Outline

Overview

The aim of this unit is to introduce students to various ways in which psychological theory and research can be applied in the real world. In particular, this unit will focus on Health Psychology, Forensic Psychology, and Organisational Psychology. The Health Psychology component of this course may include investigation into why we engage in risky health behaviours including smoking, overeating and alcohol use; inequalities in health including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island health; dealing with chronic illness including death and dying, and survivorship. The Forensic Psychology component of the course may include investigation into lie detection, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and eyewitness memory. The Organisational Psychology component of the course may focus on personnel selection, training in organisations, performance measurement, workplace motivation, leadership and aspects of positive psychology.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Psychology Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points of 1000-level psychology units and 12 credit points of 2000-level Psychology units
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	PSYC3019
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Lisa Kim, lisa.kim@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written exam ?	Final Exam See Canvas for details.	40%	Formal exam period	2 hours	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
In-class quiz	Tutorial Quizzes See Canvas for details.	20%	Multiple weeks	See Canvas for details.	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Engagement Engagement in tutorials (or through a reflective journal).	10%	Ongoing	See Canvas for details.	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Essay See Canvas for details.	30%	Week 08 Due date: 22 Sep 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 20 Oct 2025	See Canvas for details.	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Tutorial Quizzes: There will be six quizzes that will take place during your tutorials, but only the marks from your five best quizzes will count towards your final grade. Each of the five quizzes will be worth 4% of the total marks for this.

Quiz #1 will be completed in the Week 3 tutorial and will assess lectures, tutorials, and readings from Weeks 1-2.
Quiz #2 will be completed in the Week 5 tutorial and will assess lectures, tutorials, and readings from Weeks 3-4.
Quiz #3 will be completed in the Week 7 tutorial and will assess lectures, tutorials, and readings from Weeks 5-6.
Quiz #4 will be completed in the Week 10 tutorial and will assess lectures, tutorials, and readings from Weeks 7-8.
Quiz #5 will be completed in the Week 11 tutorial and will assess lectures, tutorials, and readings from Weeks 9-10.
Quiz #6 will be completed in the Week 13 tutorial and will assess lectures, tutorials, and readings from Weeks 11-12.

If you miss one quiz, then your marks from the other five quizzes will count towards your final grade. If you miss more than one quiz and successfully apply for Special Consideration, you will be asked to sit a replacement the week after the quiz (or quizzes). If you cannot attend the replacement quiz (or quizzes) and successfully apply for another Special Consideration, you will receive 'mark adjustment', where the mark you receive for that quiz (or quizzes) will be the average of the quizzes that you have completed.

Engagement: Attendance and participation in tutorial discussions will contribute to your engagement mark. There is the option of completing a reflective journal - this option is for students who do not wish to or are unable to contribute to class discussions. Each journal entry must be a half-page reflection on the tutorial content from that week. If you choose to submit a reflective journal, it is due by midnight of the following Sunday. See Canvas for more details.

Essay: A full marking rubric and guidelines for the Essay will be posted on Canvas and discussed in your tutorials. See Canvas for more details.

Final Exam: A two-hour closed book exam will be held after the teaching period ends. If you miss the Final Exam and are approved by Special Consideration, you will sit a Replacement Exam during the Replacement Exam period. The Final Exam is a compulsory assessment, so if you do not attempt it, you will receive an Absent Fail (AF) grade, and it is also a hurdle assessment, so you will need to meet the required standard in order to pass the unit. See Canvas for more details.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Organisational Psychology: Introduction and Job Analysis	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Organisational Psychology: History and Theory	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Organisational Psychology: Job Performance	Lecture (1 hr)
	Organisational Psychology: Motivation	Lecture (1 hr)
	Introduction to PSYC3020 and Job Analysis	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Organisational Psychology: Training	Lecture (1 hr)
	Organisational Psychology: Teams and Leadership	Lecture (1 hr)
	Job Selection; Quiz 1	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Forensic Psychology: Introduction and Theories of Crime	Lecture (1 hr)
	Forensic Psychology: Criminal Offenders I	Lecture (1 hr)
	Group decision-making and leadership	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Forensic Psychology: Criminal Offenders II	Lecture (1 hr)
	Forensic Psychology: Criminal Offenders III	Lecture (1 hr)
	Risk Assessment and Treatment of Offenders; Quiz 2	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Forensic Psychology: Eyewitness Memory and Credibility	Lecture (1 hr)
	Forensic Psychology: Lies and the detection of deception	Lecture (1 hr)
	Eyewitness Memory Tutorial I	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Forensic Psychology: Child Witnesses I	Lecture (1 hr)
	Forensic Psychology: Child Witnesses II	Lecture (1 hr)
	Eyewitness Memory Tutorial II; Quiz 3	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Forensic psychology: Police psychology	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Forensic Psychology: Victims of Crime	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Health Psychology: Where social, legal, & health psychology collide	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Health Psychology: Introduction to Health Psychology; Models of health behaviour	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Health Psychology: Health disparities and adjustment to illness	Lecture (1 hr)
	Health Psychology: Health risk and enhancing behaviours	Lecture (1 hr)
	Closing the gap – co-designing interventions and challenging individual biases; Quiz 4	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Health Psychology: Interventions: Individual and public health	Lecture (1 hr)
	Medical Decision-Making	Lecture (1 hr)
	Using health models to change behaviour; Quiz 5	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Health Psychology: Medical communication and family-centered care	Lecture (1 hr)
	Health Psychology: End of life and palliative care	Lecture (1 hr)
	Motivational Interviewing	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Health Psychology: Psychosexual adjustment following illness	Lecture (1 hr)
	Health Psychology: Cancer survivorship	Lecture (1 hr)
	Triadic (clinician-patient-family) communication; Quiz 6	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Comprehend key concepts, empirical findings, and theories in organisational psychology.
LO2. Comprehend key concepts, empirical findings, and theories in forensic psychology.
LO3. Comprehend key concepts, empirical findings, and theories in health psychology.
LO4. Describe, analyse, and critically evaluate key research and theories in psychology.
LO5. Apply core psychological research and theories to organisational, legal, and/or health settings.
LO6. Generate evidence-based recommendations/solutions to applied problems in psychology.
LO7. Understand how traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges can benefit individuals and communities.
LO8. Understand how traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges can benefit individuals and communities.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Student feedback is very important to us and we do our best to incorporate student evaluations into our teaching and unit coordination. Based on the feedback last year, we plan to give students more detailed information about the essay and exam questions. We also will ensure that students get more prompt feedback on their quizzes.

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Due to the nature of the class, some topics that will be covered may make you feel uncomfortable or uneasy (e.g., descriptions of crimes including sexual assault, murder, child abuse, domestic violence, discussions of death and dying). If you anticipate that this may be a problem, then we advise you not to take this elective unit of study. However, if you do decide to take it and feel uncomfortable or uneasy, it is important that you contact the unit coordinator or another member of the team as soon as possible to discuss this with them. You are not required to share confidential information with us if you do not wish to. If you attend the class but at any point you feel uncomfortable, you are free to leave. However, you should contact one of the lecturing staff afterwards, who will be happy to assign you comparable readings and study materials since the content of the tutorials and lectures is examinable. They can also provide contact details for support services.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PSYC3020: Applied Psychology

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links