A student who has completed all the requirements for the Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology), or another qualification which the Faculty Board agrees is equivalent, may be accepted as a candidate for the honours degree providing a sufficiently high standard has been achieved in fulfilling the requirements for the bachelors degree.

Course aims

The aims of the Honours course in psychology are to build on earlier training to provide a broad base in contemporary psychological theory and research, to bring diverse psychology subject areas together by pointing to shared themes, issues, problems and techniques, and to enhance students' understanding of methodological and data analysis issues.

It aims to better acquaint students with the actual process of research, to show how Psychology can contribute to understanding and solving real-world problems, and to promote critical or evaluative thinking (e.g., about theory, methods, applications).

Learning outcomes

Students graduating with an Honours degree in Psychology should be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

  • knowledge of psychological theories in relation to a range of major areas within the discipline, such as social, developmental, cognitive, and abnormal psychology
  • knowledge of the principles of psychological assessment and measurement
  • an ability to critically evaluate theoretical claims and primary research
  • an ability to plan and conduct research to answer well-justified questions
  • knowledge of the ethical guidelines governing psychological research and clinical practice
  • an ability to connect their theoretical knowledge and learned psychological techniques to relevant real-world problems
  • an ability to distil key ideas from the literature and to communicate concepts and primary research in both written and oral form.

The other options for Honours are Artificial Intelligence, Biological Sciences, Criminology, Disability and Community Rehabilitation, Health, Law and Society, Management, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Public Policy, Sociology and Women's Studies.

The aims and learning outcomes for these options can be obtained from the relevant course rules.

Program of study

To qualify for the honours degree, a student must complete satisfactorily 36 units of study as specified in one of the following programs of study.