Bachelor of Psychological Science

Course summary for international students

Award granted Bachelor of Psychological Science
CampusOffered at Melbourne Burwood Campus, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, Warrnambool Campus
Off-campusYes
Length3 years full time
Next available intake

March (Trimester 1)

July (Trimester 2)

Indicative annual fee 2014No fees defined
LevelUndergraduate
CRICOS course code079316E
IELTS Requirement

Overall IELTS score of 6.0 with no band less than 6.0 (or equivalent). More information is available at www.ielts.org

Deakin course code H344
VTAC Codes1400314233 - Waurn Ponds (Geelong), International full-fee paying place
1400514233 - Burwood (Melbourne), International full-fee paying place
1400714233 - Warrnambool, International full-fee paying place
Faculty contactsDeakin International
Tel +61 3 9627 4877
Online enquiry

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.

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Off campus studies

Deakin offers many courses which can be studied by distance education overseas.

However, international students living in Australia must, in each compulsory trimester (that is, Trimesters 1 and 2), enrol in at least one unit that is offered as an on-campus unit and can, in addition enrol in online or off-campus units. Best practice is to enrol in mostly on-campus units in each compulsory trimester.

In a non-compulsory trimester (Trimester 3), international students may study online and off-campus units only. Note that online and off-campus units can make up no more than 25% of a total study load.

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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.

Fees and charges

Fee paying place - International (IFP)
A Fee paying place is one for which the University does not receive any government funding. As such, students enrolled in these places are required to contribute the full cost of their course.

Fees for international students apply to persons living in Australia with Temporary Resident status, provided that there is no limitation on study and persons living abroad who are not Australian citizens and do not have Permanent Resident status in Australia.

Equivalent Full Time Student Load (EFTSL)
EFTSL is the standard annual full time load. Eight credit points is the standard full time load for one year of study.

* The 'indicative annual course fee' cited has been provided as a guide only. It has been calculated on the basis of a typical enrolment of a student undertaking the course in 2014, and reflects the cost involved in undertaking a full-time quota of units within the specified discipline.
The actual fees charged by Deakin University will depend upon the discipline from which each individual unit is chosen, and may vary from the indicative course fee cited, particularly if units are chosen from a number of disciplines. The cost of each unit offered in 2014 can be viewed from the Unit Search.
Please note that the fees per unit/credit point may increase annually due to rises in the cost of course delivery and service.
Deakin assumes no responsibility for persons relying on 'indicative course fees' to calculate the total future cost of their course.

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Career opportunities

As a graduate of this course you will have developed the knowledge and skills that make you highly employable across an array of stimulating employment settings. You may find work in schools and education settings, or in a variety of businesses, delivering employee assistance programs or training. Increasingly, opportunities are available in commerce and industry such as human resources, business and management.

 

If you choose to pursue full registration as a psychologist, you may find employment in a variety of settings including clinical, forensic, organisational, educational, health sport and many other specialist areas. The contexts in which you work may include private practice, hospitals, business organisations, schools, universities, government agencies, community sport groups and various  research groups.

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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. 

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Course structure

Level 1
Trimester 1

HPS111 Fundamentals of Human Behaviour  

HBS107 Understanding Health  

plus two elective units


Trimester 2

HPS121 Psychology B: Individual and Social Development  

HBS108 Health Information and Data  

HBS110 Health Behaviour  

plus one elective unit

Level 2
Trimester 1
HPS203 Understanding the Mind  

HPS204 Introduction to Social Psychology  

plus two elective units


Trimester 2

HPS201 Research Methods in Psychology A  

HPS202 Child and Adolescent Development  

HPS205 Behavioural Neuroscience  

plus one elective unit

 
Level 3
Trimester 1

HPS301 Research Methods in Psychology B  

HPS307 Personality  

plus two elective units


Trimester 2

HPS308 Psychopathology  

plus three elective units

Elective units
Two of the 11 elective units must be chosen from the psychology units listed below.

Trimester 1
HPS302 Pathways Through Adulthood  

HPS395 Clinical Neuroscience  


Trimester 2

HPS303 Unit description is currently unavailable  

HPS304 The Social Psychology of Relationships  

 

The remaining nine electives may include other psychology units such as:

HPS206 Psychology in the Criminal Justice System  

HPY201 Psychology Internship  

HPY210 Coaching and Counselling Individuals for Behaviour Change  

HPY310 Coaching and Counselling Groups for Behaviour Change  

or

students may choose to take complementary studies in other disciplines.

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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 Applied Science (Psychology) – 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 Applied Science (Psychology), psychology may be studied as a three-year major sequence in any of the following degrees: Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Arts, 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. Off campus students may apply to enrol in on campus units. The fourth-year programs, however, are only available in the on campus mode. Students studying in both on and off campus modes may apply for entry to either the Honours or Graduate Diploma of Psychology programs.  

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Entry requirements - general

General admission requirements for entry into undergraduate courses for international students at Deakin are summarised in the undergraduate admission requirements table (194kb).
Some courses may have additional entry requirements.
Students must also meet the undergraduate English language requirements.

Closing dates

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Credit for prior learning - general

If you have completed previous studies which you believe may reduce the number of units you have to complete at Deakin, indicate in the appropriate section on your application that you wish to be considered for credit for prior learning. You will need to provide a certified copy of your previous course details so your credit can be determined. If you are eligible, your offer letter will then contain information about your credit for prior learning.
Your credit for prior learning is formally approved prior to your enrolment at Deakin during the Enrolment and Orientation Program. You must bring original documents relating to your previous study so that this approval can occur.

You can also refer to the Credit for Prior Learning System which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree.

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How to apply

Tracking your application
If you have already applied and wish to enquire about your application please refer to the relevant area through which you originally applied.