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Bachelor of Psychological Studies

Bachelor of Psychological Studies

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

Duration

3 years

Delivery mode

In person

Fees

Tuition: per semester AU$16,700

Location

Footscray Park

Next start date

24 February 2025

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

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’.

If you've completed a qualification where English was the primary language of instruction, you may be eligible for an exemption of English-language requirements.

In some cases, there may be additional entry requirements.

Learn more about entry requirements for international students.

Entry criteria

Credit & Entry pathways into this course

If you don’t meet the entry requirements for this course, there may be an alternative study ‘pathway’ to achieving your goal. In some cases, you may receive credit for your previous study or work experience, reducing the time it takes to complete your course.

You’ll find information about any pathways to higher qualifications that may be available to you after completing this course under the ‘careers’ section of this page.

Find out more about pathways at VU.

: If you have completed any of the following course(s), you will be guaranteed a place in this course.

Certificate IV in Mental Health

Guaranteed entry only

Foundations at VU

Guaranteed entry only

International Foundations at VU

Guaranteed entry only
: If you have completed study with another university or institution you may be eligible to receive credit for skills and past study .

Use our credit calculator to find out what credit you may be eligible for based on your previous studies.

Note that if your previous study can’t be found through the credit calculator, you may still be eligible for credit.

Units can be credited if they are part of the course structure for the course you are applying for. Please note that credits relating to prior VU subjects are automatically granted and no further action is required.

calculate your credit

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

As an international student at Victoria University, you will be required to pay your tuition fees up front each semester.

There may be additional materials fees throughout your studies, depending on your chosen course, as well as an administrative fee as part of your course.

Victoria University is proud to support our international scholarship recipients and sponsored students.

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.