Course

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Psychology

Approved Abbreviation: BA(Hons)Psy

Western Sydney University Course Code: 1504.4

CRICOS Code: 040992A

Students should follow the course structure for the course version relevant to the year they commenced. This version applies to students whose commencement year for this course is 2012 or later.

Units may be revised or replaced to ensure students are provided with up to date curriculum throughout their studies, and this may result in a new course version. Refer to the Check My Course Progress page in MySR for the most up to date information for your course.

Commencement Year 2008 to 2011 - 1504.3 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Psychology

Commencement Year 2005 to 2007 - 1504.2 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Psychology

Commencement Year 2001 to 2004 - 1504.1 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Psychology

The Honours year in psychology is a separate award which permits UWS and other psychology graduates to take a challenging fourth-year of undergraduate study by coursework and research. Students from all undergraduate UWS psychology degrees with an AAM of 65 or greater are able to apply for admission into this one year, 80 credit point, HECS-based Honours program.

The Honours year comprises a one-semester unit in psychological assessment and intervention, a one-semester contemporary issues seminar, a yearlong research methods seminar, and a yearlong major research thesis. The award is offered on Bankstown Campus. For those students who meet entry requirements, this award provides an accredited fourth-year of study enabling registration as a provisional psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Study Mode
One year full-time or two years part-time.

Accreditation
This course provides an accredited fourth year of study enabling provisional registration as a Psychologist by the Psychology Board of Australia and associate membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). On completion of a further two years of Board-approved internship (i.e., supervised practice) the intern Psychologist will be eligible for general registration and for membership of the Society. Alternatively, graduates with an accredited four-year program in Psychology, who meet entry criteria, can apply for entry into a fifth year postgraduate program leading to general registration after only one-year of internship; or Masters or Doctoral degrees leading to specialist registration (e.g. Endorsement as a Clinical Psychologist). Endorsements also require periods of supervised practice (two years following a Masters degree and one year following a Doctoral degree).

Admission

The major purpose of this award is to permit holders of an Undergraduate degree with an APAC accredited sequence in psychology to have an opportunity to complete an accredited fourth year sequence. Applications can only be made by students with an Admission Average Mark (AAM) equal to or above 65. Admission to the award is competitive, and is based on the School's ranking of the applicant's suitability for Honours.

The School is skilled at evaluating student transcripts. However, the onus will be on applicants with irregular studies to prove they have an accredited three year psychology major in their undergraduate degree to gain admission to the program and would typically be required to produce a letter from their Head of School to this effect.

This is a highly competitive award. There is no provision for deferring an offer of a place.

Course Structure

Qualification for this award requires the successful completion of 80 credit points comprising an Honours thesis (40 credit points); Contemporary Issues Seminar 1 (10 credit points), Theory and Practice of Psychological Assessment and Intervention (10 credit points) and the Research Methods Seminar (20 credit points).

Please note: Full-time students must enrol in 100980 Psychology Honours Thesis and 100983 Research Methods Seminar in both 1H and 2H sessions.

Recommended Sequence

Full-time

1H session

100980

Psychology Honours Thesis

100983

Research Methods Seminar

Autumn session

101420

Theory and Practice of Psychological Assessment and Intervention

2H session