Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)

2023 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2023 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2023 course information
Campus	Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online (For students who commenced prior to 2023 only)
Duration	3 years full-time or part-time equivalent
CRICOS course code	077384J Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong)
Deakin course code	A301
Approval status	This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7.
The final intake to this course was in Trimester 3, 2022. Students should contact a Student Adviser in Student Central for course and enrolment information. Further course structure information can be found in the Handbook archive.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Study the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and gain insight into why people think, feel and behave the way they do. At the same time, you will also open the door to a world of opportunity through your study in the arts.

Learn the perfect mix of skills sought by employers by studying one degree, with exposure to two distinct areas of interest. Combining your passions in psychology and the arts can broaden your career options and make you more employable once you graduate.

The added benefit of an arts degree at Deakin is the transferable skills you build through experiential learning. Learn to work in teams during industry placements, develop critical analysis through work-integrated learning, and build valuable life skills through international experiences*. Combine this with in-depth study in psychology as a scientific discipline and learn about human behaviour and personality.

Why not study psychology your way, with more flexibility and diverse opportunities?

You will explore diverse areas of psychology including:

behavioural and clinical neuroscience
child and adolescent psychology
human social behaviour
cognitive psychology
forensic psychology

Our School of Psychology is one of the largest in Victoria. It has strong partnerships with industry, including collaborative activities with government agencies, public and private organisations, hospitals and other universities.

These partnerships ensure that your degree remains relevant to industry and workforce needs. You will be in high demand by employers who want graduates that are ready to face problems with confidence.

You will get the chance to build real-world experience by electing to undertake the Psychology at Work (Internship) unit in your final year of study. This gives you 140-hours of practical industry placement, strengthening your employment prospects. The Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) is also recognised for registration purposes by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).

As a student in the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), you will also choose an area of study in the arts to build your future-focused degree, choose from disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, communication, languages, and the creative arts.

With specialist knowledge in your chosen arts discipline, you will learn how to apply critical, creative and strategic thinking to real-world issues. You will also develop the essential skills in communication, critical thinking and problem solving that employers are looking for.

If you are intending to become a psychologist, this course is a pathway to a fourth year level of study (honours or graduate diploma level). After completing a fourth year of study, you will be eligible to apply for provisional registration as a psychologist. Students wishing to become fully registered psychologists can then apply to continue their study by undertaking one of the following:

Master of Psychology (Clinical)
Master of Psychology (Organisational)
Master of Professional Psychology
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical).

*Overseas study programs to be confirmed in 2023 and beyond, subject to government travel restrictions.

Professional recognition

All of the psychology courses offered at Deakin meet the requirements of the PBA and the Australian Psychological Society (APS), translating into excellent job and career opportunities for our graduates. Deakin’s Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).

Career opportunities

As a Deakin Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) graduate you will develop some of the most important skills a student can gain at university. Through your study in the arts, you will build valuable and transferable career skills, making you highly employable within many industries. The range of disciplines on offer also lets you follow your passion and develop the specialist skills to pursue the career you want. You will be able to take your degree into a range of careers, including:

administration
advertising
business
communications
community organisations
criminal justice
education
galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM)
government
human rights
journalism
management consulting
media
not-for-profits
performing and visual arts
photography
policing
policy development
politics
public relations
publishing
research
tourism.

Following the completion of your major in psychology, taking the next step towards becoming a psychologist involves applying for an honours year (e.g. Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)). Once completed, you can then apply for provisional registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA).

If your passion isn’t to complete further study to become a registered psychologist, there are still many diverse career options available, including:

child protection
counselling
family support
human services
marketing
not for profit aid
public health
social work

If you choose to pursue full registration as a psychologist, you may find employment in a variety of roles, including:

clinical psychologist
cognitive neuroscientist
counsellor
criminal psychologist
educational and developmental psychologist
family therapist
forensic psychologist
health and community psychologist
organisational psychologist
rehabilitation counsellor
sport and exercise psychologist
youth psychologist

These positions can be found in:

private clinics and practices
public and private hospitals
corporate organisations
schools and universities
government departments and agencies
sporting clubs and institutes
social research organisations

For more information go to DeakinTALENT

Participation requirements

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Mandatory student checks

Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.

Transition to University study

The faculty offers two units AIX160 Introduction to University Study and AIX117 Professional Writing for Work which are specifically designed to ease the transition into university study. New students are encouraged to enrol in one or both of these units in their first year.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year, the units you choose and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place. Further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods is available on our Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Demonstrate a broad and coherent body of knowledge in the Arts disciplines, with depth in the underlying principles and concepts in one or more disciplines or areas of practice.
Communication	Demonstrate highly developed skills in oral, written and electronic communication and the ability to communicate research outcomes, and produce scholarly papers.
Digital literacy	Research, analyse, synthesise and disseminate information using a range of appropriate technologies and resources in a rapidly-changing global environment.
Critical thinking	Use critical and analytical thinking and judgment in selecting and applying appropriate theories and methodologies to evaluate information and knowledge about society, culture and the arts.
Problem solving	Apply cognitive, technical and creative skills to generate solutions to unpredictable and sometimes complex problems in the Humanities, Social Sciences and the Creative Arts, including cross-disciplinary approaches.
Self-management	Demonstrate autonomy, responsibility and accountability for personal actions and a continued commitment to learning in personal, professional, and scholarly contexts.
Teamwork	Work and learn collaboratively with colleagues, other professionals and members of the wider community.
Global citizenship	Demonstrate an awareness of ethical issues, cultural diversity, and social responsibility when engaging in scholarship and professional roles in the local, national or international community.
Approved by Faculty Board June 2014

Course rules

To qualify for the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), a student must successfully complete 24 credit points of study including:

10 credit points of Psychology units including the approved 10-credit-point Psychology major sequence
10 credit points of Arts units including an approved Arts major sequence of at least 8 credit points.
4 electives credit points from units offered by either Faculty or by another Faculty
no more than 10 credit points at Level 1
a minimum 6 credit points at level 3 or above
AAI018 Academic Integrity (0-credit-point compulsory unit)

Course structure

Level 1

AAI018

Academic Integrity

HPS111

Introduction to Psychology: Human Behaviour

HPS121

Introduction to Psychology: Individual and Social Development

Level 2

HPS201

Psychology Research Methods (Introductory)

HPS202

Developmental Psychology (Child and Adolescent)

HPS203

Cognitive Psychology

HPS204

Social Psychology

Level 3

HPS301

Psychology Research Methods (Intermediate)

HPS307

Personality Psychology

HPS308

Psychopathology

HPS310

Biological Psychology (Brain and Behaviour)

Arts major sequence

Refer to A300 Bachelor of Arts handbook course entry for list of Arts majors on offer.

Work experience

Students have the opportunity to undertake preparation for work units and/or internship units as electives in this course through either the Faculty of Arts and Education or the School of Psychology.

Further information

Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.

Contact Student Central

Other learning experiences

There are options for WIL and study tours across many of the SHSS courses.

Research and research-related study

Independent research components are embedded across a number of units.