General Information

Overview

The Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is an integrated four-year program that offers your first step towards becoming a professional psychologist and prepares you for postgraduate studies in specialist areas.

Learn about abnormal and developmental psychology, cognition, psychological assessment, personality, social psychology and statistics, biology, chemistry and physiology.

Study structure

Successful completion of the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) requires students to complete units of study to the value of 400 credit points. All units of study are valued at 12.5 credit points unless otherwise stated. 

  • Full-time study: 100 credit points/eight standard units of study per year

  • Part-time study: 50 credit points/four standard units of study per year

  • One credit point is equivalent to one hour of study per week per semester (including contact hours and private study)

  • See the course planner for an example degree structure 

Choose from a combination of the following course components to complete 150 credit points of other study. Students may also select elective units (12.5 credit points each).

A co-major is a major in a field of study outside this course. You can choose one in addition to a first major. Co-majors will not be named on your testamur certificate however will be shown on your transcript of results.

  • Criminology

  • Entrepreneurship and Innovation

  • Human Resource Management

  • Indigenous Studies

  • Management

  • Neuroscience

  • Public Relations
     

View co-major units

Minors are a structured set of 4 units or 50 credit points and may be chosen from any field of study.

  • Applied Psychology

  • Biomedical Science

  • Criminology

  • Entrepreneurship 

  • Health Statistics

  • Marketing

  • Neuroscience

  • Human Resource Management 

  • Indigenous Studies

  • Innovation
     

View minor units

These recommended elective units can deepen your understanding of your chosen major or an area of interest. A full list of available elective units can be found upon enrolment.

  • ACC10007 Financial Information for Decision Making
  • BIO10001 Concepts of Biology
  • BIO10004 Anatomy and Physiology
  • CHE10007 Introduction to Forensic Science
  • CRI10002 Fundamentals of Criminology
  • FOR10001 Introduction to Forensic Psychology
  • FOR30001 Advanced Topics in Forensic Psychology
  • HEA10001 Introduction to Health Sciences
  • HEA10004 Digital Health Foundations
  • HEA20006 Indigenous Health
  • HEP20002 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
  • MGT10001 Introduction to Management
  • NEU10002 Neuroscience
  • NEU20006 Neurophysiology
  • PSY20001 Theories of Counselling
  • PSY20003 Psychology of Adolescence
  • PSY20005 Sports Psychology
  • PSY20008 Psychology of Infancy and Early Childhood
  • PSY20009 Dimensions of Human Sexuality
  • PSY20011 Human Factors Psychology
  • PSY30001 Psychology of Health
  • PSY30011 Psychology of Wellbeing
  • PSY30012 Psychology of Trauma
  • PSY30014 Applied Social Psychology
  • SPO10002 The Psychology of Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity
  • STA20008 Statistics for Forensics
  • STA20009 Epidemiology
  • STA20010 Statistical Computing
  • STA30004 Data Mining
  • STA30005 Multivariate Analysis
     
Find more detail about elective units

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), graduates will be able to:

  • explain and critically evaluate the theoretical underpinnings, advanced theories, and methods of scientific psychology

  • communicate and work effectively in contexts relevant to professional, clinical, and research applications of psychology

  • explain and apply the principles of selection, development, administration, and interpretation of reliable and valid psychological tests that are situationally and culturally appropriate 

  • explain and apply basic assessment techniques and strategies for psychological practice

  • describe, evaluate, and explain the application of basic psychological interventions for a range of contexts

  • work with a high degree of independence to design, conduct, evaluate, and report original research

  • apply psychological concepts, theories, and methods in a science-based, safe, and ethical manner, that shows awareness of situation, culture and individual diversity. 

Career opportunities

Future career options for graduates of this degree may include social welfare consultant, medical researcher, child safety officer, health officer, clinical worker and child development officer.

Graduates seeking general registration as practicing psychologists in Australia must successfully graduate from an accredited postgraduate program, such as the Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology), Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) or Doctor of Psychology (Clinical and Forensic Psychology), or undergo a two-year supervised internship program.

For more detailed information on Australian requirements for registration as a psychologist, visit the Australian Psychological Society website.

Professional recognition

The Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is professionally accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council. 

Course rules

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), students must complete 400 credit points comprising of:

  • 4 Core units of study (50 credit points)

  • 14 Psychology discipline major units of study (200 credit points)

  • Secondary studies comprising a second major, minor/s, student enrichment studies or electives, as applicable (150 credit points).


Students may not complete more than 150 cps (normally 12 units) at Introductory Level. A unit of study can only be counted once. Where units are shared between majors and/or minors, students must choose an approved alternate.

To be eligible for progression into the fourth year of this program, students must achieve a minimum of a distinction average (70%) in core psychology units at the third year level. Students who do not achieve this standard exit the degree after 3 years and receive the award of BA-PSY.

