Honours Programme

Graduation Requirements

Cohort 2018-2020

Pass PL1101E Introduction to Psychology. This will be counted towards the Faculty Core or UE requirements.
Pass at least 84 units of PL courses or PL-recognised courses which include the following:
1. PL2131 Research and Statistical Methods I
2. PL2132 Research and Statistical Methods II
3. PL3232 or PL3102 Biological Psychology
4. PL3233 or PL3103 Cognitive Psychology
5. PL3234 or PL3104 Developmental Psychology
6. PL3235 or PL3105 Social Psychology
7. PL3236 or PL3106 Mental Health and Distress
8. PL3231 Independent Research Project OR one of the PL328x lab courses^#
9. A minimum of 52 units at level-2000 or higher, with
  1. a minimum of 12 units at levels-2000 or 3000 (excluding the courses above).
  2. a minimum of 40 units at level-4000 or higher, including a minimum of 10 units from PL4201 (5 units)/PL4201HM (5 units), PL4202 (5 units)/PL4202HM (5 units), PL4242 (5 units)/PL4242HM (5 units), PL4245 (5 units)/PL4245HM (5 units) and PL4246 (5 units)/PL4246HM (5 units).
  3. a maximum of one other PL328x lab course not taken in (viii) above^#
  4. a maximum of 2 PL courses at level-5000.
  5. a maximum of 2 PL-recognised courses.

Cohort 2021-2025

Pass at least 60 units of PL courses or PL-recognised courses, which include the following:

PL1101E Introduction to Psychology
PL2131 Research and Statistical Methods I
PL2132 Research and Statistical Methods II
PL3102 Biological Psychology
PL3103 Cognitive Psychology
PL3104 Developmental Psychology
PL3105 Social Psychology
PL3106 Mental Health and Distress
PL3231 Independent Research Project OR one of the PL328x lab courses
A minimum of 4 units at levels-2000 or 3000 (excluding the courses above), with a maximum of 1 PL-recognised course. This requirement cannot be fulfilled by reading PL3231 Independent Research Project or additional PL328x lab courses.
A minimum of 20 units at level-4000 or higher, with
1. a minimum of 4 units from the Capstone group*;
2. a minimum of 4 units from the Biological, Cognitive and Developmental group*;
3. a minimum of 4 units from the Abnormal/Clinical, Social and Applied group*;
4. a maximum of 4 units at level-4000 mapped from exchange;
5. a maximum of 4 units at level-5000.

Cohort 2026 onwards

Pass at least 60 units of PL courses or PL-recognised courses, which include the following:

PL1101E Introduction to Psychology
PL2131 Research and Statistical Methods I
PL2132 Research and Statistical Methods II
PL3102 Biological Psychology
PL3103 Cognitive Psychology
PL3104 Developmental Psychology
PL3105 Social Psychology
PL3106 Mental Health and Distress
PL3231 Independent Research Project OR one of the PL328x lab courses
A minimum of 4 units at levels-2000 or 3000 (excluding the courses above), with a maximum of 1 PL-recognised course. This requirement cannot be fulfilled by reading PL3231 Independent Research Project or additional PL328x lab courses.
A minimum of 16 units at level-4000 or higher, with
1. a minimum of 4 units from the Capstone group*;
2. a minimum of 4 units from the Biological, Cognitive and Developmental group*;
3. a minimum of 4 units from the Abnormal/Clinical, Social and Applied group*;
4. a maximum of 4 units at level-4000 mapped from exchange;
5. a maximum of 4 units at level-5000.
Students are free to fulfil the remaining 4 units of requirements by reading additional courses from #10 or #11 above.

Note:

# As PL3231 and the PL328x lab courses serve the same purpose of strengthening the empirical research skills of students, students are only allowed to read a maximum of 2 such courses, in any of the following combinations: (1) PL3231, (2) PL328x, (3) PL3231 + PL328x, (4) PL328x + PL328x.
* See https://fass.nus.edu.sg/psy/courses-undergraduate/ for the courses in each group.
The following are PL-recognised courses:
- EC3305 Programming Tools for Economics (applicable for Cohort 2016 onwards)
- EC3394 Economics and Psychology (applicable for Cohort 2016 onwards)
- EL3206 Psycholinguistics (applicable for Cohort 2021 onwards)
- ID3127 Transdisciplinary Innovation Project
- LSM3215 Neuronal Signaling and Memory Mechanisms
- LSM3216 Neuronal Development and Diseases
- MUA3230 Music Cognition
- NM3234 Leadership, Organisations and New Media (applicable for Cohort 2016 onwards)
- NM3234Y Leadership, Organisations and Communication (applicable for Cohort 2016 onwards; for PL-CNM and CNM-PL double-major students only)
- NM3239 Retrieving, Exploring and Analysing Data (applicable for Cohort 2016 onwards)
- NM3239Y Retrieving, Exploring and Analysing Data (applicable for Cohort 2016 onwards; for PL-CNM and CNM-PL double-major students only)
- NM3242 Organisational Communication and Leadership (applicable for Cohort 2016 onwards)
- PH2201 Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
- PH2241 Philosophy of Mind
- PH3201 Philosophy of Social Science
- PH3241 Consciousness
- PH3242 The Self
- SW3208 Negotiation & Conflict Resolution (applicable for Cohort 2016 onwards)
- SW3209 Exploring Counselling Approaches: Theories and Practice (applicable for Cohort 2016 onwards)
Students intending to do a double major in PL and SW are advised to read PL2131 in their first year because the course serves as a gate for determining whether one could pursue a major in Psychology and also because it could be read in place of SW3101. As PL3236/PL3106 and SW3217 preclude each other, students intending to do a double major in PL and SW should read PL3236/PL3106 which is a compulsory course for PL, instead of SW3217.
Cohort 2020 and before: Students are allowed to map a maximum of 10 units at level-4000 from exchange.
Cohort 2021 onwards: Students are allowed to map a maximum of 4 units at level-4000 from exchange.
Honours Thesis (15 units for Cohort 2020 and before, and 8 units for Cohort 2021 onwards) is optional.
Honours Thesis will no longer be a requirement to attain Honours (Highest Distinction) for all cohorts. However, students will still need to achieve a GPA of 4.50 or above in order attain Honours (Highest Distinction).
Students who do not attempt the Honours Thesis will read level-4000 or higher PL courses to fulfil the Honours Requirements.
Students may also read a level-4000 Independent Study Course (ISC; 5 units for Cohort 2020 and before, and 4 units for Cohort 2021 onwards). This ISC and the Honours Thesis preclude one another.
For students who are attempting the Honours Thesis, the onus is on the students to secure a supervisor who would supervise them on the Honours Thesis. Students should settle on a topic as soon as possible and speak to the supervisors early, as staff are able to supervise only a limited number of theses. Students who are late may end up not working with the supervisor of their choice and have to settle on a different topic.
The following courses with old codes listed below have been removed from the respective groups in the programme requirements. Students from Cohort 2025 and before who have previously read these courses can still count them towards the graduation requirements:
Biological, Cognitive and Developmental Group
- PL4203 Cognition
- PL4206 Cognitive Neuroscience
- PL4213 Cognitive Neuropsychology
- PL4241 Exploring Consciousness – Theory and Neuroscience
- PL4250 Language & Cognitive Processes
- PL4255 Human Performance in Real and Virtual Environments
Abnormal/Clinical, Social and Applied Group
- PL4227 Nature vs Nurture: Understanding Human Behavior