Undergraduate Studies

Specific requirements on the part of students who can be admitted (Qualifications; prior knowledge level; any others – please specify):

No specific requirements needed. Students should successfully complete their class XII from a recognized board.

Entrance process (test, interview, cut-offs, etc.):

There is no entrance test for admission to the BA Honors in Psychology. Admissions are based on cut offs and students may also be admitted through lateral entry as per AUD rules.

No. of students to be admitted (with justification if lower than usual cohort size is proposed):

Number of students admitted in the BA Psychology Programme is strictly based on AUD admission guidelines.

Programme scheduling (semesters; years; whether includes inter-semester breaks or not; etc.):

The BA Psychology Programme follows semester mode of teaching and assessments across 6 semesters.

What are the intended aims of the programme?

Designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the discipline of Psychology, BA Honours with a Major in Psychology aspires to enable the student to think critically and creatively as s/he engages with complexities of human behaviour and experience. It aims to develop in the student an understanding of Psychology that is both theoretical and applied and hopes to explore a wide range of questions about the nature of human mind and self in diverse contexts. It seeks to train the student in critical and analytical thinking which shall be supplemented by application based knowledge (practicums on experimentation, psychological testing and preparing case studies). These skills shall enable students to work in diverse fields employing a psychological lens.

How does the programme link with the vision of AUD?

AUD in it’s vision to bring together academic excellence with social justice, aspires to mould its students into informed and sensitive professionals who will engage with their social responsibilities and will react to the needs of the marginalised sections of our society. The BA program in Psychology brings to the student critical themes in the field of Psychology even as it helps students to critically engage with the social reality. and question the celebrated universal. It encourages students to know and look beyond the established mainstream and appreciate the socio-political-cultural dynamics in the creation of mainstream. This critical lens is cross cutting across most of the courses offered in the program. The program in addition to a critical lens Psychology, also encourages students to adopt a sensitive and empathetic stance towards various human predicaments. These qualities equip them to engage with both the mainstream and the marginalized with criticality and in a non-judgemental and sensitive manner. Further in the spirit of making teaching learning processes liberating undertakings, most of the courses are designed in such a way that students actively participate in the learning process by engaging, analysing and creatively thinking through different perspectives which are relevant to the society and individual self. The programs’ assessment system which emphasizes group works , field projects , and a transparent evaluation encourage students to work creatively in teams and most importantly to ask questions. This helps us to work towards the University’s vision to combine equity and social justice with excellence and to pioneer an institutional culture of non-hierarchical functioning, teamwork and creativity.

How is the proposed programme positioned vis-à- vis the programmatic scheme envisaged for the School at its inception? How does the programme link with other programme(s) of the School?

The BA (Hons) Psychology programme has been housed under the School of Undergraduate Studies (SUS) since its inception. The Psychology programme has both compulsory and elective courses spread across 6 semesters. Core courses familiarise students with the history and methods of Psychology. They learn about cognition, childhood, neuropsychology, social and abnormal psychology. Various courses of Psychology programme including the compulsory courses for Psychology students are open as electives to students of other disciplines so that they can explore, learn and relate psychological knowledge with their parent disciplines. Similarly Psychology students have the option of choosing electives from other disciplines.

Does the programme connect to, build on or overlap with any other programmes offered in the University? Is it offered in collaboration with any School/Centre at AUD (if yes, please specify the nature of collaboration)?

The BA programme in Psychology is transacted by Psychology faculty members who are also associated with the postgraduate and research programmes in Psychology. The programme caters to building in the student a basic but thorough grasp of the discipline of Psychology. This endeavour is not without a critical engagement with the discipline of Psychology, a questioning of universalist trends by foregrounding situated knowing as a lens. This reaffirms the necessity of a psychosocial approach that opens the individual as rooted in his/her everyday and marks a convergence with the Post graduate programme and the psychosocial approach. In addition to theoretical bridges, students are encouraged to participate in activities / events organized by the CPCR which is a platform for further interaction.

In addition to the 12 core courses for a major in Psychology, the BA programme structure offers Foundation Courses that contextualize the field of social sciences as well as Electives (other than parent disciplines) that students can choose from. This introduces an element of overlap and a nascent interdisciplinarity given the multiple lenses placed before the student to open up the human predicament. Courses in Education, Sociology and Creative Expression carry a foundational proximity and common thematic concerns (caste, gender, voice and articulation) that can further be explored in terms of collaboration .

