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Bachelor of Behavioural Studies
UndergraduateSWI-BBS-DEG2018
Course information for 2018 intake
The how and why of who we are
Interpret human behaviour through the study of psychological concepts in sociology, human resource management, public relations, indigenous studies, marketing and criminology. Less focus on statistics and lab work; more on conceptual understanding.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- Subject may require attendance
- Credit available
- Yes
- Total subjects
- 24
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Bachelor of Behavioural Studies
About this degree
Upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Behavioural Studies, 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
- Formulate arguments that are fit for purpose and demonstrate an understanding of the relevant theories and evidence in behavioural studies
- Critically analyse information to generate creative solutions to solve complex problems in the area of social and behavioural sciences
- 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 contexts.
The Bachelor of Behavioural Studies from Swinburne University of Technology is structured to enable students to acquire knowledge and skills across a variety of study areas. This breadth of knowledge is complemented by focusing the content so that students who complete the degree are better equipped to understand and explain human behaviour. Compared to the APAC accredited Bachelor of Behavioural Studies (Psychology), the Bachelor of Behavioural Studies places less emphasis on advanced statistical studies, laboratory assessments and report writing.
Degree degrees which include psychological studies are valued in the Australian workplace and as a result, many industries are seeking employees with qualifications in psychology.
The Psychological Studies major in this degree offers a broad introduction to basic psychological elements and concepts. Students can include a co-major in Sociology or minor specialisations in the areas of Statistics, Sociology, Human Resource Management, Public Relations, Indigenous Studies, Marketing and Criminology.
This degree is not accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council.
Recommended study pattern
This degree is an OUA Pathways degree, which means there is a recommended series of subjects that, once successfully completed, can be credited towards this degree. To commence the Pathway for this degree, simply select subjects from the Pathway stream below.
Students who aren't taking part in OUA Pathways can instead follow the study pattern below:
- Complete Swinburne's 4 introductory core subjects in Behavioural Studies; and
- 7 required subjects in the Psychological Studies major; and
- 12 additional subjects of approved study which may comprise: a co-major (8 subjects), and/ or a minor (4 subjects) or minors and/ or elective subjects
Students are advised to study COM10006 early in their study program and students without previous mathematics should consider to study MTH10002 Dealing with Numbers as an elective before enrolling in STA10003 Foundations of Statistics.
It is strongly recommended that the following 3 subjects be completed in the order specified below:
- STA10003 Foundations of Statistics
- PSY10003 Psychology 100
- PSY10004 Psychology 101
Please note: You cannot re-enrol into Swinburne subjects that you have already passed.
Absent Without Leave and Leave of Absence: How to apply for an approved leave of absence and minimise the risk of having to reapply for degree admission: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/open-universities-australia/current/AWOL-and-LOA.html
Award requirements
To qualify for the Bachelor of Behavioural Studies from Swinburne University of Technology, a student must complete 300 credit points as follows:
- 4 Behavioural Studies Introductory subjects (50 credit points); and
- 7 subjects in the Psychological Studies major (100 credit points); and
- 12 additional subjects of approved study (150 credit points) which may comprise: a co-major (8 subjects), and/ or a minor (4 subjects) or minors and/ or elective subjects
- At least 8 subjects must be Swinburne University of Technology subjects.
Regardless of any credit awarded within this degree, students must complete a minimum of 8 subjects of study with Swinburne University as part of this degree. Students who have completed the double subject PSY30011 need to complete a minimum of seven Swinburne subjects.
Please note: You cannot re-enrol into Swinburne subjects that you have already passed.
Choose your subjects
Majors
Students must complete 11 units in the Psychological Studies Major stream (4 of the required units in this stream are the 4 core introductory units for this course and they are also the 4 units in the Social Science Pathway).
Electives
Students can select their minor sequences from those listed below. Students can complete a co-major in Sociology by undertaking the two minors in Sociology as listed below (Sociology of Contemporary Societies Minor units plus Sociology Minor units).
Electives can be any undergraduate unit offered by Open Universities Australia. (Note: students choosing the Social Statistics Minor, the Sociology of Contemporary Societies Minor or the Sociology co-major will be required to select an additional elective unit in this discipline.)
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Non CSP students should register for the degree directly with Swinburne University of Technology by completing a Degree Registration form. This form can be downloaded from Swinburne's website: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/open-universities-australia/courses-and-units/
Transition arrangements are changes that occur when courses are updated or phased out. This happens regularly as part of continuous improvement. It may affect you if you are currently enrolled in this course, or if you plan to use credit from previous study towards it.
If you were admitted before 2017 into the Bachelor of Behavioural Studies you can find out which subjects you still need to complete by downloading the Transition Plan applicable your course and admission year from Swinburne’s OUA course transition webpage.
