Career Opportunities

What can you do with a degree in Psychology?

Naturally, the more advanced your studies, the wider are your chances for involvement in this field. With the degree of Bachelor of Psychology, your options are relatively limited (you may, for example, follow it up with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education to become a qualified teacher).

With the degree of Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), you may be offered a regular job in psychology or in an area (e.g. marketing, journalism) where a knowledge of psychology is an asset. You will also have a solid preparation for pursuing a Masterís degree. To become a psychologist, and thus have access to various jobs, you will need to obtain a Masterís degree.

Psychology leads to various career opportunities, such as Individual or Group Counselling, work in hospitals, children´s homes, homes for the elderly, guidance and counselling centres, training and consultancy in institutions and organisations, personnel management, conduct workshops in developing psychological skills, teaching psychology, research and publications, teaching lifeskills, private practice, offering psychological help to children, adolescents, married couples, addicts, etc. Other than a full-time career in psychology, graduates may be involved in journalism, broadcasting, ongoing education of teachers, parents, managers, religious and others.

Degrees in Psychology are offered both at General and at Honours level. Honours graduates may continue their studies in Psychology at Master´s level either in Malta or abroad.

Personal Qualities and Skills

As a psychology graduate or psychologist you need to be sensitive, broadminded and non-judgmental. You will also need highly developed written and verbal communication skills. In clinical, counselling and educational settings you should be a mature individual who can listen carefully and empathise with the feelings and emotions of each client. It is essential that you show genuine interest in the emotional problems faced by people. However, you need to do this without the constant examination of your clients' problems becoming an overwhelming burden on yourself. You must feel comfortable handling extremes of human emotion and vulnerability and must not be afraid to explore difficult and painful aspects of your clientsí lives. This type of work can be very demanding, so a high level of concentration is crucial. In occupational settings you should be skilled at identifying abilities and potential. It is also important to have an analytical mind and be able to evaluate situations and performance. In order to effectively assess and advise on performance, you should be sensitive, broadminded and non-judgmental.

Admission Requirements

Besides satisfying the General Entry Requirements specified in the Admission Regulations of the University, students should satisfy the Special Course Requirements.

The Course Structure

The course of studies consists of two parts. Part I normally extends over a period of two years and is common to both B.Psy. and B.Psy.(Hons.) students. Part II normally extends over a period of one year in the B.Psy. course and two years in the B.Psy.(Hons.) course.

Part I

The areas of study shall be the following: a. Psychology, which shall consist of four modules as follows:

Core Module, Module A (clinical/counselling psychology area of specialisation); Module B (educational psychology area of specialisation); Module C (social/organisational psychology area of specialisation); and b. One subsidiary area of study from a list approved by the Board of Studies at the beginning of the Course. Normally this includes:

Theology Theatre Studies Linguistics Communication Studies Philosophy Management Studies Any other area approved by the Department of Psychology. Students may take one observation session in any of modules A, B, or C. An ´observation session´ consists of a series of field-based and structured observations.

To complete Part I and proceed to Part II of the Course, students must obtain a minimum of 46 credits including: a. 29 credits in Psychology; b. 15 credits in the subsidiary area of study; and c. 2 optional credits.

After Part I students may opt to continue for a further year of studies the Bachelor of Psychology course. Students are required to obtain not less than 65 credits throughout the full three years of study. These should consist of: a. at least 42 credits in psychology; b. 20 credits in the subsidiary area of study; and c. 3 optional credits.

Part II

Students who complete Part I of the Course, and who satisfy also all the necessary requirements for registration for Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) course, may also opt to apply for the course leading to the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) degree before the commencement of the third year of the course. Students can be admitted to the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) course if they have: a. successfully completed Part I of the Bachelor of Psychology course, and b. obtained a grade B or better in the overall assessment of the 29 compulsory psychology credits of Part I of the Bachelor of Psychology course, and c. obtained a Grade C+ or better in the overall assessment of the 46 credits of Part I of the Bachelor of Psychology course.

Before being admitted to the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) course, applicants shall be required to attend an interview, which may include psychological assessment, in order to test their aptitude for pursuing the Course.

Part II of the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) course shall consist of study-units and a dissertation to which not less than 43 credits are assigned. These shall include: a. at least 32 credits in Psychology (including the credit/s for the practical placement/s). b. 5 credits in the subsidiary area of study chosen in part I of the course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Psychology; c. 5 credits for the dissertation; and d. 1 optional credit.

In the first year of Part II of the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) course, students shall be required to register for study-units chosen from Modules A, B and C: