This page contains a catalogue of the courses that have been offered under the Psychology major/minor in recent years. Psychology majors are required to take as part of their degree requirements.

Core Courses

YSS2201 Introduction to Psychology

This course will introduce students to themselves and others as viewed through the lens of psychology. We will present and explore the scientific study of human (and animal) behaviour, seeking to understand why we think, feel, and act as we do. The goal is to build a firm foundation for those wishing to major in psychology while simultaneously providing an interesting and revealing elective to those visiting psychology on their way to other disciplines.

YSS2216 Statistics and Research Methods for Psychology

This course is concerned with research methods and the use of statistics in psychology. As such, this is a skills-oriented course aimed at preparing students for taking the required laboratory course in psychology as well as doing their senior capstone project. We will be covering research methods and statistics simultaneously since they are closely intertwined.

Sample Laboratory Courses

All Psychology majors are required to take at least one laboratory course.

YSS3252 Lab in Applying Psychology to Public Policy

In this course, students will explore how psychology can be applied to public policy. As a lab course, students will conduct their own randomised controlled trials requiring them to examine whether psychological concepts (particularly those from decision science and social psychology) can optimise the outcomes of “real-life” projects within the community. Projects will be conducted with government, not-for-profit, and town council agencies within Singapore.

YSS3279 Social Psychology Lab

This is a skills-based course concerned with research methods in social psychology, a core area of psychology that investigates situational forces affecting human thoughts, feelings, and actions. As such, we will be discussing different types of research done in social psychology and students will be doing projects using those methods. The course will culminate in students doing research projects and writing up these projects as if for publication. The first portion of the course will be concerned with methods and study proposals, whereas the second portion will be devoted to data collection, analysis, and writing up results.

Sample Psychology Electives

This is a sampling of some of the psychology electives we offer at Yale-NUS:

• YSC2231 Foundations of Neuroscience (cross-listed with Life Sciences)
• YSS3214 Abnormal Psychology
• YSS3285 Organizational Psychology
• YSS3317 Adolescent Development
• MUA3230 Music Cognition (cross-listed with Arts & Humanities, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music)
• YSS4202 Goals and Motivation
• YSS4206B Topics in Psychology: Love in the age of technology
• YSS4202 Goals and Motivation
• YSS4206C Topics in Psychology: The Pursuit of Happiness
• YSS4241 Parenting and Child Development
• YSS4263 Psychological Therapies