Bachelor of Psychological Science

2014 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2014 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2014 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Psychological Science
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Warrnambool, Cloud (online), Deakin Learning Hub-Dandenong, Hume Global Learning Centre (Craigieburn)
Cloud Campus	Yes
Duration	3 years full-time or part-time equivalent
CRICOS course code	079316E Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong)
Deakin course code	H344
Dandenong students must enrol in course code H344D Craigieburn students must enrol in course code H344C Course structure applies for students who commenced in 2014 onwards. Students who commenced prior to 2014 should refer to the 2012 course handbook entry or consult your course enrolment officer.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Psychology is concerned with understanding human personality, behaviour, emotion, underlying mental processes and the factors that lead people to differ in the way they think and behave. In the Bachelor of Psychological Science you will be exposed to a contemporary integrative approach to psychology, one that recognises the importance of, and interrelationships between, biological, developmental, social, cognitive, and developmental factors. In undertaking this course of study you will cover broad areas of psychology including behavioural and clinical neuroscience, child and adolescent psychology, relationships and the psychology of groups, cognitive psychology, forensic psychology, and psychopathology.

An undergraduate major sequence in psychology is also available to students enrolled in the following degrees: H345 Bachelor of Psychology, H300 Bachelor of Health Sciences, D387 Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science, D391 Bachelor of Health Sciences/Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), D390 Bachelor of Criminology /Bachelor of Psychological Science.

Work-Integrated Learning
As part of this course, you will also be given the opportunity to undertake an internship in psychology as well as develop your counselling skills through a suite of elective units offered by the School of Psychology.

Professional recognition

Deakin's Bachelor of Psychological Science is recognised for registration by the Psychology Board of Australia, accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and enables you to undertake additional study in pursuit of professional registration.

Registration as a Psychologist

The current requirements for registration as a provisional psychologist include the completion of four years of academic study of psychology that is recognised by the Psychology Board of Australia. The academic program usually consists of an approved undergraduate psychology sequence – such as Deakin’s Bachelor of Psychological Science – followed by an approved fourth-year of study (such as Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Psychology or honours in psychology).

Following successful completion of an approved fourth-year of psychology study, you may apply for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia and associate membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

In order to gain full registration, provisional psychologists must then complete either two years of supervised practice, or a minimum two years of further study, which may include: Master of Psychology, Doctor of Psychology or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) (with supervised practice completed outside the degree).

Psychology major sequence in other degrees

In addition to the Bachelor of Psychological Science, psychology may be studied as a three-year major sequence in any of the following degrees: Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Bachelor of Management or Bachelor of Science.

Students intending to become psychologists, however, must take four years of academic study (three years of undergraduate study, including ten units of psychology, plus either a level-4 Honours year or the level-4 Graduate Diploma of Psychology).

The 10-credit-point undergraduate Psychology sequence consists of two units at level 1, HPS111 and HPS121; five units at level 2, HPS201, HPS202, HPS203, HPS204 and HPS205 ; plus three units at level 3, HPS301, HPS307 and HPS308.

Students may also choose to take a limited sequence in psychology of 6 or 8 credit points (depending on the requirements of their course). These sequences are designed as terminal studies in psychology to complement other studies within an award. They do not meet the 10-credit-point requirement for entry into fourth-year studies in psychology; nor will they lead to professional qualifications in psychology. However, these requirements may be met by completing additional psychology units, either as single-unit enrolments or via the Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies.

The 6 or 8-credit-point sequences consist of two units at level one, HPS111 and HPS121; two or three units at level 2, selected from HPS201, HPS202, HPS203, HPS204 and HPS205; and two or three units at level 3, selected from HPS301, HPS302, HPS303, HPS304, HPS307, HPS308 and HPS395. Students wishing to take alternative psychology units must seek approval from the School of Psychology .

For details of the campus on which the unit is offered, please refer to the Unit Descriptions section of the Handbook. Cloud (online) students may apply to enrol in campus units. The fourth-year programs, however, are only available in campus mode. Students studying in both campus and cloud (online) modes may apply for entry to either the Honours or Graduate Diploma of Psychology programs.

Course rules

The Bachelor of Psychological Science consists of 24 credit points, of which at least 12 must be Psychology (i.e., ‘HPS’) units.

At level 1, two Psychology units, HPS111 and HPS121, and three foundation health units, HBS107, HBS108 and HBS110, are compulsory.

At level 2, HPS201, HPS202, HPS203, HPS204, and HPS205 are compulsory.

At level 3, HPS301, HPS307 and HPS308 are compulsory, and an additional two level-3 HPS elective units must also be completed.

In summary, Bachelor of Psychological Science students must complete two Psychology (HPS) units at level 1, five at level 2, and five at level 3.

No more than 10 credit points may be taken at level 1, and a maximum of 8 credit points may be taken outside the Faculty of Health.

Students may choose to accelerate their progress through the course by selecting from the following units that are normally offered in Trimester 3: HBS110, HBS107, HBS108, HPS111, HPS121, HPS201, HPS204, HPS205, HPS206 and HPS307.

Following completion of the Bachelor of Psychological Science students intending to become psychologists must successfully apply for and complete a level-4 Honours year or the level-4 Graduate Diploma of Psychology.