Psychology/Law Vs. Arts (1 Viewer)

[hApPy1]

Ok - I just finished reading an article in the paper (it was the Herald on the day of UAI releases) and there was this section about uni courses in general and teh kind of degrees, who they suit etc etc.

Ive never been dead set on anything- am very interested in psychology and am close to admitting that my "curiosity" for law comes from family and the general reputation that surrounds the word in terms of study=a highly intellectual degree for intellectual ppl...

Anhyoo- this article emphaised the Bachelor of Arts as the best option for those not certain of their path...that it provides more scope and options for students...am i limited then in a Arts Psychology/Law degree (or is psychology just one of the majors?) at Macquarie

ps. I feel the need to do law because of my uai...if i dont...i feel like ive wasted something...haha, im the only one that feels like this rnt i...

Ive thought-

Before: Arts/Law
Yesterday: Psychology/Law
Now: Arts/Psychology (what about law!)

i know im over reacting...

 

[GoodToGo]

You should just do the degree that suits your personal and career interests, regardless of the UAI associated with the degree.

You could try the BA-Psy/LLB as you will complete both psych and law subjects. And even if you drop the law component after first year, you won't be behind on your psych degree.

Also note that a BPsych had a UAI cut-off of 94.05 last year.

 

[AsyLum]

Don't do a degree because of 'rep' because if you don't like it, you will hate it, and you will be paying serious dollars for it.

If its not in your interest, don't do it, thats the difference with tertiary and secondary/primary eduction.

As for your main questions:

a) The B Arts component has many possible majors:

Programs of Study

* ABR01 - Indigenous Studies
* ABR05 - Indigenous Studies
* ACT01 - Risk and Insurance
* ANC01 - History
* ANC02 - Ancient History
* ANT01 - Anthropology
* ANT02 - Anthropology, Psychology + Sociology
* ATM02 - Atmospheric Science
* AUS01 - Australian Studies
* BLG04 - Biology
* BSL01 - Business Law
* BSL02 - Business Law + Economics
* CHE01 - Chemistry
* CHE02 - Biological Chemistry
* CHE03 - Chemistry with Mathematics + Computing
* CHE04 - Geochemistry
* CMP01 - Computing
* CRTN01 - Croatian- Beginners
* CRTN02 - Croatian - Post-HSC
* CUL01 - Media + Cultural Studies A
* CUL02 - Media + Cultural Studies B
* CUL03 - Critical and Cultural Studies
* CUL04 - Writing and Performance
* CUL05 - Interdisiplinary Cultural Studies
* CUL06 - Drama Studies
* CUL07 - Performance Drama
* CUL10 - Critical and Cultural Studies
* DEM01 - Demography - Pattern 1
* DEM06 - Demography - Pattern 2
* ECH01 - Early Childhood
* ECH02 - Early Childhood Education
* ECN01 - Applied Econometrics
* ECN05 - Economics
* ECN06 - Japanese Economy and Language
* ECN07 - Economics + Marketing
* EDU01 - Education
* ELE01 - Electronics
* ENG01 - English Literature
* ENG02 - English and Cultural Studies
* ENG05 - Australian Studies
* ENG06 - English + Modern History
* ENG07 - Performance Drama
* ENG08 - English Interdisciplinary
* FRNC01 - French - Beginners
* FRNC02 - French - Post-HSC
* GEC01 - Geoecology
* GGE01 - Geology
* GGE02 - Geology + Geophysics
* GGE03 - Palaeobiology
* GGE04 - Geophysics
* GGE13 - Environmental Geology
* GIS02 - Geographic Informations Systems
* GRMN01 - German - Beginners
* GRMN02 - German - Post-HSC
* HGE06 - Environmental and Cultural Geography
* HGE07 - Economic Geography
* HGE12 - Geography
* HGE13 - Human Geography
* HGE17 - Urban and Regional Management
* HST01 - History
* ITLN01 - Italian - Beginners
* ITLN02 - Italian - Post-HSC
* LAW01 - Law
* LGA01 - Chinese
* LGA02 - Japanese A
* LGA03 - Japanese B/C
* LNG01 - Linguistics
* LNG02 - Linguistics and Cognitive Psychology
* LNG03 - Language and Communication
* LNG04 - Linguistics and Special Education
* LNG11 - Linguistics and ESL
* LNG12 - Linguistics and Social Psychology
* MAT01 - Mathematics (i)
* MAT02 - Mathematics (ii)
* MAT05 - Mathematics and Statistics
* MCDN01 - Macedonian - Beginners
* MCDN02 - Macedonian - Post-HSC
* MDGK01 - Modern Greek - Beginners
* MDGK02 - Modern Greek - Post-HSC
* MDH01 - Modern History
* MDH02 - Australian History
* MUS01 - Contemporary Music
* MUSC01 - Contemporary Music - Post-Diploma
* PHG01 - Physical Geography
* PHL01 - Philosophy
* PHY01 - Physics
* PHY02 - Mathematical Physics
* PLSH01 - Polish - Beginners
* PLSH02 - Polish - Post-HSC
* PLT01 - Politics
* PLT02 - History and Politics
* PPL05 - Population Studies
* PPL12 - Population Studies
* PPL15 - Human Geography
* PPL16 - Population and Society
* PPL17 - Population/Social/Cultural Geography
* PSY01 - Psychology
* REM03 - Resource and Environmental Management
* RUSN01 - Russian Studies - Beginners
* RUSN02 - Russian Studies - Post-HSC
* SOC01 - Sociology
* SOC03 - Sociology of Media
* SOC04 - Sociology
* SOC05 - Sociology of Media
* STA01 - Statistics (Operations Research)
* STA02 - Statistics 1
* STA03 - Statistics 2
* STA04 - Statistics (Information Science)
* UKRN01 - Ukrainian - Beginners
* UKRN02 - Ukrainian - Post-HSC
* WST01 - Women's Studies
* WST02 - Gender and Sexuality

