Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)

2014 Deakin University Handbook

Course sub-headings

• Course overview
• Professional recognition
• Course rules
• Course structure

Course overview

The honours program assumes, and builds on, the content and research methods areas of psychology provided by the three-year undergraduate psychology sequence offered by the School of Psychology at Deakin, and accredited by the Australian Psychological Society (APS); or an equivalent APS-accredited sequence (see below). The Honours program is designed to provide students with the knowledge base and research skills to enable them to undertake a higher degree by research in psychology, to undertake advanced professional training in psychology, or to seek employment in an area of psychology using the skills acquired during a four year degree. The honours program is offered in campus mode only.

Professional recognition

This course is recognised for registration purposes by the Psychology Board of Australia and is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).

Course rules

Psychology Honours consists of two components: coursework and a thesis. The coursework component (consisting of classes and seminars) contributes 50% to the final grade of Honours awarded. Part-time students must complete the course work component in Year 1 of their course. As required by the accreditation guidelines of the Australian Psychological Society, the course work covers:

• research methods;
• professional, conceptual and ethical issues in the science and practice of psychology;
• issues in psychological assessment; and
• counselling and interpersonal skills.

For further details of the coursework component, see the unit description for HPS425 and HPS426.
The thesis component (see HPS427 and HPS428) contributes 50% to the final grade of honours awarded. The thesis is a write-up (current length approximately 9000 words) of an individual research project based on an original piece of empirical research. A range of types of data (qualitative, quantitative, subjective, objective) and a range of data-collection settings and methodologies can be used as the basis of the thesis component.

The thesis is submitted in two parts: a 4000 word literature review submitted mid-year and a 5000-word report on the empirical component submitted in October. The literature review and empirical report section of the thesis typically contribute 15% and 35% respectively to the final mark for the thesis component. Both sections are marked by two independent markers.

Attendance and presentation at the annual School Honours Conference and attendance at the weekly School Research Colloquia are hurdle requirements.

Course structure