Undergraduate Programmes
General Office (Tel: 3917 5867, E-mail: ugpsyc@hku.hk )
The Department of Psychology offers 3 major programmes and 4 minor programmes to undergraduate students.
1. Major/ Minor Programmes Available
Programme | 1st Major (For BPsych students only) | 2nd Major | Minor |
---|---|---|---|
Psychology | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Cognitive Science | ✔ | ✔ | |
Neuroscience | ✔ | ✔ | |
Human Resource Management - FSS | ✔ |
2. Regulations, Syllabus & Structure and List of Courses
Intake | Regulations & Syllabus | Programme Structure | List of Courses & Descriptions |
---|---|---|---|
2022-2023 | BPsych / BSocSc | ||
2021-2022 | |||
2020-2021 | |||
2019-2020 | |||
2018-2019 | |||
2017-2018 | |||
2016-2017 |
3. Recommended Study Pathway
4. Major / Minor Declaration
- BPsych students can start declaring their 2nd major/minor at the beginning of their Year 2 study, change the declared major / minor throughout the Year 2 & 3 study but not later than semester 1 of the last year.
- For neuroscience major/minor programme, online declaration is not available in SIS. Students who would like to declare major/minor in Neuroscience are required to submit an application form to the Department of Psychology one week before the end of add/drop period each semester.
5. FAQ about the Requirements for Major / Minor Fulfillment
Question 1:
What courses can I choose as disciplinary elective?
Answer 1:
Students can choose courses listed in the syllabus for respective programmes as disciplinary electives. However, core courses cannot be taken as disciplinary elective, since no courses can be double counted.
Question 2:
I am doing a first major in psychology (BPsych students admitted in 2022-23 and thereafter / students admitted before 2022-23). The course PSYC1001 appears in the syllabi of psychology, cognitive science and neuroscience. How would it be counted?
Answer 2:
No courses can be double counted. The course PSYC1001 will primarily be used to fulfill the requirement of introductory disciplinary course for the major in psychology.
Students have to take any 2 other courses from COMP1117/ LING1000/ LING2034/ PHIL1012 to fulfill requirement of introductory disciplinary course of 2nd major/minor in cognitive science.
For students who wish to do a 2nd major/minor in neuroscience, students have to take one more advanced disciplinary elective listed in the neuroscience syllabus to make-up the shortfall credits of PSYC1001.
Question 3:
I am a BPsych student. I would like to declare a 2nd major in cognitive science. How many pre-requisite courses do I have to take from the 6 units in social sciences?
Answer 3:
For double majors in psychology and cognitive science, students have to complete a total of 18 credits to fulfill the pre-requisite courses requirements (equivalent to 3 introductory courses). The introductory pre-requisite courses should be taken from two different departments within one single major. It will be fine if you take two different pre-requisite courses from the same department in two different major requirements.
Here is a doable example for reference:
Components | BPsych | 2nd Major in Cognitive Science |
Introductory disciplinary courses | PSYC1001 & PSYC1004 | PHIL1012 & LING1000 |
Pre-requisite courses | SOCI 1001 | GEOG1016 & SOCI1003 |
Question 4:
How can I check the outstanding credits or requirements for my declared major/minor?
Answer 4:
Students can check the Degree Audit Report which is available at the SIS for details about requirements that have been satisfied and also those requirements that are still outstanding. Please see the User Guide here (HKU portal login required).
Question 5:
I am a student declared psychology as a second major admitted before 2022/23. To fulfill Social Innovation and Global Citizenship requirement, I am required to take 24 credits of courses listed under the Faculty of Social Sciences syllabuses, including the social sciences and non-social sciences courses. What courses can I choose to fulfill the Social Innovation and Global Citizenship requirement?
Answer 5:
All free-electives courses at advanced level can fulfill the Social Innovation and Global Citizenship requirement. Students are strongly advised to check with the course offering units about the course level (Introductory or Advanced) since the Department is not the appropriate unit to define the course level for non-psychology courses.
1. List of Courses
2. Lecture Timetable for Courses Offered by the Department
Timetable of tutorials: Please access Tutorial Sign-up application via (1) the hyperlink in My eLearning tab or (2) iOS app and Android app of mobile device.
3. Course outlines in previous years (For Reference ONLY)
Current students may use the HKU portal login to access the course outlines in previous years as below.
The course offering, class timetable and course instructor are subject to change. Students who wish to obtain an official course outline for the current academic year should go to the Moodle class after formally registered in the course. Enquiries about updated course offerings should be sent to ugpsyc@hku.hk.
