Is Psychology a Hard Degree in Australia?
Psychology is an average degree in terms of difficulty, no easier or harder than mainstream degrees such as business, science, and arts.
Neither easy nor difficult. Challenges and opportunities in psychological science.
Psychology is an average degree in terms of difficulty, no easier or harder than other mainstream degrees such as business, science, and arts. But a Bachelor of Psychology is one for all-rounders. You may struggle, for example, if you hate mathematics or are no good at writing essays.
An important further consideration is that becoming a psychologist in Australia is hard. You need to be one of the top students who qualifies for honours and then goes on to complete a master’s degree.
Why Psychology is Not Hard
Psychology cannot be considered a difficult degree because many students at any given campus are eligible to major in this field. It is commonly available in arts, science, and social science programs, as well as Psychology itself. It is also a popular major. Students in psychology classes are not elite by Australian university standards, and most of them are able to pass.
For instance, psychology bachelor degrees are available at universities across Australia. The programs have varying entry requirements, with ATAR scores typically ranging from as low as 50 up to 83.
Moreover, psychology is a popular choice. The fascinating field explores our thinking and behaviour. With high enrolments, passing cannot be overly difficult. From my experience studying and teaching at university, lecturers set difficulty levels to ensure most students in their classes pass!
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Hardest Part of a Psychology Degree
The most challenging part is that this is a degree for all-rounders. You need to be able to read lengthy scientific studies, understand and perform statistics, interpret results, and write essays.
You need a combination of critical thinking, high literacy, and mathematical ability. If you struggle in any one area, you will find that part of the program difficult.
However, it’s important to note that much or most of the coursework in a bachelor program will be made up of subjects outside psychology. You can choose electives that match your strengths to make the overall program more manageable.
Related: Human Psychology: Study of Mind and Behavior
Becoming a Psychologist is Difficult
Only the best students go on to do the advanced programs (which are science-heavy) to qualify to become a psychologist. Normally, you will need at least half of your psychology subjects to be Distinctions or High Distinctions to qualify for honours. Many students pass but cannot go on to become a registered psychologist or clinical psychologist.
Becoming a psychologist in Australia has a 6-year timeframe. After completing your bachelor’s degree, you need to do an honours year. Then you need to complete a 2-year master’s degree, or a one-year master’s followed by a year as an intern.
Advanced study in psychology, such as honours and master’s programs, is highly competitive. Only the most dedicated and capable students progress. The honours year involves a significant research project, which requires ability in research methodologies, data analysis, and academic writing. You need to achieve at least a 2A (second-class, upper division) grade to continue on.
Related: Best Psychology Degrees Online in Australia
Easier Degrees
Students who are not strong all-rounders will find other degrees easier. Business and science degrees (without psychology) could be easier if reading and writing are not your thing. Conversely, if your maths skills are weak, you might find it easier to immerse yourself in humanities and social sciences.
If you have good English skills but baulk at the thought of complex statistics, psychology may not be for you. It is often considered a STEM major. Alternatives could include history, communications, or sociology.
A business degree might be more suitable if you struggle with voluminous reading and essay writing. Business majors linked to psychological science include marketing and human resources management.
Personally, I would advise anyone entering university to embrace programs with mathematical content if you can handle the required subjects. You can read the course curriculum in detail to see what would be in store. The fact is that degrees and careers that involve some mathematics pay more than those that are devoid of it.
Is Psychology Hard to Get a Job?
Getting a job with a psychology degree is achievable if you’re open-minded about the type of work. The largest employers of psychology graduates aren’t hiring many registered psychologists. Instead, they recruit bachelor graduates into roles requiring communication, administration, case management, policy, human services, behavioural support, research, and customer interaction.
Students often assume a psychology degree only leads to becoming a psychologist. In reality, most graduates do not become registered psychologists. A psychology degree is more comparable to business, arts, or science, developing a broad mix of skills that can be used across industries.
Services Australia
One of the largest Australian employers of psychology graduates is Services Australia, which operates Centrelink, Medicare, and Child Support. Psychology graduates suit these environments because the work involves communication, conflict management, interviewing, behavioural understanding, and dealing with vulnerable people.
Many roles do not require registration as a psychologist, including customer service, program support, compliance, investigations, disability support, graduate programs, and case management. For example, Services Australia (Child Support) has case officer roles involving emotionally charged situations where understanding human behaviour is valuable.
Human Resources and Corporate Jobs
Psychology graduates are also employed heavily in human resources, recruitment, training, and organisational development. Large employers value psychology graduates because they are trained in statistics, research methods, communication, and human behaviour.
Corporate graduate programs commonly accept psychology majors alongside business and arts graduates. Areas such as marketing, customer experience, workplace wellbeing, and people analytics connect naturally with psychological science.
Mental Health and Community Services
Mental health organisations, disability providers, employment services, and community support agencies such as headspace also employ large numbers of psychology graduates who are not psychologists. Roles can include support work, intake assessment, youth work, behavioural support, rehabilitation, and wellbeing services.
Graduates willing to work in government or community-based roles generally have a much easier time finding employment than those narrowly focused on becoming clinical psychologists. Psychology is best viewed as a flexible all-rounder degree with pathways into people-focused careers.
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