Bachelor of Psychological Sciences

Psychiatric Technician

Help mentally or emotionally impaired patients cope with the challenges of everyday life.

Mental Health Support Worker

Coordinate group counselling sessions and provide peer support for people suffering mental illness who are pursuing recovery through the sharing of lived experience.

Youth and Welfare Services Worker

Provide support to children and families in a range of settings, including child protection, youth work, drug and alcohol work.

Juvenile Justice and Corrections Officer

Care for young offenders in both prison and court contexts and in the community.

Community Services and Development Officer

Provide support for adults in settings such as employment service, disability, and housing.

Counselling Psychologist

Assess and evaluate the problems of patients and assist them in overcoming personal issues.

Sports Psychologist

Help athletes and sporting teams deal with the psychological pressures of their sport.

Family Therapist

Work as part of a treatment team to provide counselling and therapeutic support to families navigating crisis, who in many cases have experienced significant disadvantage.

Professional recognition

The degree is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).

Higher education

Completion or partial completion of an approved tertiary qualification (including diplomas, advanced diplomas, associate degrees and degrees). Additional performance criteria and prerequisite requirements may also apply.

Students admitted to the course with prior tertiary studies that satisfy part of the academic requirements of this course may be eligible for academic credit of up to 16 units.

Secondary education

Successful completion of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or its equivalent, such as an interstate or international Year 12 qualification.

VCE Pre-requisites

• Applicants must meet the associated minimum ATAR score
• Units 3 and 4 – a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL

Work and Life

Applicants without a formal qualification but with significant and relevant work experience and appropriate English language skills, or a suitable Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) result, will be considered if they can demonstrate that they can undertake the course with a reasonable prospect of success.

Practicum placement

Professional Placements are subject to a competitive selection process. International students may be eligible for a Professional Placement where a relevant Professional degree exists. International students who successful gain a placement through the selection process will be required to change courses to the relevant Professional degree, in order to complete a placement and should consider any visa and extended study duration implications prior to applying. Placements are not available to OUA, Sarawak and other partner students.

Students who undertake a 12 month professional placement are subject to the following course rules and must complete 375 credit points comprising:

• Four [4] Core Units of Study (50 credit points);
• Eight [8] units of study from the Psychological Sciences discipline major (100 credit points);
• Four [4] units of study from the Professional Placement Co-Major (100 credit points);
• Ten [10] units of study comprising an Advanced Minor, and/or Minor and/or or electives (125 credit points)

Students who elect to undertake a 6 month professional placement are subject to the following course rules and must complete 337.5 credit points comprising:

• Four [4] Core Units of Study (50 credit points);
• Eight [8] units of study from the Psychological Sciences discipline major (100 credit points);
• Two [2] units of study from the Professional Placement Minor (50 credit points);
• Ten [10] units of study comprising an Advanced Minor, and/or Minor and/or electives (137.5 credit points).

Students admitted to the course with prior tertiary studies that satisfy part of the academic requirements of this course may be eligible for academic credit of up to 16 units.

Credit transfer

Credit is granted in recognition of previous study and/or experience and allows students to gain advanced standing towards their course. Applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Speak to a Course Consultant about applying for credit.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows students to gain credit (advanced standing) towards their course in recognition of skills and knowledge gained through work experience, life experience and/or formal training. Applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Speak to a Course Consultant about applying for RPL.

Psychology examines what makes us do the things that we do by seeking to understand personality, psychological disorders and the effects of social situations on our behaviour. You will learn about cognitive processes including memory, perception and attention, and how we change as we age.

Coursework will equip you with skills to design research projects and analyse behaviour.

Graduates who wish to practice as a psychologist will need to undertake further study in psychology, as required by the Psychology Board of Australia. If you are interested in a career that uses the theories and scientific methods of psychology, but qualifying and running a clinical practice is not for you, consider our Bachelor of Social Science with a Major in Behavioural Science. 

Recommended Study Pattern

Course Units

Learning and Communicating Online (COM10003)

Brain and Behaviour (PSY10007)

Fundamentals of Psychology (PSY10008)

Introduction to Research Methods (PSY10005)

Cognition and Human Performance (PSY20006)

Social Psychology (PSY20016)

Psychology Project (PSY30003)

Psychology of Personality (PSY30008)

Analysis of Variance and Regression (STA20006)

Foundations of Statistics (STA10003)

Developmental Psychology (PSY20007)

History and Philosophy of Psychology (PSY30013)

Abnormal Psychology (PSY30010)

Elective options can be viewed on the Swinburne Online website.

Award Requirements

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Psychological Sciences, students must complete 300 credit points comprising of:

• Four (4) core units of study (50 credit points)
• One (1) online core unit of study (12.5 credit points)
• Eight (8) Psychology discipline major units of study (100 credit points)
• Twelve (12) or Eleven (11) units of study* (137.5 to 150cp) comprising a second major, co-major, advanced minor, minor/s and/or electives

Only for students completing this course online through OUA or SOL. Students may not complete more than 150 cps (normally 11 units) at Introductory Level. A unit of study can only be counted once, where units are shared between majors and/or minors, students must choose an approved alternate.