Bachelor of Psychological Science

JCU Inherent Requirements for Bachelor of Psychological Science [112810] and associated double degrees [114310], Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) [10309A], Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) [116009], and the Graduate Diploma of Psychology [15707]

James Cook University (JCU) is committed to enhancing students' access, participation and success in higher education and embracing the diversity of the communities we serve. We strongly support the rights of individuals who wish to pursue a degree to achieve their potential personal and professional career objectives. This document is designed to assist students and potential students to make informed decisions for study and access to services and to guide further discussions based on a clear understating of the inherent course requirements.

Inherent Requirements

Inherent requirements are the fundamental abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to complete the learning outcomes of a course while preserving the academic integrity of the university’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes. Students and prospective students must be able to demonstrate that they have acquired or have the ability to acquire the inherent requirements for their degree.
Reasonable adjustments may be implemented to assist you manage additional circumstances impacting on your studies provided these do not fundamentally change academic integrity of a degree.

Are inherent requirements different to admissions and academic requirements?

Each degree has a number of admissions and academic requirements which must be met prior to being able to enrol in or graduate from the degree. Admissions and academic requirements can be found here

Students with a disability or health condition

In many cases, studying with health conditions or disabilities will not impact on your studies. Many students with disabilities or other impacting circumstances that impact on their studies, have successfully completed their university studies, with and without reasonable adjustments made to their learning conditions.

Students with a disability or health condition, or other circumstances such as cultural or religious considerations, can discuss their circumstances and potential needs for reasonably adjusted learning conditions with university staff including the Course Coordinator or AccessAbility Services.

It is highly recommended that you discuss your circumstances with JCU staff as early as possible as reduced timeframes may impact significantly on the adjustments that are possible. For students with a disability or health condition, AccessAbility Services provides an experienced reference point, facilitates reasonable adjustments made, and assists students to develop the strategies to realise their capabilities. The University has no requirement to adjust for conditions that it is not aware of. Disclosure is required for any circumstances that pose a health or safety risk to yourself or others.

Reasonable adjustments

JCU is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, placement and other activities to enable students to participate in their course. Reasonable adjustments could be made to how curricula is delivered, clinical placements are conducted, and the way in which learning outcomes are achieved, demonstrated or assessed. Reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement. Reasonable adjustments do not alter the need to be able to demonstrate the inherent requirements of the course, and may or may not be sufficient in themselves to assist students to meet these requirements.

Reading the Inherent Requirements Statements

Inherent requirements are divided into domains and sub-domains and contain the following information:
Introduction to the inherent requirement
A rationale as to why it is an inherent requirement
Examples of things you must be able to demonstrate, or have the ability to acquire and demonstrate during the course of your degree. Please note this is not an exhaustive list.

Inherent Requirements for the Bachelor of Psychological Science [112810] and associated double degrees [114310], Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) [10309A], Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) [116009], and the Graduate Diploma of Psychology [15707]

If you are intending to enrol in the Bachelor of Psychological Science or associated double degree, Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) or the Graduate Diploma of Psychology you should read this document in conjunction with the course handbook

You should carefully consider the inherent requirement statements below as a guide for your learning during the course, and as a way to identify early possible challenges you may have in meeting these requirements. If you remain interested or engaged in the course, you should discuss your concerns with the College staff such as the Course Coordinator as soon as possible. If the challenges are related to your disability or health condition contact AccessAbility Services to discuss possible strategies and reasonable adjustments.

If the inherent requirements cannot be met with reasonable adjustments, University staff can provide guidance regarding other study options.

Please note reasonable adjustments must:

Be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements, and not compromise codes, guidelines and policies
Not result in unethical or unprofessional behaviour
Meet the necessary standards of timeliness, accuracy and functional effectiveness to ensure that self and patient care, treatment or safety is not compromised
Address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice, including undertaking learning activities in mixed gender environments, which reflect the Australian context.
Ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period

Legal

Inherent Requirement	Compliance with Australian Law and professional regulations.
Rationale	Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary in order to identify, manage and reduce the risk of harm to self and others; compliance with these professional regulations and the Australian Law ensures students are both responsible and accountable for their conduct.
Examples	Comply with relevant child protection and safety, health and safety, and anti-discrimination legislation. For examples of applicable Australian Federal legislations visit www.comlaw.gov.au/

Ethical and professional behaviour

Inherent Requirement	Ethical and professional behaviour in academic and community/professional environments
Rationale	Compliance with standards, codes, guidelines and policies that facilitate safe, competent interactions and relationships with the people students engage with to safeguard the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of all.
Examples	Comply with academic and non-academic conduct codes and policies and professional standards Reflect on ethical dilemmas and issues relevant to academic and non-academic settings Identify and enact relevant applications of these codes and standards, including those relating to plagiarism, informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, and equitable and respectful behaviour in academic and non-academic settings and in their usage of online learning and social media platforms

Cognition

Knowledge and cognitive skills

Inherent Requirement	Knowledge acquisition, utilisation and retention spanning and drawing together all coursework subjects. Cognitive skills for focus, memory, attention to detail, theoretical deliberation, and practical functioning sufficient to meet academic standards.
Rationale	Understanding and retention of coursework information and the effective processing of this information is required to complete academic tasks.
Examples	Acquire, comprehend, conceptualise and apply appropriate information and knowledge in response to academic tasks.

