Bachelor of Psychological Science
2018 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2018 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Bachelor of Psychological Science |
| Course Map | This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2018. This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 3 2018. If you require a course map from a previous year, please contact a Student Adviser. |
| Campus | |
| Cloud Campus | Yes |
| Duration | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| CRICOS course code | 079316E Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong) |
| Deakin course code | H344 |
| 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. |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Mandatory student checks
- Fees and charges
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
Course overview
Gain an insight into why people think, feel and behave the way they do when you study psychological science at Deakin. You will discover the complexity of human personality and behaviour, and graduate with a versatile degree that helps you pursue a range of different career options.
This course exposes you to a contemporary integrative approach to psychology – one that recognises the importance of, and interrelationships between, biological, developmental, social, cognitive, and developmental factors.
You will cover areas of psychology including behavioural and clinical neuroscience, child and adolescent psychology, relationships and the psychology of groups, cognitive psychology, forensic psychology, and psychopathology. You will also have the opportunity to develop your counselling skills through a suite of elective units.
Following completion of the Bachelor of Psychological Science students intending to become psychologists must successfully apply for and complete a level-4 Honours year or the level-4 Graduate Diploma of Psychology. This will allow students to register as provisional psychologists. Students wishing to become fully registered psychologists would need to continue studying by undertaking either a Masters or Doctorate qualification in psychology to meet full registration requirements.
Deakin’s School of Psychology has strong partnerships with industry, including collaborative activities with government agencies, public and private organisations, hospitals, and other universities. These partnerships ensure that our courses remain relevant to industry and workforce needs.
Deakin's Bachelor of Psychological Science is recognised for registration by the Psychology Board of Australia, accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and enables you to undertake additional study in pursuit of professional registration.
As a graduate, you may seek work in mental and general hospitals and clinics, business and industry, education, the criminal justice system, media, marketing, sport and research. Fully-registered psychologists enjoy roles in clinical, forensic, organisational, educational, health, and sport settings.
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 classes, 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
Professional recognition
Deakin's Bachelor of Psychological Science is recognised for registration by the Psychology Board of Australia, accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and enables you to undertake additional study in pursuit of professional registration.
Career opportunities
As a graduate of this course you will have developed the knowledge and skills that make you highly employable across an array of stimulating employment settings. You may find work in schools and education settings, or in a variety of businesses, delivering employee assistance programs or training. Increasingly, opportunities are available in commerce and industry such as human resources, business and management.
If you choose to pursue full registration as a psychologist, you may find employment in a variety of settings including clinical, forensic, organisational, educational, health sport and many other specialist areas. The contexts in which you work may include private practice, hospitals, business organisations, schools, universities, government agencies, community sport groups and various research groups.
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. Refer the relevant unit guide.Psychology major sequence in other degrees
In addition to the Bachelor of Psychological Science, psychology may be studied as a three-year major sequence in any of the following degrees: Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) or Bachelor of Management.
Students intending to become psychologists, however, must take four years of academic study (three years of undergraduate study, including ten units of psychology, plus either a level-4 Honours year or the level-4 Graduate Diploma of Psychology).
The 10-credit-point undergraduate Psychology sequence consists of two units at level 1, HPS111 and HPS121; five units at level 2, HPS201, HPS202, HPS203 and HPS204; plus four units at level 3, HPS301, HPS307, HPS308 and HPS310.
Students may also choose to take a limited sequence in psychology of 6 or 8 credit points (depending on the requirements of their course). These sequences are designed as terminal studies in psychology to complement other studies within an award. They do not meet the 10-credit-point requirement for entry into fourth-year studies in psychology; nor will they lead to professional qualifications in psychology. However, these requirements may be met by completing additional psychology units, either as single-unit enrolments or via the Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies.
The 6 or 8-credit-point sequences consist of two units at level one, HPS111 and HPS121; two or three units at level 2, selected from HPS201, HPS202, HPS203, HPS204, HPS206, HPS207 and HPS226; and two or three units at level 3, selected from HPS301, HPS302, HPS304, HPS307, HPS308, HPS310, HPS325, HPS327, HPS328 and HPS395. Students wishing to take alternative psychology units must seek approval from the School of Psychology .
For details of the campus on which the unit is offered, please refer to the Unit Descriptions section of the Handbook. Cloud (online) students may apply to enrol in campus units. The fourth-year programs, however, are only available in campus mode. Students studying in both campus and cloud (online) modes may apply for entry to either the Honours or Graduate Diploma of Psychology programs.
Registration as a Psychologist
The current requirements for registration as a provisional psychologist include the completion of four years of academic study of psychology that is recognised by the Psychology Board of Australia. The academic program usually consists of an approved undergraduate psychology sequence – such as Deakin’s Bachelor of Psychological Science – followed by an approved fourth-year of study (such as Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Psychology or honours in psychology).
Following successful completion of an approved fourth-year of psychology study, you may apply for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia and associate membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).
In order to gain full registration, provisional psychologists must then complete either two years of supervised practice, or a minimum two years of further study, which may include: Master of Psychology, Doctor of Psychology or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) (with supervised practice completed outside the degree).
