Explore how the mind works
FOR individuals curious about human behaviour and thought, a degree in psychology could be the ideal path to fulfilling your interests.
For Tan Jiun Ting, who is undertaking a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Psychology at the University of Reading Malaysia (UoRM), studying psychology offers her the perfect chance to explore her fascination with the human mind.
Tan, who recently completed Part 2 of her degree at UoRM, was one of an exclusive pool of students selected from around the world to participate in York University’s CVRVista Science Summer School in Toronto in June. The experience enabled her to learn about different techniques and tools.
She says, “I have learnt a lot about different aspects of vision research and how the visual system works in the brain, including how key features of vision are processed and integrated in different locations of the brain.”
According to Tan, the greatest benefit of studying the psychology degree at UoRM is the opportunity to design and carry out her own research.
The BSc Psychology programme at UoRM, an honours degree, is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) – the professional body that oversees the quality of psychology degree provision in the UK.
Another student experiencing the benefits of the psychology degree at UoRM is Nurulhuda Mohd Zaki, who will soon complete her third and final year. She credits her degree for helping her gain a job as a therapist for autistic children immediately after her final exams.
Nurulhuda also attributes her success to her lecturers. With an impressive team of international staff who are PhD holders from prestigious, global universities, psychology students benefit from different learning methods and are given ample opportunities to participate in research, including running their own project.
“We’ve experienced different approaches because some of my lecturers are from Germany, Russia, Sri Lanka and the UK. Though the style of teaching is varied, they’ve all been effective and have made learning more fun,” said Nurulhuda.
The BSc psychology degree at UoRM is identical to that of the University of Reading’s parent campus, which enables students at the Malaysia campus to receive the same quality of teaching as in the UK but with smaller class sizes, enabling them to work in smaller groups and have more time to interact with lecturers.
“Because we teach the same material as the UK campus, students in Malaysia have the chance to study part of their degree in the UK. This enables them to gain exposure to new cultures, the opportunity to make friends from across the world and improve their spoken English,” says UoRM School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences head, Assoc Prof Dr Rachel Pye.
She adds that the university’s stateoftheart campus provides an environment conducive to teaching and learning.
“We are proud to offer worldclass research facilities including our Brain Behaviour and Research Unit, furnished with electroencephalography (EEG) equipment, an eyetracking system, observation suites and research cubicles, which cater to a diverse range of studies.”
This is echoed by Nurulhuda, who says the campus offers students a positive and healthy environment to develop.
“Psychology students are given access to the EEG software to fulfil neuroscience modules, and observation rooms to conduct research. The location of UoRM is also the best place for students to focus on learning and avoid the hustle and bustle of the city.”
Dr Pye emphasises that students will benefit from a broad curriculum covering scientific aspects of psychology including neuroscience, and develop excellent numeracy, literacy and communication skills, as well as strong critical thinking ability, a key focus of the Malaysian Education Blueprint 20132025. This means graduates become versatile individuals.
“Because of the unique mix of critical thinking, problem solving, data analysis and people skills, psychology graduates can work successfully in a variety of careers,” says Dr Pye, adding that many psychology graduates also conduct postgraduate training to become professional researchers or pursue specialist careers.
Those who wish to find out more about UoRM can visit during its Open Days on Aug 11 and 18 from 10am to 4pm for a campus tour, meet staff and students, ask questions, get a taste of the programmes on offer and make an application.
Students can apply now for a foundation programme (starting Sept 3) or an undergraduate or postgraduate programme (starting Sept 24).