Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science

2025 Deakin University Handbook

Year	2025 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science
Deakin course code	D387
Faculty	Faculty of Health
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Waterfront (Geelong), Warrnambool
Online	No
Duration	4 years full-time The course is only available to students on a full-time basis.
Course Map - enrolment planning tool	This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2025 Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
CRICOS course code	079499D Burwood (Melbourne), Waterfront (Geelong), Warrnambool
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Deakin's Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science develops your understanding of human behaviour and builds the skills needed to become a successful nurse. With a wealth of real-world skills gained through your professional experience placements, you will graduate ready for work as a registered nurse from the #16 ranked nursing school in the world.^* You will also be eligible to pursue further study towards qualification as a registered psychologist.

This combined degree helps you understand personality, the brain, underlying mental processes and the factors behind human behaviour. You will learn in our purpose-built clinical simulation centres, which replicate real-world hospital and community settings with state-of-the-art equipment. Plus, you will put your knowledge to work with 800 hours of professional experience placements in various metropolitan, regional and rural healthcare settings, under the supervision of qualified practitioners.

Do you have good communication and decision-making skills and want to make a genuine difference in people’s lives?

The wide range of units within the Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science provides you with a scientific knowledge base for mental health practice, including psychological testing and measurement, mental health promotion and research.

Graduate with solid clinical experience and the knowledge and skills to comprehensively care for patients and their families.

As one of the most research-active schools in Australia, our School of Nursing and Midwifery also boasts some of the best facilities and resources available.

With so much diversity and growth in the healthcare sector, you will be in the best position to follow your interests and shape your future. The nursing component of your degree provides eligibility to become a registered nurse through the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).

Similarly, the psychology stream of your degree is recognised by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). This is the first step in your journey to becoming a registered psychologist.

To progress your career in psychology, an approved fourth year of psychology study such as our Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) or Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) will allow you to apply for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). In order to gain general registration, provisional psychologists must complete a further two years of postgraduate study. They can then choose to complete further supervised practice in order to specialise in a specific area of psychology.

Discover our nursing and midwifery or psychology and mental health courses.

^*2023 ShanghaiRankings Global Ranking of Academic Subjects

Indicative student workload

As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, practicals and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time. There is an expectation that you are available to undertake clinical practicum outside of trimester dates. All expenses associated with professional experience placements are your own responsibility.

Professional recognition

Upon successful completion of your course, you will be eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).

You will also have gained a three-year undergraduate psychology sequence that is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), recognised for registration purposes by the PsyBA and enabling you to undertake additional study in pursuit of provisional registration.

The NMBA has mandatory registration standards that applicants need to meet to be registered. Core registration standards are available on the NMBA website.

This course is accredited with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) and is an NMBA approved course.

Career opportunities

As a registered nurse with psychology experience, you will be a unique graduate who can pursue career opportunities around the world, in a range of work settings, including:

mental health rehabilitation
youth work
careers counselling
community development and work/life counselling
hospitals
homes
Hospices
mental health care settings
aged care settings
clinics
schools
universities
community health centres
government agencies and private industries.

There are a wide variety of career opportunities available to graduates from both nursing and psychology degrees. If you wish to learn more about the diverse careers available to psychology graduates please visit our psychology careers page.

Alternatively, if you are interested in pursuing a professional career in psychology, your next step involves enrolling into an approved ‘fourth year’ of psychology study (such as Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) or honours in psychology), after which you may apply for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA).

In order to gain full registration, provisional psychologists can then complete either two years of supervised practise, or two years of postgraduate study - such as Deakin’s Master of Psychology (Clinical), Master of Psychology (Organisational), or Doctor of Psychology (Clinical) (with supervised practice completed outside the degree).

Participation requirements

As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of learning activities each week. This may include classes, seminars, simulations, and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.

Inherent requirements

A number of inherent requirements are essential to safely perform the skills and functions of the nursing role and consequently to undertake and successfully complete the course. Learn more about the School of Nursing and Midwifery's Undergraduate Courses Inherent Requirements.

