Bachelor of Psychological Studies

Name: Bachelor of Psychological Studies
Price: <a href='#fees-and-scholarships'> Commonwealth supported place </a> AUD

VU course code: ABPA | CRICOS: 071141K | Level of study: Undergraduate

ATAR

Not required

Duration

3 years full time or longer for part time

Delivery mode

In Person

Fees

Commonwealth supported place

Location

Footscray Park

Next start date

20 January 2025

Application closes

12 January 2025

View all start dates

Overview

Understand human behaviour and gain the foundations for a career following your passion with a Bachelor of Psychological Studies at Victoria University (VU).

In this psychology course, you’ll learn valuable skills and knowledge that you can use in work, community and personal settings.

Gain a professional understanding of how humans reason, react and relate, covering fascinating topics related to thinking and behaviour, including:

memory
learning
motivation and emotion
cognition
lifespan development.

Explore psychological and personality disorders and understand the importance of sleep, healthy living, and stress management. By exploring different approaches to counselling, you'll develop a deep understanding of the strengths and limitations of clinical practice.

With this psychological studies degree that includes 60 hours of work placement, you can choose your career path from a diverse range of areas including community services, marketing, teaching, or employee support and development.

As a psychology graduate, you’ll have the in-demand transferable skills that employers desire, including critical thinking, problem-solving, ethics, communication and respect for diversity.

: On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Elucidate and apply a broad knowledge of psychological theory and social research methods;

Exhibit skills in independent research, theoretical analysis and critical evaluation in psychology and health;

Critically reflect on how broader systemic factors have an impact on and help inform human behaviour and wellbeing;

Exemplify advanced interpersonal and collaborative skills, consistent with professional, ethical and culturally sensitive practice, when working with people from diverse backgrounds;

Interpret and coherently communicate knowledge and ideas using a range of media; and

Exhibit independence, self-reflection and creativity to meet goals and challenges in professional and academic pursuits.
: Study many of the same subjects as your classmates in the competitive Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) without the need to rely on a high ATAR score.
We look at other aspects to assess your application because our courses and support programs are designed to prepare students from diverse cultures for success, regardless of their prior experience, ATAR, age, socioeconomic or educational background.
As one of VU’s most popular subjects, psychological studies will see you studying with others in degrees as diverse as law, business and sport.
: As a Bachelor of Psychological Studies student, you’ll get the valuable opportunity in your third year of study to complete a fieldwork unit, which includes 60 hours of work placement.
Choose to complete your placement in an organisation that aligns with your area of interest, such as these examples experienced by our students:
community organisations, such as Autism Camp Australia
mental health organisations and general practice, such as Orygen and private psychology clinics
sport-based organisations
public and private health services
school settings.
Find out more about VU’s psychology fieldwork program.
: Enjoy combining your psychological studies with an arts or health minor of your choice, such as:
gender studies
history
sociology
health
interpersonal organisational skills
applied health nutrition.
If you prefer a strong focus on psychology, you can choose the interpersonal organisational skills minor, which was designed to complement studies in psychology. You’ll gain hands-on experience in interviewing and active listening, which are basic counselling skills.

Entry requirements

When assessing your application, we consider your educational achievements and work experience, as well as your skills and personal attributes (where relevant).

Applicants for this course will need to meet the entry criteria outlined below. If you don’t meet the entry criteria, you may be able to gain entry by first completing a related course or unit(s). We call this a ‘pathway’.

You may also be eligible for course ‘credits’, where you are granted a unit or units towards your qualification for equivalent previous study or work experience, so you can graduate sooner.

ATAR requirements

No minimum ATAR required

This course does not have a minimum ATAR requirement for entry. Read the entry criteria for this course below.

Why ATAR is not applicable

You do not need an ATAR score to apply for this course. Instead, you need to have successfully completed secondary school and to meet any requirements outlined below. Our courses and support programs are designed to prepare students from diverse cultures for success, regardless of their ATAR, age, education or socioeconomic background.

Entry criteria

Minimum entry criteria include:

English-language requirements
academic requirements.

Your work and life experience will also be considered.

To find specific entry requirements for this course, please select the section below that is most relevant to you.

Meeting the minimum entry criteria does not guarantee entry into this course.