How is it positioned in relation to other similar programmes in the field?

The BA Honors in Psychology at AUD offers a thorough understanding of the discipline of Psychology as it is disseminated in Universities across India. In addition to equipping the student with a basic but thorough grasp of mainstream psychological concepts and systems, the BA (Hons) Psychology also brings to the classroom a critical lens that situates the mainstream in a sociopolitical context and caters to constitutive exclusions. The bringing together of psychosocial lens with contemporary issues of relevance is reflected in innovative courses on offer such as Identity Through Popular Narratives (ITPN) (Foundation Course), Psychology in Action and Psychology for India (Core Courses) and the Open Elective Understanding Disability through Media. It is hoped that such a positioning will be of immense help to young students who can bring in fresh and innovative perspectives and research in the field.

Is there a sufficiently defined body of knowledge and literature to support the programme?

Psychology as a discipline has a long history and sufficient literature exists to firmly support the BA Psychology Programme in AUD. Writings in the psychosocial tradition offer a fertile ground to anchor different allied courses. The inclusion of writings and literatures from India, given it’s rich philosophical and psychological heritage as well as contemporary work in areas of social justice catering to themes of institutionalised violence and agency will further help students to understand the concepts and theories from Indian perspectives. Internally, the programme has its own team of faculty members and committee to support the programme. Literatures and required study materials are mostly available in the university library. Faculty and Student representatives through programme specific Student Faculty Committee (SFC) also facilitate and support the programme by exchanging views and ideas from time to time.

What are the program specific graduate attributes?

• Programme specific graduate attributes include:
  • Thorough knowledge and grasp of the subject.
  • Capacity to critically engage with diverse theoretical perspectives
  • Capacity to evaluate and apply the knowledge of research methods in psychology in undertaking field work.
  • Acquire basic knowledge of the practical skills like psychological testing , preparing case reports , and counselling.
  • Sensitivity towards diverse socio-cultural milieu.
  • Capacity to listen and communicate sensitively and empathetically.
  • Capacity for self reflexivity.
• What are the professional trajectories that the graduates of the programme may pursue?
  • Graduates with BA major in Psychology have wide professional trajectories:
  • They may work in different public and private organizations including NGO’s. dedicated to mental health and social welfare.
  • Students may get involved in clinics and hospitals as interns.
  • In schools, they may assist the counsellors in testing and providing relevant intervention as well as giving career guidance to students.
  • They may choose to pursue career in the field of media and advertising.
  • They may also explore career opportunities in organizations which conduct psychological testing and assessments for recruitment, selection and training. They may work as team leader, customer support manager and work along with HR professionals both in Government as well as non government organizations.

Are there sufficient in-house faculty resources available for the programme? If not, please provide an estimate of additional faculty resources required.

Due to the high enrolment rate of students in some courses leading to creating multiple sections in the same course, there is need for more in house faculty to meet the increasing demands. Also, with parallel programmes running in two AUD campuses i.e. Kashmere Gate and Karampura campus, there is need for more faculty resources.

Rationale for the nomenclature of the programme

The nomenclature of the programme i.e. BA (Hons) Psychology is based on the conventional standards accepted and followed in various colleges and universities within India and abroad.

Teaching-learning:

Instructional strategies: Teaching is the Psychology programme is largely in an interactive mode. The classroom is imagined as a space of rich discussion and interaction. Students as active participants are invited to share experiences, offer reflections and critique themes being taken up for discussion. Courses are designed in a way that encourages student participation in the learning process by critically engaging with and creatively thinking about perspectives which are relevant to the society and individual self. To that end, the use of films, documentaries, case studies and narratives helps illustrate significant aspects of the courses. Dynamic classroom exercises - role play, group discussions and presentations, experiential sessions - encourage peer learning and self-reflection.

Special needs for the programme (instructional space: studio, lab, clinic, workshop, etc.; equipment, software, any other – please specify): Special laboratory equipped with latest desktop computers and internet connection, psychological testing kits, audio-visual equipments such as projector, speakers etc would be required to conduct experiments and psychological testing. Classrooms fitted with audio-visual equipments would also be required.