Mandatory student checks

Department of Health – Safety Screening Requirements - Police Record Check, Working With Children Check and Immunisation Status

Police Record Check

In accordance with the Department of Health policy, all students are required to undertake a Police Record Check prior to professional experience placements in each calendar year of their course. Students who fail to obtain a Police Record Check prior to the commencement of professional experience placement will not be able to undertake professional experience placement and this will impede progress in the course.

Working With Children Check

In accordance with the Worker Screening Act 2020, all students are required to undertake a Working with Children Check at the commencement of their course. Students who fail to obtain a Working with Children Check prior to the commencement of professional experience placement will not be able to undertake professional experience placement and this will impede progress in the course.

Immunisation Status

Students are required to declare their immunisation status to satisfy the requirements of health organisations where they will be undertaking their clinical learning experience. A health organisation may refuse to accept a student for placement if the student’s immunisation status is not satisfactory to the health organisation.

Course Learning Outcomes

See course entry for Bachelor of Nursing (H326) or Bachelor of Psychological Science (H344)

Course rules

To complete the Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science students must pass 32 credit points and meet the following course rules to be eligible to graduate:

DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first study period
20 credit points of core nursing units
12 credits points of core psychology units
Course requirements for both the Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Psychological Science must be satisfied

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. See the enrolment codes and terminology to help make sense of the University’s vocabulary.

Note:

There is an expectation that you will be available to undertake clinical practicum outside of trimester dates. All expenses associated with professional experience placements are your responsibility.
If you are studying at Waterfront (Geelong) and Warrnambool some units may only be available online in years two, three and four. If you are enrolled at the Waterfront (Geelong), you will be required to take some units at Waurn Ponds (Geelong).

Course structure

Units

Course structure for students who commenced in 2022 onwards.

Level 1 - Trimester 1

DAI001

Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points)

HNN120

Quality and Safety in Health Care 1

HBS109

Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

HNN112

Quality and Safety: Nursing Practice 1

HPS111

Introduction to Psychology: Human Behaviour

Level 1 - Trimester 2

HNN114

Person-Centred Health Assessment

HNN154

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' History, Culture and Health

HNN124

Quality and Safety: Nursing Practice 2

HNN104

Care of the Child and Adolescent

Level 2 - Trimester 1

HNN217

Primary Health Care

HNN108

Evidence-Based Practice

HPS105

Foundations of Psychological Practice

HPS204

Social Psychology

Level 2 - Trimester 2

HNN215

Quality Use of Medicines

HNN227

Acute Illness and Supportive Care (2 credit points)

HPS121

Introduction to Psychology: Individual and Social Development

Level 3 - Trimester 1

HNN222

Mental Health and Supportive Care (2 credit points)

HPS203

Cognitive Psychology

HPS310

Biological Psychology (Brain and Behaviour) (online) at Warrnambool)

Level 3 - Trimester 2

HNN301

Mental Health and Wellbeing

HPS201

Psychology Research Methods (Introductory)

HPS202

Developmental Psychology (Child and Adolescent)

HPS307

Personality Psychology (online) at Warrnambool

Level 4 - Trimester 1

HNN329

Chronic Illness and Supportive Care (2 credit points)

HNN318

Care of the Older Person

HPS301

Psychology Research Methods (Intermediate)

Level 4 - Trimester 2

HNN320

Quality and Safety in Health Care 2

HNN325

Quality and Safety: Comprehensive Nursing Practice (2 credit points)

HPS308

Psychopathology

Work experience

Professional experience practice - Nursing

Beginning soon after commencement of the course, early exposure to the clinical environment gives you extensive opportunities to develop clinical skills in a variety of settings including acute/sub-acute care, medical and surgical care, paediatrics, aged care, rehabilitation, community nursing and mental health nursing. These may be undertaken in hospitals and community health care centre in metropolitan rural and regional areas.

There is an expectation that you will be available to undertake clinical practicum outside of trimester dates. All expenses associated with professional experience placements are your own responsibility.

To be eligible to undertake placements, you are required to supply mandatory documents (prerequisites) including police checks, working with children check and immunisation status.

Course duration

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.

Further information

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

Contact Student Central

Fees and charges

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

Estimate your fees

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.