University Of Pretoria Psychology

About the Department of Psychology

Departmental enquiries can be emailed to psych.info@up.ac.za

The department consists of permanent, full-time academic members of staff, 1 senior administrative officer and 2 departmental administrators. We also have 5 extraordinary professors who are appointed on an annual basis, primarily to assist with the academic supervision of masters and doctoral students.

In addition to the above, the Department has access to the services of 2 contract lecturers, 6 student assistants, 7 research assistants and 21 tutors.  Various guest lecturers are also appointed on an annual basis to present undergraduate modules and specialist themes at postgraduate level.

Background

The Department currently presents undergraduate and postgraduate modules in psychology.  The undergraduate psychology modules are mostly taken as electives with the BA (General) degree.

In order to gain entrance into the Honours in Psychology degree programme, psychology has to be taken as a major or elective, which will include all undergraduate psychology modules for the three years of the BA degree.

For students in the Humanities Faculty this will mean registering for a BA (General) degree with Psychology as one of the majors. Psychology can also be an elective for other degrees in other faculties (confirm requirements / limitations of those faculties).

Besides the honours programme (BSocSci Honours with specialisation in Psychology), the department also presents four master’s programmes (MA Psychology; MA Clinical Psychology; MA Counselling Psychology; MA Research Psychology) and a doctoral programme (PhD (Psychology).

Values

In 2006, the vision and mission of the Department of Psychology was reviewed. Central to the new vision and mission is the Department’s aim to develop a strong cadre of intellectuals who have the cognitive skills to a make a contribution to a sound, functioning civil society and to the development of psychology as a science and a profession. 

Vision

The Psychology Department aims to:

1. equip our students with the proper values, quality skills and knowledge that will enable them to become competent in their professional careers and spheres of life;
2. ensure that the programmes offered reflect a quality curriculum that is locally relevant and internationally competitive;
3. ensure the provision of academic and general formative education to students that will assist them to function innovatively in a globalised, continuously changing and diverse environment;
4. ensure that through our work performance, an inclusive and empowering organisational culture is developed;
5. apply management practices and principles that support excellent performance in teaching, administration and research;
6. encourage the development of research focus areas to enhance the culture of research and publication;
7. develop and maintain academic research co-operatives and partnerships with local, regional and international institutions;
8. contribute to building and sustaining community engagement through research.

Mission

1. In order to achieve this vision, the Department of Psychology aims to:
2. be recognised nationally and internationally for its quality contribution to teaching and learning, research and community work;
3. be a professional home for diverse, competent and committed staff who are supported by efficient systems and procedures;
4. become a catalyst for community development by adding value and making a contribution towards sustainable community engagement in South Africa.