Metacognition

Inherent Requirement	Awareness of own thinking, and skills to reflect, evaluate, adapt and implement new cognitive strategies for improved learning.
Rationale	Understanding and ongoing learning about oneself is required for effective life-long learning.
Examples	Monitor and reflect on personal responses and cultural paradigms around academic discussions Manage and proactively learn from academic set-backs through self-evaluation

Literacy

Inherent Requirement	English literacy skills that allow the creation and interpretation of clear meaning through a range of symbols and English language text.
Rationale	Competent literacy skills are essential for the appropriate and effective delivery of academic information.
Examples	Comprehend, summarise and reference a range of literature in accordance with appropriate academic conventions in written assignments Interpret diagrams and graphs accurately Produce accurate, concise and clear documentation which meets academic requirements

Numeracy

Inherent Requirement	Accurate processing and reasoning with numbers and numerical concepts
Rationale	Competent reasoning and reliable accuracy with numerical concepts are essential for the completion of academic tasks.
Examples	Accurately score test data Perform accurate statistical analysis

Communication

Verbal communication

Inherent Requirement	Verbal communication in English to a standard that allows fluid, clear, and comprehensible two-way discussions, tailored to the local English-speaking audiences.
Rationale	Effective verbal communication, in English, with university students and staff is required for effective learning.
Examples	Understand and respond to verbal communication accurately and appropriately in a time-constrained environment Convey spoken messages accurately and effectively in academic situations Present information formally to, and engage in developing discussions with, a wider audience, including tutorial participation and professional presentations.

Non-verbal communication

Inherent Requirement	Non-verbal communication skills that enable respectful communication with others.
Rationale	The ability to recognise, interpret and respond to non-verbal cues, to communicate with congruent and respectful non-verbal behaviour, and to be sensitive to individual and/or cultural variations in non-verbal communication is essential for effective communication.
Examples	Perceive nonverbal communication from others including facial cues or changes in appearance Deliver information incorporating non-verbal behaviour that matches the nature of the information.

Written communication

Inherent Requirement	Ability to produce English text to a standard that provides clear and professional-level communication, with language usage and style tailored to the targeted recipients.
Rationale	Effective communication in English text is required to demonstrate applied skills in academic writing conventions and in sustained and organised academic argument
Examples	Communicate complex academic perspectives in writing Summarise and appropriately reference a range of literature in written assignments

Sensory ability

Visual

Inherent Requirement	Ability to interact with visual inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments.
Rationale	Elements in the learning environment are delivered by visual means, and the ability to learn from or respond to these inputs is required to learn effectively.
Examples	Process visual information from wall-posted information, handwritten, print and electronic sources Monitor the broader environment including observing multiple people and events simultaneously

Auditory

Inherent Requirement	Ability to interact with auditory inputs sufficiently to manage learning environments.
Rationale	Elements in the learning and teaching environments are delivered by auditory means, and the ability to learn from or respond to these inputs is required for effective learning.
Examples	Acquire information aurally in learning environment Detect and discriminate alarms and emergency calls over PA systems Follow developing discussions with staff and peers

Sustained performance

Inherent Requirement	Sustained physical, cognitive and psychosocial performance sufficient to engage in learning opportunities.
Rationale	A range of complex, multi-component or extended academic tasks carried out over a period of time and in a time-constrained environment is required to achieve learning outcomes.
Examples	Sustain study practices and class participation to sufficiently engage with the learning workload for a study period, and for the degree, within a constrained timeframe Maintain sufficient concentration to focus on a task to completion

Behavioural adaptability

Inherent Requirement	Behaviour that adapts to changing situations sufficiently to maintain academic standards.
Rationale	Behavioural adaptation is required to manage personal emotional responses as an individual and within teams in changing and unpredictable environments, including emergency situations and times of human distress. Students will also be required to adapt their behaviour appropriately during times of additional stressors in their own lives, whether this adaptation involves ways of continuing to engage with their role or withdrawing for self-care for a period.
Examples	Adjust ways of working within teams of varied backgrounds and opinions to facilitate effective academic decisions Manage own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with changing responses of individuals and groups in an academic setting Be receptive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback Maintain respectful communication practices in times of increased stressors or workloads Adjust to changing circumstances in a way that allows self-care while maintaining a focus on academic achievement