BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. It is both a scientific discipline and a profession. As such, Psychology students at Central University are given a strong research background and understanding of the scientific basis of psychology; a knowledge base of human behaviour across the fields of psychology; taught how to apply psychology in one’s professional life especially with respect to fields that are associated with psychology. Psychology offers the individual the chance to explore unanswered questions about the brain, such as how it functions under stress, language acquisition, how it remembers facts or how mental illness can affect the way it works. Besides, it gives us an appreciation of why human beings behave the way they do.

The goal of the Psychology programme is to prepare the individual as a well-rounded scholar with marketable, professional skills that will enable them to adapt to the changing social and developmental needs of the Ghanaian society and the world at large. The BSc Psychology programme at Central University is a four-year degree programme which aims to train the next generation of Psychologists to (1) appreciate and understand the diversities of human behaviour; (2) appreciate the interaction of our biology, our environment, and our experiences in determining and shaping our personalities and potentials.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who successfully complete their coursework and engage in experiential learning will be able to:

Demonstrate the ability to integrate multicultural concepts in psychological research, theory, practice, and service to others.
Use scientific reasoning skills to understand and interpret psychological phenomena.
Apply psychological principles and theories to understand local, regional, national and international issues, and to serve and improve one’s community.
Demonstrate a critical awareness of one’s worldview, values, and biases, including their influence on one’s approach to psychological science and practice.
Demonstrate respectful written and oral communication with individuals from varied cultural, social, and historical backgrounds.
Develop meaningful professional direction for life after graduation

REAL-WORLD APPLICATION

Psychology can be applied in varied ways in the real world: advertising, workplace, politics, criminal justice, and relationships. In Ghana, one will notice that religious groups advertise their programmes by posting a lot of posters and flyers across the street. They do this either knowingly or ignorantly based on what psychologist call mere-exposure effect. Have you also noticed that in advertising some products, manufacturers often engage celebrities using a principle known as classical conditioning. They do so by associating their product with the celebrity.

Sometimes, we associate with people simply because of their personality. For compatibility purposes, one may like to study the personality of the potential partner in a relationship. We do this because our relationships impact both our physical and mental health. In the family, the relationship that exist between children and their parents as well as intact families go a long way to impact the wellbeing of children. For instance, some studies have shown that compared with other children, children who grow up in stable homes with good familial relationships are happier.

At the workplace, managers often use the psychological concepts of reinforcement, rewards, and punishments to either encourage desirable behaviours or discourage undesirable ones. The institution of various incentives by management in organisations to motivate employees to increase productivity is based on some of these basic principles in psychology.

Psychologists have been able to demonstrate that a person’s early personality traits could be associated with their political views. It has been shown that traits like hyperactivity and anxiety could be linked to political dissatisfaction as an adult. Using attitude and attitudinal change strategies, politicians often apply persuasive skills in their political campaigns during election periods. Have you ever considered why a political figure will dress in a particular way when visiting a particular geopolitical zone? They do so to identify with the people in that area to win their votes.

Have you ever wondered why a person will continue to steal no matter the amount of punishment he or she receives from the community? Studies have demonstrated that some individuals steal to fund their addiction to drugs such as cocaine. The beating cannot solve their problem. Their addiction is the problem, and they ought to be treated. Moreover, in Ghana, it has been demonstrated that court processes become psychological injurious to some section of court users. This is due to the stressors they encounter in that process.

Hope this can help you appreciate some of the practical applications of psychology, and to whip your interest in the field to consider enrolling in it.

ASSESSMENT

Presentations, Individual & Group Assignments, End-of-Semester Examinations, Long Essay/Project Work.

CAREERS (What can you do with a Psychology degree?)

A psychology degree opens a wide range of career opportunities both within and outside the field of psychology and prepares students for the contemporary workplace. Graduates of Psychology have the following options and many more available to them:

Psychologist
Psychotherapist
Human Resource Manager/Personnel
Teacher
Educational Psychologist
Social Worker
Research Roles
Media Roles
Security Services
Public Relations
Governance and Administration
Law and Criminal Justice
Health Services
Community Planning
Commerce

Entry Requirements for admission of Students

a. West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE)

Credit passes (A1-C6) in six (6) subjects comprising three core subjects, including English Language and Mathematics plus three (3) relevant subjects.

b. Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE)

Credit passes (A-D) in six (6) subjects comprising three core subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, plus three (3) relevant subjects.

c. General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Levels

Passes in three (3) subjects (at least, one of the passes should be Grade D or better). Also, the applicant must have had credit passes (Grade 6) in five GCE Ordinary Level subjects including English Language, Mathematics and a Science subject (for non-science students) and Arts subject (for Science students).

d. Mature Applicant

Mature students must be at least 25 years of age. Applicants who do not have the required passes would take special mature students’ Entrance examination which consists of a general paper and two papers in the area(s) of specialization desired.

e. Foreign Applicant

Foreign applicants must have qualifications equivalent to the above. Their results must also be translated into English and they should be able to read and write in English. Prospective foreign applicants must also note that their certificates will be sent to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for evaluation and verification.