Naushaan Ahmad

The curiosity to understand human behaviour and the psychological drive behind the world of crime and justice made Naushaan Ahmad pursue a Flexible Double Degree at The Australian National University (ANU).

Intrigued by the psychology of criminality and questions like what makes one cause harm to others, Naushaan decided to pursue a double degree in Bachelor of Psychology and Bachelor of Criminology at the University.

“The combined field of Psychology and Criminology is more than just a spine-tingling episode of a crime show – it can help make the world a safer place by protecting the mental wellbeing of those on the edge of delinquency,” Naushaan says.

“A double degree in Psychology and Criminology would have you immersed and intrigued till the very end. The Criminology degree will expose you to the canon of criminology – including the causes of criminal offending, external and internal influences on crime, the journey of the criminal justice system including its marginalisation and inequalities and so much more.

“The Psychology degree will expose you to the six different areas of psychology: developmental, social, personality, methods, cognition and biological, as well as a chance to delve into more specialised areas such as neuroscience, counselling, health and organisational (business) psychology.

“Both degrees offer an immense range of skills essential to any workplace, becoming a fantastic launch pad for a range of careers.” 

Naushaan’s favourite course is PSYC3026 Personality Psychology as it explores the main theoretical approaches to personality psychology, including whether traits cause behaviour, how biological factors shape personality, what dynamic unconscious processes operate within the personality, how humanistic, existential, and cultural factors influence personality, and how learning, cognitions and affect shape personality.

“Even if you are not studying the degree, I’d highly recommend taking on this course if you have an interest in the criminal mind,” she says.

Naushaan made the decision to pursue her degree at ANU as it gave her the flexibility of designing her own double degree in areas of her interests. Another deciding factor is studying with academics who are at the forefront of their fields and offer opportunities to build networks. 

Living in Sydney, Naushaan moved to Canberra to study and her experience of the city so far has been “perfect”. Apart from the ease of living, she loves the scenic views of the picturesque city.

The start of university life at ANU has been a life-changing experience for Naushaan.

“The experience has helped me immensely. I learned how to do my taxes and realised that it is just as important to take out time for your own mental health. Managing a busy lifestyle can be detrimental if you don’t take the necessary self-care measures,” she says.

“Another great part of this experience is my involvement within the ANU and wider Canberra community. Throughout my time at ANU, I have been involved in the Women’s Department committee, the ANU Clubs Council, the ANUSA Students Space, Bossy magazine, the ANU Astronomy Society and the ANU Criminology Society to name a few. Through these involvements, I have made good friends and been a part of some memorable events.

“I have also been involved in the Canberra Women’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which has been a beautiful experience allowing me to reinvigorate my spirituality whilst kindling new friendships with like-minded women.”

To future students applying for a double degree, she tells them to find a “degree buddy” who is someone pursuing the same degree.

“This way, you’ll be able to help each other out and will always have someone to accompany you to lectures,” Naushaan says.

Written by Neha Attre