Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. Inquiries in psychology include how we are influenced by others, why we become the persons that we are, how our brains work, and why people sometimes behave in seemingly unusual or even bizarre ways.

The study of psychology seeks to understand people both out of curiosity and for numerous applied reasons, ranging from business management to promoting personal wellbeing. Psychology is relevant to everything that humans do and has strong links to other disciplines in the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities. 

Psychology at yale-nus
the psychology major at yale-nus is designed both to provide an overview of the discipline as well as to encourage students to delve more deeply into specific aspects of psychology such as human development, social behaviour, how our brains work, and the application of psychology to questions of mental and physical health.

Students in the psychology major will be prepared for doing advanced study in psychology and related disciplines as well as professions in both the public and private sector that are concerned with understanding and managing human behaviour, including social work, health issues, or personnel management in business organisations. 

at yale-nus college, we have a group of distinguished faculty members specialising in areas such as cognitive psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, organisational psychology, and biological psychology.

Several of our faculty members are also active in interdisciplinary research areas such as the relationship between technology (e. G. , social media use) and behaviour, education and mental health, and the role of perception and attentional resources in human-computer interactions.

Psychology careers
psychology majors can be found in a wide array of fields. These include social work, health policy, personnel management, ergonomics, education, clinical practice, technology, and research.

Many of these fields require advanced study, while others include on-the-job training instead. Listed below are just some of the organisations our psychology alumni have joined after graduation: 

• institute of mental health
• singapore public service
• national council of social service
• stockholm chamber of commerce
• national university of singapore
• uwc japan
• a virtual reality start-up
• economic development board
• singapore children’s society
• singapore ministry of defence
• community psychology hub

our graduates have also applied to and gained admission into a variety of graduate programmes, ranging from master’s and phd in psychology, masters in clinical psychology, masters of public health, to doctor of medicine (md) programmes.

Some of the institutions our students have gone on to include:

• university college london, uk
• yale university school of public health, usa
• london school of economics and political science, uk
• national university of singapore, singapore
• duke-nus medical school, singapore
• university of cambridge, uk
• fuller theological seminary, usa

Requirements for a major in psychology
students in the psychology major will learn about classic findings and major theories, while actively engaged in expanding our understanding of human behaviour through hands-on empirical work. The psychology major is taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, laboratory courses, research attachments, and independent study opportunities. 

Major requirements
all psychology majors are required to take 54 or more units within the programme. At least 20 of the 44 course-based units must be taken at yale-nus, and an additional 10 units come from the capstone project. All units counted towards the major must be taken for a letter grade.

Students considering graduate school are strongly advised to take more than the minimum number of courses required for the major. These students should consult with their head of studies or major advisor as early as possible to plan their course of study. 

The required courses include:

introduction to psychology (yss2201)
statistics and research methods for psychology (yss2216)
at least one laboratory course
six additional courses (“psychology electives”)
*it is strongly recommended that students take yss2216 in their second year. 

**to facilitate better preparation for the capstone project, it is strongly recommended that students take the laboratory course in their second or third year, following completion of yss2216. 

yss2201 introduction to psychology provides a general overview of the field of psychology, and it serves as a gateway to more advanced courses in the programme.

Such courses include those concerned with how humans develop as individuals and social beings, the nature of our relationships, how our brains process information, the ways in which behaviour can become disordered, and the techniques that can improve mental health.

Although there are no formal specialisations in the psychology major, students can craft their own areas of concentration while also sampling broadly. 

in addition to coursework about theory and practice, the programme provides a foundation in experimental design, analysis, and presentation.

Statistics and research methods for psychology builds on the general principles and approaches from quantitative reasoning, focusing on the specific modes of inquiry for research with human participants. These ideas and methods are then further developed in laboratory courses, where they are applied to specific psychological contexts. 

the psychology major culminates in a year-long capstone experience. Students work closely with one or more faculty members within psychology or related disciplines, conducting original research with the goal of adding to our understanding of a specific psychological effect.

Although empirical work is strongly encouraged, other approaches to the capstone will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The capstone in psychology does not include a formal course, but the cohort of majors does meet approximately 4-6 times per semester to present ideas, discuss findings, and troubleshoot challenges. 

Requirements for a minor in psychology
students may minor in psychology by taking introduction to psychology, statistics and research methods for psychology, and at least three additional courses in the programme.

Core courses
yss2201 introduction to psychology

this course will introduce students to themselves and others as viewed through the lens of psychology. We will present and explore the scientific study of human (and animal) behaviour, seeking to understand why we think, feel, and act as we do.

The goal is to build a firm foundation for those wishing to major in psychology while simultaneously providing an interesting and revealing elective to those visiting psychology on their way to other disciplines. 

yss2216 statistics and research methods for psychology

this course is concerned with research methods and the use of statistics in psychology. As such, this is a skills-oriented course aimed at preparing students for taking the required laboratory course in psychology as well as doing their senior capstone project. We will be covering research methods and statistics simultaneously since they are closely intertwined. 

sample laboratory courses
all psychology majors are required to take at least one laboratory course. 

yss3252 lab in applying psychology to public policy

in this course, students will explore how psychology can be applied to public policy. As a lab course, students will conduct their own randomised controlled trials requiring them to examine whether psychological concepts (particularly those from decision science and social psychology) can optimise the outcomes of “real-life” projects within the community. Projects will be conducted with government, not-for-profit, and town council agencies within singapore. 

yss3279 social psychology lab

this is a skills-based course concerned with research methods in social psychology, a core area of psychology that investigates situational forces affecting human thoughts, feelings, and actions. As such, we will be discussing different types of research done in social psychology and students will be doing projects using those methods.

The course will culminate in students doing research projects and writing up these projects as if for publication. The first portion of the course will be concerned with methods and study proposals, whereas the second portion will be devoted to data collection, analysis, and writing up results. 

Sample psychology electives

this is a sampling of some of the psychology electives we offer at yale-nus:

• ysc2231 foundations of neuroscience (cross-listed with life sciences)
• yss3214 abnormal psychology
• yss3285 organizational psychology
• yss3317 adolescent development
• mua3230 music cognition (cross-listed with arts & humanities, yong siew toh conservatory of music)
• yss4202 goals and motivation
• yss4206b topics in psychology: love in the age of technology
• yss4202 goals and motivation
• yss4206c topics in psychology: the pursuit of happiness
• yss4241 parenting and child development
• yss4263 psychological therapies