http://www.handbook.mq.edu.au/degree.php?edition=2006&id=21034 Just an example of the diversity.

If you want to do Psych though, you can do the initial units, PSY104 and PSY105, but be warned that STAT 170 or 171 must also be completed if you wish to do PSY105. This is important when you work out your timetable and load for the semester, as you don't want to overdo it on your first semester, since you may take on too much and not realise it until exam time.

You could easily try out the entry-level PSY units and then if you don't like it continue to something else, or transfer into the BA-Psych component.

 

[hApPy1]

Thanx for that guys! So is it like- if you transfer after the first year, your already set to pay them "serious dollars" Good speaks of?

If you do BA-Psychology, does that mean psychology is a set major? If so, how many other majors can i pick out from that list?

Thanx heaps...ive been subconciously avoiding approaching my preferences which need some serious changing- thanx guys

 

[AsyLum]

One major only, the BA-Psych is expected to be a major in Psych yes. The straight BA has the possible majors i listed.

Once you're enrolled, the HECS debt starts, or if you wish to pay it upfront, it'll be quite costly if you're doing LAW since its one of the more expensive subjects.

If you can, come down to Pathways day and ask them specifically, there'll be people there from the actual departments and you can ask them on specifics as well as finding out about transfers

 

[xeuyrawp]

The bummer about the two first-year psych units is that you can't do them unless you're enrolled in one of the psych degrees. I mean, you can't just do a general BA and try out psych.

Then again, I guess you could enrol in a BA(Psych) / LLB, try out the psych subjects, and if you don't like them, enrol into a normal BA / LLB ... ?

Also worth reinforcing for the newer people is that, unlike most BA majors, you need to have enrolled in (ie, via UAC) the psych-specific degree, ie the BA(Psych) to do the psych units and hence the psych major.

My personal opinion would be to do the BA(Psych) and then transfer out of it if you don't like it. First sem first year, you'd probably be doing the law subject, the psych subject, stat, and an elective. May as well give it a try.

 

[clairegirl]

a plain law/arts degree won't allow you to do psy104 or psy105 in ur first year whereas a law/arts-psyche degree will..

