Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)

Overview

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 the Bachelor of Arts degree. The Faculty of Law, Humanities & The Arts offers a range of other subjects that you may wish to take as complementary to the study of Psychology. 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 (Honours) degree, which provides partial qualification for registration as a Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia, a post degree supervision period also being required.

Entry Requirements

Academic requirements and English requirements are available from the Course Finder.

Course Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a broad and coherent knowledge of core topics in the discipline of psychology, their applications, and ethical behaviour in research and professional contexts.
2. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of research methods, including an evaluation of the characteristics of the science of psychology/scientific method.
3. Demonstrate an ability to apply research methods to address psychological questions related to behaviour and mental processes.
4. Write standard research reports and orally present information in various formats.
5. Exhibit a capacity for independent learning to sustain personal and professional development in the changing world of the science and practice of psychology.
6. Apply critical thinking skills and knowledge of scientific method to evaluate claims regarding psychological phenomena.
7. Use information in an ethical manner and apply knowledge of ethical and legislative requirements to determine appropriate ethical conduct in a range of contexts.
8. Develop a knowledge of the person and their relationship to society.

Course Structure

The Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) requires the successful completion of 144 credit points of subjects comprising:

1. 72 credit points of Psychology subjects for the major in Psychology;
2. 6 credit points selected from the approved list of 100-level subjects from the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts;
3. 18 credit points of elective subjects selected from the Faculty of Social Sciences and/or the Faculty of Law, Humanities & the Arts;
4. 48 credit points of elective subjects selected from the Faculty of Social Sciences; Faculty of Law, Humanities & the Arts; or the General Schedule;
5. Subjects completed in (a) and (c) above will satisfy the requirement of completing 90 credit points from the Faculty of Social Science and/or the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts; and
6. No more than 60 credit points will be at 100-level.

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

*At least 18cp MUST be selected from the Faculty of Social Sciences and/or the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts.  Students who intend to apply for the fourth year (Honours) should also give consideration to the Honours entry requirements when selecting electives.

Minor

• Psychology 

A minor in Psychology will consist of at least five subjects to the value of 30 credit points as outlined below: 

Subjects in the minor may not be cross counted towards any other minor or major study.

Honours

The Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as the fourth year of study required for provisional registration as a professional psychologist.

If you wish to be eligible to apply for the honours year you must have completed:

• All degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts (Psyc);
• PSYC251 Psychology of Abnormality, PSYC348 History and Metatheory of Psychology, and PSYC354 Design and Analysis; and
• At least 76 credit points of Psychology subjects at 200- and 300- levels. 

Further information on the entry requirements is available from the Psychology website.

Credit Arrangements

Credit and articulation arrangements are available from the Course Finder. Refer to UOW's credit arrangements for information on how to apply for credit.

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 such as the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) or a Graduate Diploma in Psychology to meet the academic requirements for conditional registration as a psychologist in NSW.

Students who are enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and wish to undertake the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) are advised to check the entry criteria prior to completing their degree to ensure they have completed all subjects required for entry to the Honours course.

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.

Other Information

Further information is available at:
UOW Course Finder
Email: psyc-enquiries@uow.edu.au