Note: This course is currently accredited as at the date of publishing.
Fees and charges
Fees and charges vary depending on your course, your fee category and the year you started. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit the Current students fees website.
Course Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
| Discipline Specific knowledge and capabilities | Integrate theoretical knowledge of the discipline of psychology in relation to: health, social, cognitive, methodology, neuroscience, development, and personality. |
| Communication | Communicate psychological knowledge and arguments effectively using the most appropriate means utilising clear, discipline appropriate, coherent and well-developed communication skills. |
| Digital Literacy | Utilise online technologies to interact with others, access research and evaluate empirical evidence; and create and disseminate psychology-relevant content. |
| Critical thinking | Identify and critique the factors that contribute to the development of unhealthy mental processes and behaviours, develop arguments, reports, or commentaries based on empirical research and apply the results to affect healthy behaviour change in oneself or others, and; apply the skills required to affect healthy behaviour change in oneself and in others in diverse contexts. |
| Problem Solving | Apply knowledge of the scientific method when addressing problems related to behaviour and mental processes; design, plan, and conduct research that addresses these problems; and apply analytic and statistical skills to interpret the results and validity of research. |
| Self-management | Engage in independent learning as a reflective practitioner to sustain personal and professional development in the changing world of the science and practice of psychology; and manage resources, timelines and other constraints to achieve quality and timely outcomes. |
| Teamwork | Collaborate and communicate psychological principles and practices effectively in interdisciplinary teams to work and learn in a range of environments including communities of practice, research and professional practice. |
| Global Citizenship | Embody the values and attitudes of the scientist-practitioner; applying ethical and professional responsibilities to local and global communities and future clients and employers; within diverse cultural, social, and regulatory frameworks. |
Course rules
To complete the Bachelor of Psychological Science students must attain 24 credit points. Most units (think of units as 'subjects') are equal to 1 credit point. In order to gain 24 credit points you will need to study 24 units (AKA 'subjects'). Most students choose to study 4 units per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters each year.
The course comprises a total of 24 credit points which must include the following:
- At least 13 must be Psychology (i.e., ‘HPS’) units
- At level 1, three Psychology units, HPS111, HPS121 and HPS104, and two foundation health units, HBS107 and HBS110, are compulsory.
- At level 2, HPS201, HPS202, HPS203 and HPS204 are compulsory.
- At level 3, HPS301, HPS307, HPS308 and HPS310 are compulsory
- An additional three health electives across levels 2 and 3 must also be completed. These can be in the form of a level 2 or 3 psychology elective (HPS2XX or HPS3XX), plus either two more level 3 psychology electives (HPS3XX and HPS3XX) OR one level 3 psychology elective and one general level 3 health elective (HPS3XX and HXX3XX).
- No more than 10 credit points may be taken at level 1
- Students must complete a minimum of 7 credit points at each level.
- A maximum of 8 credit points (electives) may be taken outside the Faculty of Health
In summary, Bachelor of Psychological Science students must complete three Psychology (HPS) units at level 1, four at level 2, five at level 3 and one at level 2 or level 3.
Students may choose to accelerate their progress through the course by selecting from the following units that are normally offered in Trimester 3: HBS110, HBS107, HPS104, HPS111, HPS121, HPS201, HPS202, HPS203, HPS204, HPS206 (psychology elective unit), HPS301, HPS307, HPS308 and HPS310.
Following completion of the Bachelor of Psychological Science students intending to become psychologists must successfully apply for and complete a level-4 Honours year or the level-4 Graduate Diploma of Psychology.
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. Click here for more information.Course structure
Elective units
Three of the 11 elective units must be chosen from the psychology units listed below - one from level 2 or level 3 and two from level 3.
Trimester 1
| HPS302 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS325 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
Trimester 2
| HPS206 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS207 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS226 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS304 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS327 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS395 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
The remaining eight electives may include other psychology units such as:
| HPY210 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPY310 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
Start Anytime
| HPS328 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
or
students may choose to take complementary studies in other disciplines.
Course structure
Core units
Course structure applies for students who commenced in 2016 onwards.
Students who commenced in 2014 and 2015 should refer to previous online Handbooks or consult your course enrolment officer.
Level 1 - Trimester 1
| HPS111 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HBS107 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS104 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
plus one level 1 elective unit from any discipline
Level 1 - Trimester 2
| HPS121 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HBS110 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
plus two level 1 elective units from any discipline
Level 2 - Trimester 1
| HPS203 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS204 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
plus two level 2 elective units from psychology or any discipline
Level 2 - Trimester 2
| HPS201 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS202 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
plus one level 2 or level 3 HPS psychology elective unit AND one level 2 elective unit
Level 3 - Trimester 1
| HPS301 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS310 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
plus one level 3 HPS psychology elective unit and one level 3 elective unit
Level 3 - Trimester 2
| HPS307 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
| HPS308 | Unit description is currently unavailable |
plus one level 3 HPS psychology elective unit OR one level 3 health elective unit
AND
one level 3 elective unit
Work experience
As part of this course, you will also be given the opportunity to undertake preparation for work and work placement elective units as well as elective units designed to develop your counselling skills.
Other course information
Course duration - additional information
Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.