I suggest that you do law/arts-psyche because it allows you access to law subjects, psychology subjects and arts subjects. And also because it shall allow you to take up electives in ur first year.. hence choose whatever u want.

then transfer to whatever after the first year


Where is Maryjane? she's disappeared or she's got a life lol theres all these law/arts-psyche questions and she's the only one on here that does it heheh

 

[clairegirl]

One major only, the BA-Psych is expected to be a major in Psych yes. The straight BA has the possible majors i listed.
QUOTE]

You can't major in psychology if you do plain arts

 

[clairegirl]

The bummer about the two first-year psych units is that you can't do them unless you're enrolled in one of the psych degrees. I mean, you can't just do a general BA and try out psych.

Then again, I guess you could enrol in a BA(Psych) / LLB, try out the psych subjects, and if you don't like them, enrol into a normal BA / LLB ... ?

Also worth reinforcing for the newer people is that, unlike most BA majors, you need to have enrolled in (ie, via UAC) the psych-specific degree, ie the BA(Psych) to do the psych units and hence the psych major.

My personal opinion would be to do the BA(Psych) and then transfer out of it if you don't like it. First sem first year, you'd probably be doing the law subject, the psych subject, stat, and an elective. May as well give it a try.

what he said

 

[MaryJane]

No Anne, I havent got a life, my laptop has just died and so I couldnt use it.

I'm totally biased in what I'm about to say because I do Psych/LLB and dont want to suffer from any cognitive dissonance

I was in a similar boat to you - wanted to do psych desperatly, and enjoyed legal studies and so wanted to do law. For me, the decision wasnt hard to make, getting the mark was my only concern, but that all worked out well.

Dont do an LLB if you want to do it for the rep - its a lot of reading and a lot of extra work in an already quite heavy psych load. Apparently, in comparison to my other friends who double law with arts, psych seems to have a lot more work to do, so your heart really has to be in it in order to get through the subjects with a mark better than a pass.

That said, its hard of course to tell whether you will enjoy law because you havent experienced it....

In regards to arts or psych, I would say do psych because that way you can do the first year psych units, as Anne said. Also, doing psych/llb you have a few electives in first year that you can fiddle with and dabble in arts subjects of your choice (and there are heaps, as Mike listed!). The only downside of psych is stat. Its horrible, unless you are a maths person. I wasnt, and still hate it, but I got through the two years only because I love psych so much.

So, in the end, I would agree with Rob and Anne, and say do psych regardless of what your decision is regarding law. Only do law if you think you will enjoy it, because its another 2 years in uni: two years in which you could be doing honours or working. Dont do it because of the perceived "esteem" of the profession - its a load of crap. Well, its not, but those people have to put in a lot of work, not just during uni, but their whole lives. Also, find out what type of law you want to practise, and see whether MQ has it as an elective, because I've found that MQ's law electives arent as extensive as other unis.

God, I hope this made some sense... If not, sorry! I'm tired.... Bleh.

 

[melsc]

Don't do law for the sake of it...its 5 years of your life you will commit

 

[xeuyrawp]

Don't do law for the sake of it...its 5 years of your life you will commit

I disagree; don't complete a law degree for the sake of it. Why not enrol in something if it looks interesting? Why not enrol in something because people say it's intellectually challenging?

You can always drop your law component, I'm all for giving things a go -- enrolling in a BA/LLB is not commiting to anything other than trying a subject (which you don't even have to complete, mind you, you can drop it before census date).

 

[hApPy1]

I disagree; don't complete a law degree for the sake of it. Why not enrol in something if it looks interesting? Why not enrol in something because people say it's intellectually challenging?

You can always drop your law component, I'm all for giving things a go -- enrolling in a BA/LLB is not commiting to anything other than trying a subject (which you don't even have to complete, mind you, you can drop it before census date).

hey thanx heaps for that! umm, whats teh census date? as in- what does that mean? Thanx again i dont know what id do without wise BOS members who clear up my spastic questions thanx again

 

[xeuyrawp]

hey thanx heaps for that! umm, whats teh census date? as in- what does that mean? Thanx again i dont know what id do without wise BOS members who clear up my spastic questions thanx again

Sorry, census date is the date in which you have to have made the final decision on your units; ie, after that date, you can't pickup any units or drop a unit without 1) paying for it and 2) failing it.

I heard from Phil that it might be changing (?) -- I think it's 3 or 4 weeks into semester... By that time, you'd get a good understanding of the units you were doing and make your final decisions.

