Bachelor of Psychology
Undergraduate | MAQ-PSY-DEG | 2024
Analyse the human mind and behaviour
Open your mind to the study of developmental, social and child psychology. Understand how the humans process and assess information. Start down a path that could lead to a career in health, social welfare, human resources or market research.
Entry pathways available with no entry requirements
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- Subject may require attendance
- Applications close
- 7 July 2024
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 3 years full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 24
- Price from
- $42,025
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Bachelor of Psychology
About this degree
On successful completion, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate a broad and coherent knowledge of the underlying principles, theories and concepts in the core topics of psychology.
- Recognise the importance of maintaining reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive approaches to the understanding of psychology.
- Apply knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals.
- Analyse and critique theory and research in psychology, including the conduct, analysis and interpretation of empirically-derived data
- Prepare and produce written and oral-format communications regarding the critique of theory and research in psychology
- Demonstrate interpersonal skills and teamwork.
- Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate values and ethics in psychology.
- Extend your knowledge of psychology through self-directed pursuit of scholarly inquiry in this discipline.
Psychology is a discipline characterised by both scientific research and applied professional practice. This degree is concerned with providing students with a scientific understanding in the psychological processes that underlie behaviour including perception, cognition, learning, motivation, neuroscience, psychopathology, personality, emotion, developmental psychology, health psychology, counselling and social relationships, as well as training in the analysis of data and research methodologies. This course allows students to complete an accredited Psychology degree across three years. Students in this course also have the option to transfer to the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) course to complete an additional fourth year of honours in Psychology, conditional on meeting the entry requirements. A key feature of the Bachelor of Psychology degree is the capstone unit, which aims to provide students with skills to facilitate their transfer into the workplace, and the opportunity to gain limited but relevant experience working in the field.
Recommended study pattern
Minimum number of subjects for the degree: 24
CORE ZONE
Essential subjects:
120 credit points
- PSYX1101 Introduction to Psychology I (Open Enrolment)
- PSYX1102 Introduction to Psychology II (Open Enrolment)
- STAX1103 Introduction to Psychological Design and Statistics (Open Enrolment)
- PSYX1100 Psychology: Finding Your Foundation and Future
- PSYX2222 Psychological Health and Wellbeing
- PSYX2234 Social and Personality Psychology
- PSYX2235 Developmental Psychology
- PSYX2236 Biopsychology and Learning
- PSYX2239 Perception and Cognition
- PSYX2248 Design and Statistics II
- PSYX3330 Measurement and Research Applications in Psychology
- PSYX3337 Psychopathology
Elective subjects
Complete 3 subjects form the following options:
- PSYX3001 Applied Intercultural and Community Psychology
- PSYX3333 Social Interaction in the Modern World
- PSYX3336 Personality and its Disorders
- PSYX3338 Organisational Psychology
- PSYX3349 Design and Statistics III
Capstone subject
- PSYX3399 Psychological Science: Putting Theory into Practice
FLEXIBLE ZONE
Electives: 80 credit points
You can use your flexible zone to enrol in any subject for which you meet the pre-requisites.
TOTAL CREDIT POINTS REQUIRED FOR THIS PROGRAM: 240
Award requirements
To be awarded the degree, students must complete a minimum of 24 subjects comprising of the following :
- 16 Core subjects , including a final Capstone subject (PSYX3399).
- 8 elective subjects
Choose your subjects
Electives
Students can complete 80 credit points (8 subjects) from any subject for which they meet the prerequisites.
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Students are eligible to register for the Macquarie Bachelor of Psychology after successfully completing 4 OUA higher education subjects including STAX1103, PSYX1101 and PSYX1102 (or eqivalent subjects) ; or successfully complete STAX1103 and PSYX1101 or PSYX1102 with a WAM of 65 or above. Students must follow the degree structure in place at the time of their Bachelor of Psychology registration with the University. Registration is free for all students.
Please Note: Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) and HECS are not available for this degree. However, subject to your eligibility, other HELP loans may be available.
Once you have been admitted into your degree, you must enrol in at least one subject in the study term immediately following admission, and you must remain enrolled past the census date. If not, your admission will lapse and you will need to re-apply for the degree again. Deferment is not available for OUA students.
