ENGAGED GLOBAL CITIZENS: Psychology students in the midst of discussing a project.

Demand for psychological services in schools, mental health centres, hospitals, social service agencies and substance abuse treatment clinics, to name a few, has been steadily increasing in Malaysia for the past five years.

As part of its efforts to see an increase in highly skilled personnel on home ground, UCSI University responds to industry demands by offering its own Psychology degree programme under the Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts.

The programme focuses on general psychology as a whole, where students are exposed to various areas in the field of Psychology such as Lifespan Development, Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology, and Abnormal Psychology, to name a few, with strong emphasis on research.

According to the Faculty's Head of the Psychology Programme Norul Hidayah binti Mamat @ Muhammad, research is one of the core elements emphasised throughout the three-year course, which necessitates students to produce full-fledged research independently prior to graduation.

"Since Year 1, students are taught research skills through modules such as Statistics for Psychology, Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research, among others, under the tutelage of experienced lecturers specialising in educational psychology, counselling and Industrial and Organisational Psychology (I/O)," said Norul.

The fact that the Faculty immerses its students in research is evidenced by the many collaborative research efforts by the students and lecturers.

One of the most recent articles published by Springer Science+Business Media in March earlier this year was entitled "Forgiveness, Empathy and Gender — A Malaysian Perspective", a collaboration between Norul, Sheryn Wei Ting Fung, a Psychology student at the University and David Mellor, a professor at Deakin University, Australia.

The research assessed dimensions of empathy and forgiveness, comparing genders, and found that the relationships between empathic concern and both facets of forgiveness were similar for men and women, as was the relationship between empathic concern and avoidance.

University students and lecturers also recently published an article in the Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health by Routledge's Taylor & Francis Group on "Strong Spiritual Engagement and Subjective Well-Being: A Naturalistic Investigation of the Thaipusam Festival", in collaboration with Deakin University professors.

The study measured the subjective well-being of people with varying levels of engagement — from non-observance or simply observing the festival to extreme engagement – and findings from this study showed that the subjective well-being of those with the most extreme level of engagement was permanently higher than other groups.

Apart from research collaborations, lecturers from Deakin University are constantly invited on an annual basis as guest lecturers and are involved as judges in student presentations. This way, students are able to tap into the unequalled knowledge and expertise of lecturers from other universities.

Some of the Faculty's Psychology lecturers have also been invited to Deakin University to guest lecture their students.

Through such collaborative efforts in research and teaching, it is apparent that the Faculty has established a very strong relationship with Deakin University.

Over the years since its inception, the Faculty has received positive reports from its Psychology graduates, some of whom have been accepted to further their postgraduate studies in universities all over the globe.

"I have learned more in my four-year programme here in the University as compared to other institutions, and the calibre of the lecturers and course materials were beyond my expectations," said Joanna Mah Tjun Lyn, who is currently majoring in Special Educational Needs in the United Kingdom.

She described the Psychology programme as "an exciting, hands-on and stimulating one, with a balanced fusion of academic exposure and internship work placement."

As a member of the student board, she said, this university was more than a place to study; it was a place where I had a chance to develop my confidence, willpower and resilience.

"The BA (Hons) in Psychology that I received from the University is not just a qualification I put behind my name; it is a reminder of the skills that I have been equipped with to (continually) discover new knowledge and contribute towards the field of disability education. "

Another graduate, Carmen Kho, who graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Psychology, has been offered a place at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles, United States, with a partial scholarship to pursue her Master's degree in Forensic Psychology.

"I believe that the perfect academic experience lies in the delicate balance between passion in what one is studying, equally passionate and knowledgeable lecturers and a conducive studying environment," she said. "UCSI University is one of the best decisions I ever made."

The lecturers' expertise shone through during classes, she elucidated, but what truly motivated me was the immense amount of passion they possessed in teaching what they teach.

I am proud to say that they have been, she added, and still remain as my main inspiration in pursuing a career in Psychology.

Not only are the course lecturers held in high esteem by its students, but the programme also applies unconventional teaching methodologies.

Unlike typical lectures, tutorials and assignments, lessons involve students in class debates, dramas and case studies, among others.

Through the "Professional Development" elective module, students are also assigned to external projects where they organise events or educational trips from end-to-end, which, to date, include visits to old folks' homes, Woodbridge Hospital in Singapore and Hospital Bahagia Tanjung Rambutan.

Despite being slightly stygmatised in Asian countries where many misconstrue that psychology is mainly about counselling, reading minds and managing psychiatric patients, Norul explained, psychology is the main umbrella that branches into many other disciplines.

However, psychology is slowly gaining recognition among communities on the local front, and many I/O psychologists have been employed by multinational corporations to study employee job satisfaction, employee motivation and organisational structure, among others.

To find out more about UCSI University's Psychology degree programme and scholarships, feel free to pay us a visit on our Open Day from 8th to 9th December 2012 (between 9.00am – 6.00pm), contact our counsellors at 03-9101 8880 or email us at www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my/onlineenquiry for any enquiries.

You may also visit the UCSI University website at www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my.