Welcome to the School of Psychology and Social Science
- Current Research ProjectsThe School of Psychology and Social Science has an active research program, visit out Current Research Projects page for further information.
- ECU Psychology Graduate
John Forbes about his experiences studying at ECU (MP3, 1MB) - Watch our TV ad (MPEG, 4MB)


The ECU Psychology course has been rated as ***** (5 star) for Good Teaching, ***** (5 star) for Generic Skills and **** (4 star) for Overall Satisfaction (source: 2009 Good Universities Guide).
We have a passion for finding better ways to educate and train students in the academic disciplines and professions of Psychology and Social Sciences.
Our undergraduate programs in psychology are designed to train people to think like a psychologist, and our postgraduate programs in psychology train graduates to become psychologists. We are committed to providing students with knowledge of how humans think, function and behave in a multitude of settings, and the various factors that can impact on normal function. Psychology is highly focused on measurement and analysis and the School is proud of its research culture that is embedded in all of its courses and expressed in the staff’s research enterprise.
If you are the kind of person who is always giving, the Bachelor of Social Sciences offers grounding in community work and the ability to choose from a range of specialisations. You will learn about the world you live in, how to work in that world and change things for the better. You can choose from Applied Counselling skills, Children and Family Studies, Community Studies, Counselling, Disability Studies, Women’s Studies or Youth Work. The School of Psychology and Social Science also has close links with the profession of Psychology, and the professions of welfare and community work. The School also has excellent links with community and government agencies.
Our approach to teaching, and the curricula of our courses, are guided by industry, the Australian Psychological Society, the Australian Institute of Welfare and Community Works Inc. and students who complete a Major in Children and Family Studies receive Accreditation under the Community Services (Child Care) legislation to work as trained staff in Child Care.
Some of the School’s postgraduate programs involve industry practica, including for Psychology postgraduates one practicum in the School’s own clinic (the ECU Psychological Services Centre).
How are we different?
We strive to provide our students and the community with access to a unique range of educational and research resources and programs which seek to improve the capacity of individuals, teams and organisations to incorporate Psychology and the Social Sciences as a means of development, improvement and remediation. We integrate the areas of education, research and career development into our overall approach, particularly in developing and delivering education and training offerings.
Teaching and learning has become a major plank of the School of Psychology and Social Science’s performance platform. We have developed a range of performance indicators to guide the School’s strategic direction. This has led to the School developing a reputation within the University for innovation and teaching and learning that has been adopted locally and nationally. For example: Tutor training; Peer mentoring; and Graduate Attributes. The strength of the teams’ reputation creates an expectation that anyone joining the team will share the commitment to putting student learning as our top priority.
News and Information
- Professor Alfred Allan appointed to the Psychology Board
of Australia
Professor Alfred Allan of the School of Psychology and Social Science has been appointed by the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council as a member of the inaugural Psychology Board of Australia under the Health Practitioner Regulation (Administrative Arrangements) National Law Act 2008. This is one of the ten national boards that have recently been created by the federal government for the new National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for the Health Professions. Other boards include the Medical Board and the Nursing and Midwifery Board. The various national boards will be responsible for regulating the respective professions, including the assessment and registration of practitioners, the approval of accredited programs of study, and the investigation of complaints about registered health practitioners and students in the health profession from 1 July 2010. The national boards will be very influential and Professor Allan’s appointment is a major coup for ECU and the Faculty of Computing, Health and Science. The appointment is recognition of Professor Allan’s expertise in the area of health ethics and law and his contribution to psychology in Australia.
- Read the latest edition of COHESION Magazine
Graduate Recruitment Programs
Are you in your final or Penultimate Year? If yes, have you considered a graduate program?
Industry Information Sessions-Kick Start Your Career!
Did you know that industry reps hold employment information sessions for final year business students right here on campus?
For further information on graduate programs and industry information sessions refer to the link below.


