Psychology covers a broad range of topics, but at its simplest level it is the systematic study of individual behaviour. It considers emotions, personality, and the way individuals interact. It also considers learning, memory, thinking and the brain.
Psychology is a growing and ever-changing subject which helps us make sense of the human impact on the world in which we live.
You'll learn how people perceive, learn, think, develop, behave, and relate to one another. Courses will teach you how the structure of the brain affects our behaviour, what makes people different from one another and how being in groups affects people's behaviour. Finally, you'll learn how factors like culture, gender, poverty, and mental illness affect our health, our thinking, and our behaviour.
Massey graduates more clinical psychologists than any other university in New Zealand. Our research and teaching is unique and recognised nationally and internationally. This strength and expertise means your learning will be relevant to today’s jobs and societies and your degree will have a great reputation.
During your degree you can take part in our broad selection of courses across areas including forensic, experimental and community psychology that demonstrate how foundational skills can be applied.
Some of the topics taught in psychology courses include:
A degree in psychology may lead to many possible career paths. Virtually any setting where knowledge of human behaviour and interactions is useful may employ someone with knowledge of psychology. Some areas in which recent graduates have gained employment are:
After completing the bachelor's programme, postgraduate study may give you the opportunity to practice as a registered psychologist in clinical or organisational settings.
If you want to be a registered psychologist, you can explore your qualification options in our psychology pathways tool.
New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.
Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.
As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
There are no specific entry requirements for this programme, outside of university admission regulations.
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
To be successful in your studies we recommend that you also have the following NCEA subjects (or equivalent). These will help your study in this major but are not essential.
If it’s some time since you have studied Mathematics at school you can find out if you have the required background by taking this maths quiz.
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
If you need to do a course before you start your programme, there may be options for you in Summer School.
From the Schedule to the Degree including:
Core courses
Major courses
Elective courses from the Schedule
Elective courses
Ensure that overall, you also have:
Attend block courses, contact workshops, field trips, studios, workshops, tutorials and laboratories as required.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
If you started the BSc programme before 2020 you may be completing the programme under the previous regulations, which are listed in Schedule C in the Regulations for this programme.
| 175203 | Introduction to Psychological Research | 15 |
| 45 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 175201 | Social Psychology | 15 |
| 175205 | Brain and Behaviour | 15 |
| 175206 | Memory and Cognition | 15 |
| 175210 | Ngā Tirohanga Rua o te Taha Hinengaro: Bicultural Perspectives in Psychology | 15 |
| 60 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 175301 | Community Psychology | 15 |
| 175302 | Abnormal and Therapeutic Psychology | 15 |
| 175303 | The Practice of Psychological Research | 15 |
| 175304 | The Psychology of Security | 15 |
| 175306 | Assessment of Individual Differences | 15 |
| 175309 | Forensic Psychology | 15 |
| 175311 | Psychology of Women | 15 |
| 175316 | Evolution, Culture and Mind | 15 |
| 175317 | Health Psychology | 15 |
| 175318 | Experimental Psychology | 15 |
| 175343 | Personnel Psychology and Career Development | 15 |
| 175345 | Organisational Psychology | 15 |
If you study full-time, in your first year, you’ll take eight 15-credit courses, making a total of 120 credits.
If you wish to study over two semesters, you should aim for 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school. Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.
The first year structure is designed to provide you with a broad knowledge and skill set which will equip you to go on to more advanced courses in the second and third years.
Take these in any order:
Recommended 100-level elective:
Plus choose three 100 level elective courses. One of these electives must be from the BSc Schedule A courses. The remaining two electives can be from a subject area other than Science.
Students must pass at least 90 credits from the BSc Schedule A, including any compulsory courses, in their first 120 credits of study towards the Bachelor of Science.
and take three from:
Take four from:
Take these in any order:
Recommended 100 level elective:
Plus choose three 100 level elective courses. One of these electives must be from the BSc Schedule A courses. The remaining two electives can be from a subject area other than Science.
You must pass at least 90 credits from the BSc Schedule A, including any compulsory courses, in your first 120 credits of study towards the Bachelor of Science.
And take three from:
Take four from:
Take these in any order:
Recommended 100 level elective:
Plus choose three 100 level elective courses. One of these electives must be from the BSc Schedule A courses. The remaining two electives can be from a subject area other than Science.
Students must pass at least 90 credits from the BSc Schedule A, including any compulsory courses, in their first 120 credits of study towards the Bachelor of Science.
And take three from:
Take four from:
Completing a minor is optional. Minors increase the breadth of your degree. They give you extra knowledge, attributes and capabilities.
A minor must be in a different subject from your major.
You may choose a minor from any University undergraduate degree that has recognised minors. If the minor is from another undergraduate degree, the regulations of that programme will apply.
Some BSc minors that are particularly compatible with psychology include those shown below. Timetabling will prioritise these combinations to minimise clashes.
If you are not studying a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and wish to complete a Psychology minor see the regulations for requirements.
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
Massey is ranked in the world's top 250 universities for psychology by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements. These regulations should be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including the below.
If you are ready to apply, have a look at our application checklist. It will help you get prepared with what you need. Please also check the entry requirements carefully before you apply.
You will apply for the programme using the Apply now button on this page. You’ll also choose your specialisation (major, subject or endorsement) if applicable.
Some programmes have additional requirements such as the submission of a portfolio or CV. Click on Apply now and you will be able to submit those documents as part of the application process.
You will receive an Admission Offer of Place when you have been accepted into the programme. You need to accept this before you can enrol in your courses. International students also need to pay their fees at this point.
You’ll then get access to your own student homepage (also known as the student portal). This is where you can enrol in courses. Any updates on your application or enrolments will also be on your student homepage. Make sure you check this regularly.
When you choose courses, ensure you check for any requirements that apply including:
Each of our courses has its own webpage where you can find this information. You can use our course search to find course pages.
More information on courses is in the ‘Courses for this programme’ section on this page.
You can find information on application due dates and semester dates on the key dates page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Massey!
If you have any questions, contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
Each Massey programme is made up of courses (in some tertiary institutions they are called ‘papers’).
You will have some compulsory courses and some you can choose from.
Each course is worth a certain amount of credits (often 15 credits, but this does vary). You must gain a set number of credits to be able to graduate from this programme.
There may also be some rules about which courses you need to pass to progress to the next year, or stage, of your study (known as progression). There are also courses you must pass to graduate with a specialisation.
The first three digits of our course numbers show you which subject the course is about.
The second three digits show you the level and course ID number. For instance:
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
Electives are courses that are not compulsory. Certain guidelines are usually provided on courses you may take. Elective courses contribute to the programme, but not to your major or specialisation.
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
If you started the BSc programme before 2020 you may be completing the programme under the previous regulations, which are listed in Schedule C in the Regulations for this programme.
In some cases the programme or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these programmes go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.