B Science/B Arts queries (1 Viewer)

[MetalTheory]

I'm still in the process of changing preferences and thinking over my options, and this is my choice if I don't get into B Psych. I'm still curious about it so I have a few questions about it all:

1. For this combined degree, which university is better for it: USyd or UNSW?
2. Leading up from the first question, how is the psychology, neuroscience and general science program and the English in the arts program in each of the universities?
3. If I only want to do English in the Arts stream, would it be advised to do the combined degree at all?
4. Will doing the combined degree be any harder than a single degree?
5. What career opportunities do I have with this combined degree and, more specifically, my majors?

Some help would be great, since I'm rather stuck with this!

 

[Shadowdude]

1. UNSW is better. Always. (pretty much)
2. General Science program here is pretty good, depends what major you want - same with Arts.
3. If you want to do Science at all, take Science. If not, you're perfectly fine in doing just Arts.
4. No, it just means you get more elective subjects - and hardness depends on what elective subjects you pick.
5. Depends what major. Your job prospects really, really depend on your major. Like... philosophy major - not really useful, maths major in science - useful.

 

[Chemical Ali]

Wouldn't USyd have better stuff for most humanities like English?

1. dunno, you're gonna get a lot of opinions here
2. dunno
3. There's a few things to weigh up here, firstly: what do you want to be? English doesn't really do much for your career options, lol. BUT, if you love it, I'd do it anyway. There's also the extra course costs/HECS. Which leads into
4. No. The only difference is that you will be at uni for 1 year longer (3 vs 4), that is the main thing to weigh up: do you love studying English enough to spend an extra year studying for minimal career benefits? Personally I switched around science majors to do stuff I liked and spent a year longer at uni than necessary, I don't regret it...
5. You should really be researching that yourself before choosing any major. You could start with the program handbooks at the unis, they usually have a "career opportunities" blurb... In your case, the MOST important thing would be to check whether a B Arts (Psych major) or B Science (Psych major) gives you accreditation as a psychologist or not. I know at my uni, it does NOT, only the B Psych degree does. This will differ by uni...

 

[Shadowdude]

I'm pretty biased to my university... so see GUG for some good advice. =P

But yes, I forgot to mention about the extra year.

 

[MetalTheory]

Thanks for the help, Chemical Ali and Shadowdude, but that begs another question: why the extra year and will this extra year interfere with an honours year in either the science or arts major? I'm just used to the fourth year being for an honours year in each of the courses, so this extra year for combined degree is throwing me off.

 

[izzy88]

Thanks for the help, Chemical Ali and Shadowdude, but that begs another question: why the extra year and will this extra year interfere with an honours year in either the science or arts major? I'm just used to the fourth year being for an honours year in each of the courses, so this extra year for combined degree is throwing me off.

It's 4 years because that's how long it takes to get through the requirements for a BA and a BSc (you are doing a combined degree, not a single degree, so it was always going to be longer than 3 years). To be honest I find it kind of miraculous that it can take 6 years to do the two degrees separately, but only 4 to do both if you choose to 'combine' them. As a side note, it used to be 5 years combined, but recently the uni's have switched to 4 years.

It does not interfere with honours - you can do honours in arts or science, it's just another year after the four years. ie. so it will take 5 years if you want to do honours in arts or science. If you want honours in both it will take you 6 years.