But yes -- I don't think anyone's disagreed on doing the BA(Psych) / LLB degree; it just makes more sense. I don't even know why one would enrol in the BPsych(Hons) degree at all; the BA(Psych)(Hons) degree is enough for the undergrad required qualifications, you can do the same units, and it's really the same degree.

I think the only reason I'd do the BPsych(Hons) degree is, after trying out a few different units in the BA(Psych) degree, I decided that I really only wanted to do psych...

Seeing as though you can combine the BA(Psych) with Law, why not do it? Give it a go!

 

[Cyan_phoeniX]

I havent read the other posts (just the top one), but you seem curious with both law and psych, so i recommend you do a Barts(psych)/Law, which means you can at least try them all out in the first year, then later you can make a decision and transfer to one that is more focused on psych OR law or both. Thing is, you seem curious to do law and if you decide not to go with it you may have regrets later on and it may be harder to transfer later. You may find you hate law, but at least you will know and not wonder several years later....

 

[xeuyrawp]

I havent read the other posts (just the top one), but you seem curious with both law and psych, so i recommend you do a Barts(psych)/Law, which means you can at least try them all out in the first year, then later you can make a decision and transfer to one that is more focused on psych OR law or both. Thing is, you seem curious to do law and if you decide not to go with it you may have regrets later on and it may be harder to transfer later. You may find you hate law, but at least you will know and not wonder several years later....

That's exactly what all the other posts said. Great minds, etc

 

[GoodToGo]

Haha. Wise BOS members have spoken. You shall do the BA-Psy/LLB young one...

 

[boinkBOINK]

just on this note
my gf's doin psych at the mo
and well doing pretty well
and trying to transfer into the psych\law combo
seeing as its a 5yr course right?
if ur going into psych\law
would it be because you want to focus more on the law?
or more on the psych?

am i making sense?
cause u know how psych its like 3rd year then 4th year honors and you go on from there?
whereas psych\law is a 5 yr course? with 4th and 5th years filled with mostly your law units
meaning you would need an extra 6th year to do the honours for psych?

or have i lost you guys?

 

[xeuyrawp]

just on this note
my gf's doin psych at the mo
and well doing pretty well
and trying to transfer into the psych\law combo
seeing as its a 5yr course right?
if ur going into psych\law
would it be because you want to focus more on the law?
or more on the psych?

am i making sense?
cause u know how psych its like 3rd year then 4th year honors and you go on from there?
whereas psych\law is a 5 yr course? with 4th and 5th years filled with mostly your law units
meaning you would need an extra 6th year to do the honours for psych?

or have i lost you guys?

Nope, I totally understand.

Remember that a degree isn't 'x amount of years', rather 'x amount of units'. What your girl has to do is look at all the units she needs to do in psych and in law and figure out when she can do them.

To make it easier, tell her to put them in a table or something -- here's (http://members.optusnet.com.au/rob.p/units.doc) what I've done. It's a bit messy, but it makes life easier; listed all the units I could handle doing, red are the units I plan to do, with Bold and Red are the units that will count to my 300 level AHST major.

I'm still not certain whether I'll graduate with a BA or a BAncHist(hons) -- it just depends on how many different units I want to do. I also haven't put LAW ones in there because I still haven't decided on law.

But yes, with my degree it's harder to plan ahead, with your gf's, it should be more simple.

 

[GoodToGo]

just on this note
my gf's doin psych at the mo
and well doing pretty well
and trying to transfer into the psych\law combo
seeing as its a 5yr course right?
if ur going into psych\law
would it be because you want to focus more on the law?
or more on the psych?

am i making sense?
cause u know how psych its like 3rd year then 4th year honors and you go on from there?
whereas psych\law is a 5 yr course? with 4th and 5th years filled with mostly your law units
meaning you would need an extra 6th year to do the honours for psych?

or have i lost you guys?

Quite simply, she should do if she wants to focus more on the law. While an APS accredited degree, the BA-Psych component of the BA-Psy LLB is not for someone interested in becoming a psychologist...it won't qualify her for honours.

She'll be doing 5 psych units and 4 law units at 200-level and half-half at 300-level. Then another 2 years of straight law.