Swinburne psychology above world standard

Swinburne University of Technology's outstanding teaching, research and community services in the area of psychology have been highlighted in the recent Excellence in Research for Australia 2012 ratings.

Professor Greg Murray, Head of Psychological Sciences and Statistics (PSS) at Swinburne, said psychology, through its work in psychological sciences, neuroscience and psychopharmacology, rated above world standard.

"The Australian Research Council conducts independent benchmarking of discipline groups across Australia's universities," Professor Murray said.

"In the 2010 rankings, Swinburne Psychology received a rating of 3 (world standard) for research, but we have improved upon this with a rating of 4 (above world standard) in the 2012 exercise," he said.

"The rating reflects not just the quality and quantity of our psychological research, but also its impact on the community.

"This is a pleasing result for our group, putting Swinburne Psychology equal fifth amongst Australia's 41 universities and second in Victoria."

The Brain and Psychological Sciences Centre (BPsyC) is one of Swinburne's premier research centres, attracting high quality postgraduate and postdoctoral research scholars.

The centre fosters local and international research in collaboration with government, industry and academic institutions, and is made up of a multi-disciplinary team of researchers across several areas of expertise including psychologists, neuroscientists, physicists and statisticians.

"This outstanding feedback from the Australian Research Council is particularly satisfying because we continue to be a student focused university," he said.

Professor Murray, who is a practicing clinical psychologist, said Swinburne's Hawthorn campus is also the home of the Swinburne Psychology Clinic, which is one of the oldest and largest clinics operating out of an Australian university.

"The clinic, which was established in 1990 to provide a range of low-cost psychological services to the Melbourne community, is also a valuable research and training facility for students," Professor Murray said.

"We have a large number of clinicians on staff and so students experience a real-world focus from the start of their courses."

New students begin by completing a degree with a major in psychology, graduates can undertake a fourth year in psychology and further postgraduate study in specialist areas of professional psychology such as counselling and clinical psychology.

All of the psychology courses at Swinburne, undergraduate and post-graduate, are accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).

Swinburne is ranked in the top 400 universities in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).