjects, such as ecology and conservation, exercise and sports science, or human nutrition, alongside psychology. |
| Bachelor of Health Science | If you want to a variety of health science courses, such as epidemiology, health communications, and public health, alongside psychology. |
When you already have a degree
Psychology – Graduate Diploma in Arts
The Graduate Diploma in Arts (Psychology) will give you the equivalent of an undergraduate major in psychology without completing a second bachelor’s degree.
Graduate Diploma in Science and Technology – GDipScTech
The Graduate Diploma in Science and Technology gives you the opportunity to retrain in an area of science that interests you.
If you plan to do postgraduate study in psychology, we recommend all 8 courses in your graduate diploma are psychology courses.
Other options
If you want to give psychology a try without doing a whole degree, consider one of these options. You won't be able to progress to postgraduate study in psychology, but you could 'upgrade' to a degree or graduate diploma by taking extra courses in the future.
Minors
If you are doing a degree majoring in another subject area but want to do some psychology as part of your degree, then do a minor in psychology or a minor in indigenous psychology.
Diplomas and certificates
If you want to do a little bit of psychology to see what it is like but don’t want to commit to three years of full-time study just yet then you could study a:
- certificate (in arts or science and technology) and do 4 courses
- diploma (in arts or science and technology) and do 8 courses.
Graduate Certificate of Arts
If you already hold a degree but aren’t ready to commit to a graduate diploma you could study a Graduate Certificate of Arts endorsed in Psychology which consists of 4 courses.
Comparison between options
| Qualification (Major) | Prerequisite | Total credits (courses) | Minimum psychology credits (courses) | Allows progression to postgraduate psychology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) | Normal university entry requirements | 360 (24 courses) | 120 (8 courses) | Yes |
| Bachelor of Arts (Business Psychology) | Normal university entry requirements | 360 (24 courses) | 135 (9 courses) | Yes |
| Bachelor of Science (Psychology) | Normal university entry requirements | 360 (24 courses) | 120 (8 courses)† | Yes |
| Bachelor of Health Science (Psychology) | Normal | 360 (24 courses) | 120 (8 courses)†† | Yes |
| BA or BSc with a minor in psychology | Normal | 60 (4 courses) | 60 (4 courses) | No |
| Diploma in Arts (Psychology endorsement) | Normal | 120 (8 courses) | 75 (5 courses) | No |
| Diploma in Arts (Indigenous Psychologies endorsement) | Normal | 120 (8 courses) | 45 (3 courses) | No |
| Graduate Certificate in Arts (Psychology endorsement) | Existing degree | 60 (4 courses) | 60 (4 courses) | No |
| Graduate Diploma in Arts (Psychology endorsement) | Existing degree | 120 (8 courses) | 90 (6 courses) but 120 (8 courses) strongly recommended | Yes |
†A BSc in psychology requires four 200-level psychology courses (one must be 175203) and four 300-level psychology courses. 175102 is a required prerequisite course. We strongly recommend you also complete 175101.
†† A BHlthSc in psychology requires four 200-level psychology courses and four 300-level psychology courses. 175.102 is also a required prerequisite course. 175203 is considered a required core course. We strongly recommend you also complete 175101.
Courses within your qualification
Once you've gained entry to study a qualification you can enrol in specific courses as shown on the qualification page.
We teach over 20 different undergraduate psychology courses. Many of them are available both on campus and by online distance study.
The range of psychology courses offered at Massey reflects the diversity of psychology.
As a social and applied science
Focusing on topics such as:
- development
- personality
- social processes
- gender
- emotions.
These areas are fundamental to applied courses in areas which help us solve individual and social problems such as:
- clinical psychology
- forensic psychology
- health psychology
- security
- work psychology
As a psychological science
As a psychological science, psychology focuses on:
- perception and consciousness
- cognition
- decision making
- problem solving
- social cognition
- memory
- learning
- evolution
- biological bases of behaviour.
Research methods and psychological assessment
Research methods and psychological assessment are important skills you will learn. They include study of:
- experimental design
- surveys
- interviews
- data analysis
- use of psychometric assessment tests.
Indigenous psychologies
Our courses in indigenous psychologies explore the variety of ways in which cultures understand what it is to be a person and how different communities view, respond to, and conduct psychological research and interventions.
Get advice
Academic Advice for Professional Psychology
Advice Service for initial questions, especially those related to progression options to advanced psychology qualifications.
Email: academicadvice@massey.ac.nz
Phone: +64 6 951 6118
Undergraduate Coordinator
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