For students who are continuing with the pre-2015 Bachelor of Behavioural Studies or transitioning from the 2014 degree into the 2015 degree, please see below:
- If you have successfully completed PSY20002 Psychology of Trauma as part of the Psychological Studies Major, do not enrol into PSY300012 Psychology of Trauma. If you are yet to complete PSY20002, you will be required to enrol into PSY300012, as PSY20002 will no longer be offered from 2015
- If you have successfully completed PSY20004 Psychology of Wellbeing as part of the Psychological Studies Major, do not enrol into PSY30011. If you are yet to complete PSY20004, you will be required to enrol into PSY30011, as PSY20004 will no longer be offered from 2015. Please note that PSY30011 is a double unit.
Other Notes
As part of the Sociology Co-Major, SOCX225 Power, Difference and Recognition has been replaced with AIS204 Indigenous Australia and the Nation
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $19,680
The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
Swinburne University of Technology leads the way with innovative and new ways of teaching, learning and thinking. It offers a wide range of study options, from pre-apprenticeships, undergraduate, postgraduate and PhDs, including online degrees with Open Universities Australia. Swinburne is known for career-oriented education and encouraging lifelong learning.
Learn more about Swinburne.
Explore Swinburne courses.
- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 19
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 17
Entry requirements
To view full Admission Criteria for the Bachelor of Behavioural Studies, please click here.
Students admitted to the degree with prior tertiary studies that satisfy part of the academic requirements of this degree may be eligible for academic credit.
The university may determine selection criteria and restrictions, in respect of degrees, to apply in addition to these entry requirements.
- Successful completion of 2 subjects from the Social Science Pathway; OR
- Successful completion of 2 subjects from the Bachelor of Behavioural Studies Psychological Studies Major or Sociology Co-major; OR
Please note: If you are not eligible for CSP you can still enrol and study through OUA as a full fee paying student via FEE-HELP or upfront payments. Please refer to the Swinburne University of Technology website for more information.
Successful completion of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or its equivalent, such as an interstate or international Year 12 qualification. VCE prerequisites: Units 3 and 4: a minimum study score of 25 in English (or equivalent) or 30 in English (EAL); Expected 2017 ATAR: 60
Completion or partial completion of an approved tertiary qualification (including a Certificate IV, Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, Associate Degrees and Degrees). Additional performance criteria and prerequisite requirements may also apply.
Please note, that the partial completion requirement does not apply to a Certificate IV.
English language requirements: (International students only)
IELTS (Academic Module): Overall 6.0 with no individual band below 6.0; or Swinburne English Language Centre: EAP 5 Advanced level with overall 65% and all skills 65% or above; or TOEFL iBT: minimum score 75 (Reading no less than 18, Writing no less than 20) or equivalent measures available at http://www.swinburne.edu.au/study/international/apply/entry-requirements/
Advanced Standing
Students who are considering enrolling into a Swinburne undergraduate degree may apply for academic credit of up to sixteen [16] subjects based on prior credentialed or non-credentialed learning. Students wishing to apply for credit (referred to as ‘exemptions’) can do so on the basis of:
- Credentialed Learning - previous formal post-secondary studies taken at another educational institution or in another sector or in another degree or
- Non-credentialed Learning - Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in recognition of skills and knowledge gained through work experience and/or formal training or a combination of both.
Broad Conditions
- Prior study older than 10 years may need to be reviewed by an Academic Assessor.
- To be eligible to graduate with a Swinburne undergraduate award, students must complete at least 100 credit points of Swinburne undergraduate subjects (normally 8 subjects. PSY30011 is a double weighted subject so counts as two subjects).
For information on how to apply for credit please refer to Swinburne’s website at http://www.swinburne.edu.au/open-universities-australia/advanced-standing-rpl.html
Study method requirements
For some units in the Bachelor of Behavioural Studies you are required to have access to the statistical package SPSS.
Career opportunities
Graduates in Behavioural Studies majoring in Psychological Studies are highly sought after by a wide range of organisations in both the public and private sector, for careers in:
- human services (as research officers)
- human resource management
- marketing and advertising
- policy development
- general research
- welfare, community and youth work
- health care settings
- evaluation of community and human services
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
| Role | Earnings | Employment change |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Welfare Services Managers | Over $120K | Up 56.6% |
| Human Resource Professionals | $75K to $93K | Up 24.6% |
| Social Workers | $75K to $93K | Up 29.8% |
Degree FAQs
How long does it take to finish an online degree?
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
How can I pay for my studies?
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
How does studying through Open Universities Australia work?
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
We help you find the subjects or degree that's right for you, and we handle your enrolment in uni and some administration. Your uni sends you your study materials and deals with all academic matters. They're also in charge of your assessment and graduation. If you go on to complete a degree, you'll graduate from the uni offering your degree, for example, RMIT University or Griffith University.
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Why should I study online through Open Universities Australia?
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don't meet the entry requirements for a degree, we'll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We'll introduce you to flexible study options you didn't even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.You'll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you'll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you'll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.We'll help you navigate the university world
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How do I enrol?
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to a student advisor and we'll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.