Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
Swinburne University of Technology
About
The Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is an integrated four-year program designed to satisfy the first step towards becoming a professional psychologist.
This degree will provide you the knowledge and skills to understand and explain human behaviour and relationships.
You’ll learn about abnormal psychology, cognition, developmental psychology, psychological assessment, personality, social psychology and statistics, as well as biology, chemistry and physiology.
In your final year of study, you’ll complete an original research project as well as pre-professional training.
The course is designed to prepare you for postgraduate studies in specialist areas of professional psychology such as counselling, clinical, organisational or sports psychology, or to pursue a career in research.
The Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is professionally accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).
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. View course rules and special requirements
Core studies
17 units (237.5 credit points)
| column1 | column2 | column3 |
|---|---|---|
| Units | Unit codes | Credit points |
| Introduction to Research Methods | PSY10005 | 12.5 |
| Brain and Behaviour | PSY10007 | 12.5 |
| Fundamentals of Psychology | PSY10008 | 12.5 |
| Foundation of Statistics | STA10003 | 12.5 |
| Cognition and Human Performance | PSY20006 | 12.5 |
| Developmental Psychology | PSY20007 | 12.5 |
| Analysis of Variance and Regression | STA20006 | 12.5 |
| Social Psychology | PSY20016 | 12.5 |
| Psychology Project | PSY30003 | 12.5 |
| Psychology of Personality | PSY30008 | 12.5 |
| Abnormal Psychology | PSY30010 | 12.5 |
| History and Philosophy of Psychology | PSY30013 | 12.5 |
| Advanced Quantitative Methods * | PSY40001 | 12.5 |
| Honours Thesis B * | PSY40002 | 25 |
| Ethical and Professional Issues * | PSY40005 | 12.5 |
| Psychological Assessment * | PSY40006 | 12.5 |
| Honours Thesis A * | PSY40009 | 25 |
*Outcome unit – completion demonstrates the attainment of course learning outcomes
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Other studies
13 units (162.5 credit points)
Choose from a combination of the following course components to complete 162.5 credit points of other study. Students may also select elective units (12.5 credit points each).
Co-major Minors Elective units Signature SeriesCo-major (100 credit points)
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.
Minors (50 credit points)
Minors are a structured set of 4 units or 50 credit points and may be chosen from any field of study.The following minors are suggested for this course. Please also refer to the full list of available minors.
Elective units
Any of the following units may be undertaken.
| column1 | column2 | column3 |
|---|---|---|
| Units | Unit codes | Credit points |
| Criminology: Theory and Practice | CRI10001 | 12.5 |
| Introduction to Forensic Psychology | FOR10001 | 12.5 |
| Introduction to Health Sciences | HEA10001 | 12.5 |
| Digital Health Foundations | HEA10004 | 12.5 |
| Introduction to Management | MGT10001 | 12.5 |
| Neuroscience | NEU10002 | 12.5 |
| Introduction to Philosophy | PHI10002 | 12.5 |
| Introduction to Sports Psychology | SPO10002 | 12.5 |
| Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | HEP20002 | 12.5 |
| Neurophysiology | NEU20006 | 12.5 |
| Theories of Counselling | PSY20001 | 12.5 |
| Psychology of Adolescence | PSY20003 | 12.5 |
| Psychology of Infancy and Early Childhood | PSY20008 | 12.5 |
| Dimensions of Human Sexuality | PSY20009 | 12.5 |
| Human Factors Psychology | PSY20011 | 12.5 |
| Survey Research Methods | STA20005 | 12.5 |
| Advanced Topics in Forensic Psychology | FOR30001 | 12.5 |
| Psychology of Health | PSY30001 | 12.5 |
| Psychology of Wellbeing | PSY30011 | 12.5 |
| Applied Social Psychology | PSY30014 | 12.5 |
| Neuropsychology Methods | NEU40001 | 12.5 |
| Neuroscience Methods | NEU40002 | 12.5 |
| Current Issues in Social Psychology | PSY40004 | 12.5 |
| Counselling Psychology | PSY40008 | 12.5 |
Signature Series
A Swinburne education prepares you for life. That’s why we’ve developed the Swinburne Signature Series. It’s a suite of study opportunities that embody Swinburne’s ethos – of confidence, clarity and adventure. These opportunities give our students something extra; whether that’s a new perspective on the world through a Study Tour unit, an expanded sense of possibilities through our Innovation Minor, or a deeper understanding and respect for culture through our Indigenous Minor. Like Swinburne University itself, our Signature Series will grow and adapt to reflect the evolving issues of the day.
- 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
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), graduates will be able to:
- systematically review and critically evaluate research from a variety of sources to inform their knowledge and conceptual understandings in social and behavioural sciences, and psychology
- formulate arguments that are fit for purpose and demonstrate an understanding of the relevant theories and evidence in behavioural studies and psychology
- critically analyse information to generate creative solutions to solve complex problems in the area of social and behavioural sciences and psychology
- define and integrate theoretical principles and apply these in their disciplinary areas of expertise
- apply knowledge and skills with responsibility and accountability for their own learning and practice, individually and in collaboration with others
- interpret and communicate ideas, problems and arguments in modes suitable to a range of audiences using a range of media
- coherently articulate a line of reasoning demonstrating cultural sensitivity and apply a framework to analyse and offer solutions to ethical dilemmas in local and international context
- demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge about the theories and research methods in psychology
- analyse, consolidate, synthesise and evaluate psychology knowledge with a considerable degree of intellectual independence
- design and conduct a coherent, substantial, independent research project and successfully execute it in a timely and self-directed manner
- communicate and defend psychological arguments to specialist and non-specialist audiences in oral and written form
- apply psychological theories, research principles and skills in order to problem-solve in a range of research settings and contexts
- practice ethical awareness, collegiality and respect in academic and professional contexts
- plan and manage their own time and project work effectively by prioritising competing demands and deadlines.
Institution