: This information is relevant if, in the 2 years prior to studying with us, you have completed (or will complete) one of the following:

Australian Senior Secondary Certificate (e.g. VCE)

an Australian or overseas equivalent to VCE

an International Baccalaureate (IB).

Admission criteria

Completion of an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate (VCE or equivalent) including Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or 20 in any other English.
: This information is relevant if you have completed an accredited award (such as a certificate or diploma) at an Australian Registered Training Organisation (usually a TAFE, polytechnic or other registered VET institute).

Admission criteria

Completion of an Australian Advanced Diploma or Diploma (or equivalent).
OR:
Completion of the Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation (or equivalent).
: This information is relevant if you’ve previously completed all or part of a university or other higher-education course.

Admission criteria

Full or partial completion of an Australian Higher Education award (or equivalent).
OR:
Completion of two units of Higher Education studies.
OR:
Completion of a bridging or enabling course eg. Foundation course or equivalent.
: This information is relevant if you left secondary school more than two years ago and haven’t studied since.

Admission criteria

Five years (minimum) work/life experience in Human or Health Services or similar.
OR:
Applicants that completed an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate more than two years ago.
PLUS:
Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or 20 in any other English (or equivalent).
: Take a look at a student profile to get an overview of students who have previously enrolled in this course.

Applicant background Number of students Percentage of all students

(A) Past Higher Education Study
(includes a bridging or enabling course) 14 12.3%

(B) Past vocational education and training (VET) study 16 14.0%

(C) Recent secondary education
Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR
(regardless of whether this includes the impact of adjustment factors such as equity or subject bonus points)
NA NA

(C) Recent secondary education
Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were considered
(e.g. portfolio, audition, extra test, early offer conditional on minimum ATAR)
NA NA

(C) Recent secondary education
Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was not a factor
(e.g. special consideration alone, audition alone, schools recommendation scheme with no minimum ATAR requirement)
67 58.8%

(D) Work and Life experience 10 8.8%

International students 7 6.1%

All students 114 100%

"<5" – the number of students is less than 5.
N/A – Students not accepted in this category.
N/P – Not published: the number is hidden to prevent calculation of numbers in cells with less than 5 students.

Special entry programs

Special admission programs

If you are from a disadvantaged or underrepresented social, economic or cultural background, you may be eligible for one of our special admission programs. These programs are designed to help you access education more easily.

Learn more about special admission programs

VU Early Entry

If you're currently in Year 11 or 12, our exclusive VU Early Entry program comes with a Conditional Offer to the course of your choosing*, a personalised course plan, special events, exclusive discounts and access to one-on-one course advice.

*Conditions apply.

Learn more about VU Early Entry

Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are the abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to meet the learning outcomes of the course.

You should carefully consider the inherent requirement statement as a:

guide for your learning during the course
way for you to identify challenges you may have in studying this course.

Learn more about inherent requirements

Credit & Entry pathways into this course

Victoria University is committed to providing a transparent admissions process. Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.

Course structure

To attain the Bachelor of Psychological Studies, students will be required to complete 288 credit points, consisting of:

96 credit points of Core First Year studies;
120 credit points of Core Psychology studies;
24 credit points of Psychology Elective studies, and;
48 credit points of Minor studies.

Units

Fees & scholarships

University fees vary, depending on how much the government contributes towards course costs (if anything).

Read below to find out about the fee ‘type’, the estimated yearly tuition costs for this course, and the financial support on offer (including our generous scholarship program).

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is subsidised by the government, reducing it to the amount listed here. Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens will qualify for a CSP place. If your course is not Commonwealth supported, or you don't qualify, you'll pay full fees.

Learn more about Commonwealth Supported Places

Fees

Scholarships

Careers

Your psychological studies degree can help you understand yourself and others, complement other learning and develop your analytical skills.

You’ll be ready to start a career in fields such as:

welfare
community services
human resources
marketing
research
policy-making
counselling.

You may also choose to continue on to further study to qualify as a teacher, social worker or registered psychologist.

The number of jobs for psychologists is expected to grow strongly over the next five years. As a psychologist, you could be employed in one of several thriving industries including health care, public administration or education.

Prepare for further study to become a psychologist

Professional accreditation/Industry recognition

Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)

This course is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)

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Bachelor of Psychological Studies

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Bachelor of Psychological Studies

Overview