Visit Studying a degree through OUA for further information.
Please note that students who have an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion under Macquarie University's Academic Progression Policy will not be permitted to register in Macquarie University degrees offered through OUA. Students with an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion who have enrolled in units through OUA will be withdrawn.
Transition arrangements are changes that occur when courses are updated or phased out. This happens regularly as part of continuous improvement. It may affect you if you are currently enrolled in this course, or if you plan to use credit from previous study towards it.
Changes in 2024:
In 2024, the overall structure of the Bachelor of Psychology has been modified. Students previously admitted in the previous curriculum will be notified of any changes and will still be able to complete the course on time. The following units have been added in the degree structure.
- PSYX1100 Psychology: Finding Your Foundation and Future
- PSYX2222 Psychological Health and Wellbeing (NCCW PSYX2224)
- PSYX2239 Perception and Cognition
- PSYX3330 Measurement and Research Applications in Psychology (to be offered in 2025)
This research-intensive university in north-western Sydney offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. With over 44,000 current students, Macquarie has a strong reputation for welcoming international students and embracing flexible and convenient study options, including its partnership with Open Universities Australia.
Learn more about Macquarie University.
Explore Macquarie courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 10
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 10
Entry requirements
- Successfully complete 4 OUA subjects, including STAX1103, PSYX1101 and PSYX1102 (or equivalent subjects); OR
- Successfully complete STAX1103 and PSYX1101 or PSYX1102 (or equivalent subjects) with a WAM of 65 or above; OR
- Successfully complete PSYX1104 and PSYX1105 (before 2022) with a WAM of 65 or above; OR
- Successfully complete 4 OUA subjects, including STAX1103, PSYX1104 and PSYX1105 (before 2022)
Competitive ATAR of 83, a Selection Rank of 83 or equivalent OP of 9.
Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall with minimum 6.0 in each band, or equivalent.
All applicants for undergraduate coursework studies at Macquarie University are required to provide evidence of proficiency in English.
You may satisfy the English language requirements if you have completed:
- senior secondary studies equivalent to the NSW HSC
- one year of Australian or comparable tertiary study in a country of qualification
For more information see English Language Requirements.
If you have completed prior study at Diploma level or higher, you may be eligible for credit towards your Bachelor at Macquarie which can reduce the duration of your program.
For more information see our Recognition of Prior Learning page or submit an enquiry.
Not sure if you meet entry requirements?
You can still get into this degree—here’s how:
Start small
Complete an undergraduate certificate in as little as six months. You’ll gain a recognised qualification and credit to bring to the Bachelor of Psychology.
View certificate detailsContinue to a degree
Enter the degree with full credits from your certificate. You’ll study for the same amount of time as students who go straight into the degree.
Use your psychology skills in a range of careers or continue to postgraduate study
We're here to help answer your questions. Speak to a student advisor today.
Career opportunities
This degree prepares students for employment in professional areas such as health and social welfare, social policy, market research, and various functions associated with human resources and services. It is also the basis for further studies where students are able to gain specialised vocational training in the professional practice of psychology such as clinical, organisational or forensic psychology, counselling, clinical neuropsychology, health and community psychology and research.
Professional recognition
The Bachelor of Psychology (OUA) award is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)
Career outlook
- Counsellors:
- $75K to $93K
- Health and Welfare Services Managers:
- Over $120K
- Human Resource Managers:
- Over $120K
- Policy and Planning Managers:
- Over $120K
- Psychologists and Psychotherapists:
- $93K to $120K
Degree FAQs
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
We help you find the subjects or degree that's right for you, and we handle your enrolment in uni and some administration. Your uni sends you your study materials and deals with all academic matters. They're also in charge of your assessment and graduation. If you go on to complete a degree, you'll graduate from the uni offering your degree, for example, RMIT University or Griffith University.
Before starting an enrolment, it's important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you're eligible to apply. If you don't quite meet the requirements, we can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Chat with us to find out more.
Our close of enrolment times vary. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting Key dates.
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don't meet the entry requirements for a degree, we'll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We'll introduce you to flexible study options you didn't even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.
You'll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you'll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you'll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.
We'll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we'll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.