Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)

Bachelor of Arts Honours (Psychology)

Course Description

Psychologists help us to understand who we are and how we think, feel and act. They aim to help people function better and to prevent ill-health and other problems developing. Clients include children, adults, couples, families and organisations.

A three-year degree in Psychology provides comprehensive training in the processes basic to human psychological functioning required for qualification as a professional psychologist. These include biological and social bases of behaviour, cognition, learning, perception, social and organisational behaviour, personality, abnormality and research and assessment tools.

Psychology can be usefully combined with most disciplines available in either a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. Choose to study either of these degrees in terms of the other subjects you wish to take as complementary to the study of Psychology. Science provides a stronger background in the biological basis of human behaviour, while Arts allows for an integration of a wider range of methods for understanding the human experience.

Students with an excellent academic record may apply to transfer to the four-year Bachelor of Psychology degree, which provides conditional accreditation by the State Registration Board. 

Entry Requirements

Academic requirements, English requirements and credit transfer information are available from the Course Finder. 

Course Structure

The Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) requires the successful completion of 144 credit points of subjects in accordance with the table detailed under each major.

Elective subjects can be chosen from Social Sciences, Law, Humanities & The Arts, or the General Schedules.

Subjects to a value of at least 90 credit points must be selected from the Social Sciences or Law, Humanities & The Arts schedules. The subjects completed for the Psychology major count toward this 90 credit point requirement.

Students may undertake no more than 60 credit points of 100 level subjects. 

MinorS

• Psychology

Non-psychology students can complete a minor study in Psychology. A minor in Psychology will consist of at least 30 credit points in subjects with the prefix 'PSYC' from the course structure of the Bachelor of Psychology degree, and must include PSYC121, PSYC122, PSYC123 and any two of PSYC231 or PSYC234 or PSYC236 or PSYC241 or PSYC251. Subjects in the minor may not be cross counted towards any other minor or major study.

Social Sciences also offers minor studies in:

• Indigenous Health Studies (See Bachelor of Health Science in Indigenous Health Studies further information)

• Introduction to Public Health (See Bachelor of Public Health for further information) 

Professional Recognition/accreditation

Completion of four years in Psychology is an important first step for registration as a psychologist in Australia. The Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) is accredited as the first three years of study. To complete the four years students must complete an add-on Honours year or a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology to meet the academic requirements for conditional registration as a psychologist in NSW.

An additional two years of supervised practice is necessary to apply for registration as a professional psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia. This can be through two years supervised practice in the community or a fifth year at university plus one year of supervised practice in the community.

Accreditation with the Australian Psychological Society, the national professional association, requires six years of approved academic study. 

Honours

Honours in Psychology is a fourth year of study accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). Psychology Honours is a route to the Postgraduate coursework or research degrees in Psychology. It is also a partial qualification for registration as a Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia, a post-degree supervision period also being required.

Graduates of the University of Wollongong with a major in Psychology are eligible to apply for admission to Psychology Honours provided that:

• they have completed an undergraduate degree curriculum with a major in psychology;
• they have completed PSYC251 Psychology of Abnormality, PSYC348 History and Metatheory of Psychology, and PSYC354 Design and Analysis;
• they have completed at least 76 credit points of Psychology subjects at 200- and 300- levels; they have at least a credit average for Psychology subjects at 200- and 300- levels. For the purposes of assessing eligibility for entry to the Honours program, the School uses the weighted average mark (WAM) of the best 11 subjects from successfully completed 200- and 300- level Psychology subjects, including PSYC354 Design and Analysis and PSYC348 History and Metatheory in Psychology (or their equivalent). 

Other Information

Other information is available at:
UOW Course Finder