Honours merit calculation

The total Honours Result is based on the weighted average of units, with the following descriptive outcomes:

  • H1A – First Class Honours 80% - 100%

  • H2A – Second Class Honours A 70% - 79%

  • H2B – Second Class Honours B 60% to 69%

  • H3 – Third Class honours 50% - 59%.


Units included in calculation and weighting:

  • PSY40001 Advanced Quantitative Methods (12.5 credit points), weighting of 12.5% in final honours result

  • PSY40006 Psychological Assessment (12.5 credit points), weighting of 12.5% in final honours result

  • PSY40005 Ethics and Professional Issues in Psychology (12.5 credit points), weighting of 12.5% in final honours result

  • PSY40009 Honours Thesis A (25 credit points), weighting of 25% in final honours result

  • PSY40002 Honours Thesis B (25 credit points), weighting of 25% in final honours result.


Electives (students choose one):

  • PSY40004 Current Issues in Social Psychology, or

  • PSY40008 Counselling Psychology, or

  • NEU40002 Neuroscience Methods, or

  • NEU40001 Neuropsychology Methods

Whichever elective is completed will be weighted at 12.5% in the final honours result.

Maximum Academic Credit

The maximum credit that can be granted for the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is 150 credit points (normally 12 units). This allows students to complete the required APAC accredited psychology unit sequence.

Admission criteria

Meeting the minimum entry requirements for the course does not guarantee offer of a place. Information about Swinburne's general admission criteria can be found at Admissions at Swinburne- Higher Education webpage.

Entry requirements

A. Applicants with recent secondary education (within past three years)

ATAR

This course uses the ATAR as part of its selection considerations.

Guaranteed ATAR: if you receive an ATAR of 85 or higher and meet all the essential requirements for this course, you will be guaranteed an offer.

Educational history

An applicant's entire academic history, including ATAR results, will be considered for entry into this course.

Selection rank adjustments

Selection ranks for this course will be calculated based on your ATAR with adjustments to overall study scores based on subjects studied, location of your home address, SEAS application, and participation In Swinburne's Early Leaders program. For further details about

selection rank adjustments, see Admissions at Swinburne.

Subject Adjustments

A study score of 25 in Health and Human Development, Legal Studies, any Mathematics, any

Science or Sociology equals 2 aggregate points per study. Overall maximum of 15 points.

Meeting course prerequisites

VCE units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in any English (except EAL) or at least 30 in

English as Alternate Language (EAL) or equivalent.

ATAR-Based offers only, across all offer rounds ATAR
Excluding adjustment factors
Selection Rank
ATAR + any adjustment factors
Highest rank to receive an offer 99.45 99.85
Median rank to receive an offer 87.95 90.6
Lowest rank to receive an offer 76.85 82.25

B. Applicants with higher education study

Educational history

This course only accepts applicants who have just completed Year 12 or have not commenced any studies after completing Year 12 (ATAR results from the last seven years can be considered).

Meeting course prerequisites

As for Year 12 or equivalent.

C. Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study

Educational history

This course only accepts applicants who have just completed Year 12 or have not commenced any studies after completing Year 12 (ATAR results from the last seven years can be considered).

Meeting course prerequisites

As for Year 12 or equivalent.

D. Applicants with work and life experience

Entire academic record

This course only accepts applicants who have just completed Year 12 or have not commenced any studies after completing Year 12 (ATAR results from the last seven years can be considered).

Meeting course prerequisites

As for Year 12 or equivalent.

Student profile

The table below gives an indication of the likely peer cohort for new students in this course. It provides data on students who commenced in this course in the most relevant recent intake period, including those admitted through all offer rounds and international students studying in Australia.

  Semester 1, 2023
Applicant background Number of students Percentage of all students
(A) Higher education study (includes a bridging or enabling course) N/A N/A
(B) Vocational education and training (VET) study N/A N/A
(C) Work and life experience (admitted on the basis of previous achievement not in the other three categories) 0 0
(D) Recent secondary education:    
Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR (regardless of whether this includes the consideration of adjustment factors such as equity or subject bonus points) N/P N/P
Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were N/A considered (e.g. portfolio, audition, extra test, early offer conditional on minimum ATAR) N/A N/A
Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was N/A not a factor (e.g. special consideration, audition alone, schools recommendation scheme with no minimum ATAR requirement) N/A N/A
International students <5 <5
All students 22 100%
Notes:
 “<5” – the number of students is less than 5.
N/A – Students not accepted in this category.
N/P – Not published: the number is hidden to prevent calculation of numbers in cells with less than 5 students.

 

Interested in the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)?

From state-of-the-art facilities to opportunities to engage with industry – this course is designed with your future in mind. Let's get started.

View course page