Course Code | Course Title | Course Outline |
PSYC1001 | Introduction to psychology | click here |
PSYC1004 | Introduction to quantitative methods in psychology | click here |
PSYC2002 | Psychological testing and measurement | click here |
PSYC2005 | Introduction to counseling and therapeutic psychology | click here |
PSYC2007 | Cognitive psychology | click here |
PSYC2009 | Life-span developmental psychology | click here |
PSYC2019 | Psychology of personality | click here |
PSYC2020 | Fundamentals of social psychology | click here |
PSYC2022 | Biological psychology | click here |
PSYC2035 | Introduction to educational psychology | click here |
PSYC2051 | Perception | click here |
PSYC2060 | Research and quantitative methods in psychology | click here |
PSYC2062 | Introduction to psychopathology | click here |
PSYC2065 | Health psychology | click here |
PSYC2066 | Foundations of cognitive science | click here |
PSYC2067 | Seminars in cognitive science | click here |
PSYC2071 | Judgments and decision making | click here |
PSYC2072 | Research internship in psychology I | click here |
PSYC2073 | Research internship in psychology II | click here |
PSYC2074 | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy | click here |
PSYC2101 | Foundations of neuroscience I | click here |
PSYC2102 | Seminar in neuroscience | click here |
PSYC2103 | Foundations of neuroscience II | click here |
PSYC2110 | Developmental neuroscience | click here |
PSYC2111 | Neurobiological basis of psychological issues | click here |
PSYC2112 | Research internship in neuroscience | click here |
PSYC2113 | Introduction to brain imaging | click here |
PSYC3051 | Advanced personality psychology | click here |
PSYC3052A | Advanced social psychology | click here |
PSYC3052B | Advanced social psychology | click here |
PSYC3052C | Advanced social psychology | click here |
PSYC3052D | Advanced social psychology | click here |
PSYC3054 | Human neuropsychology | click here |
PSYC3061 | Advanced issues in perception | click here |
PSYC3064A | Advanced developmental psychology | click here |
PSYC3064B | Advanced developmental psychology | click here |
PSYC3068 | Advanced cognitive psychology | click here |
PSYC4007 | Independent study in psychology (12 credits) | click here |
PSYC4008 | Thesis in psychology (12 credits) | click here |
PSYC4068 | Research project in cognitive science (for Cognitive Sciences major) | click here |
PSYC4101 | Thesis in neuroscience (for Neuroscience Major) | click here |
PSYC4102 | Capstone project in neuroscience (for Neuroscience Major) | click here |
4. Important Notes about Course enrollment
- All courses offered by the Department have quota restriction.
- Some courses may have pre-requisite requirements. Students should obtain a passing grade in the pre-requisite course(s) before taking the subsequent courses.
- Taking advanced courses concurrently with its pre-requisite is NOT allowed.
- Course enrollment with timetable conflicts will NOT be approved.
- Double-counting is NOT allowed.
- Students should read carefully the syllabus and course descriptions at major minor overview.
1. Research Internship Course (6 Credits)
A research internship course is different from a standard course. It combines working as a student intern in a research laboratory – helping with data collection and administrative tasks, attending lab meetings – with reading and learning about the related literature, etc. The specifics are highly dependent on the specific laboratory.
For research internship opportunities offered by lecturers, please click the lecturer’s name from here and read the details under “Research Internship Opportunities”.
Major/Minor Programme | Course | Overview & Application |
---|---|---|
Psychology | PSYC2072 & PSYC2073 Research internship in psychology I & II | |
Neuroscience | PSYC2112 Research internship in neuroscience |
2. Research Project Course (6 Credits)
Research project courses comprise an independent research study in an area of cognitive science or neuroscience of the candidates’ choice, subject to availability of supervision. Students will read within an area of study, to be agreed with their instructor, and write an extended essay or research proposal.
Major/Minor Programme | Course | Overview & Application |
---|---|---|
Cognitive Science | PSYC4068 Research project in cognitive science | |
Neuroscience | PSYC4102 Capstone project in neuroscience |
3. Independent Study (12 credits)
Students who are interested in conducting an independent empirical investigation of a psychological problem may take Independent Study course. The project write-up should be about 8,000 to 10,000 words (exclusive of tables, bibliographies and appendices) and should follow the practice of communication in top psychology journals. Approval by Departmental Head is required for admissions into this course.