Psychology Honours

Overview

An honours degree in psychology is achieved by doing an additional year of study beyond a three-year Bachelor of Psychological Science or similar degree. The opportunity to study for a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is only available to high-achieving students.

Honours in psychology has special significance as it decides career options. To become a practising psychologist, you essentially need to (a) qualify for an honours program and (b) achieve a first-class or upper second-class grade. These milestones require high performance.

A typical honours year consists of four coursework subjects in semester one and a large research project or dissertation in semester two. It is more research-intensive than undergraduate studies, preparing students for evidence-based practice and clinical and research careers.

What GPA Do You Need to Get In?

The standard requirement for admission into an honours program in psychology in Australia is a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 5.5. This corresponds to a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 75%. In simple terms, aim for a Distinction or better in at least half of your subjects.

Table 1. Grades required for entry

Uni	Degree	Required	Details
ECU	Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)	WAM > 70%	Credit average in 2nd/3rd year.
JCU	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)	GPA > 5.5	3-year psychology sequence or bridging degree.
RMIT	Bachelor of Applied Science (Psychology) (Honours)	Average > 75%	3-year sequence or fourth year with > 75% avg.
SCU	Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours	GPA > 5.0	Psychology sequence with GPA ≥ 5.0.
UTS	Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)	Average > 75%	80+ avg. in 10 Psychol. subjects. 75+ considered.
UNSW	Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)	Distinction avg.	Competitive, based on distinction min. in Psychol.

Source: Individual university course pages

Most Australian universities use a Distinction average as the benchmark for qualifying for honours programs. However, some institutions may set slightly lower standards, such as a GPA of 5 or a WAM of at least 70%.

A GPA of 5.5 is considered a Distinction average on a 7-point scale, where 7 is for a High Distinction (HD), 6 for a Distinction (D), 5 for a Credit (C), and 4 for a Pass (P). For example, if you achieve 2 HDs, 3 Ds, 2 Cs, and 1 P in your final year, your GPA would be calculated as (2x7 + 3x6 + 2x5 + 1x4) / 8 = 46 / 8 = 5.75, which qualifies.

A GPA of 5.5 roughly equates to a WAM of 75%, as this is the borderline for a Distinction. Scoring above 75% essentially means achieving more HDs and Ds than Credits and Passes.

Psychology Honours Degrees in Australia

Honours programs that provide pathways towards registration as a psychologist are widely available across Australia, on campuses as well as online. Universities offer these advanced programs of study for high-achieving students interested in becoming psychologists.

Table 2. Accredited honours programs

PROVIDER	STATE	CAMPUS	DEGREE
ACU	NSW	Strathfield	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
ACU	VIC	Melbourne	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
ACAP	NSW	Online Sydney	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
ACAP	QLD	Brisbane	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
ACAP	SA	Adelaide	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
ACAP	VIC	Melbourne	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
ACAP	WA	Perth	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
ANU	ACT	Canberra	Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Bachelor of Science (Honours) Bachelor of Science (Psychology) (Honours)
Bond University	QLD	Gold Coast	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
CQUniversity	QLD	Online	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
Cairnmillar Institute	VIC	Hawthorn East Online	Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
CDU	NT	Casuarina	Bachelor of Psychological Science Honours
CDU	NSW	Online	BSocSc(Psych)(Hons)
Deakin University	VIC	Burwood Cloud Campus Geelong	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
ECU	WA	Online	Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
Federation University	VIC	Berwick Gippsland Mt Helen Online	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
Flinders University	SA	Bedford Park	Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Honours) Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
Griffith University	QLD	Gold Coast Mt Gravatt	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
ISN Psychology	VIC	Austin Precinct	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
JCU	QLD	Online Townsville	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
La Trobe University	VIC	Albury/Wodonga Bendigo Melbourne Online	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
Macquarie University	NSW	North Ryde	Bachelor of Psychological Sciences (Honours)
Monash University	VIC	Clayton	Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Murdoch University	WA	Murdoch	Bachelor of Arts Honours Psychology Bachelor of Science Honours Psychology
QUT	QLD	Kelvin Grove	BBehavSc(Psych)(Hons)
RMIT University	VIC	Bundoora Melbourne	Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
SCU	NSW	Coffs Harbour Online	BPsychSc(Hons)
SCU	QLD	Gold Coast	BPsychSc(Hons)
Swinburne	VIC	Hawthorn	Bachelor of Psychological Sciences (Honours)
UNSW	NSW	Kensington	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
University of Adelaide	SA	North Terrace	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
University of Canberra	ACT	Canberra	Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Honours)
University of Melbourne	VIC	Parkville	Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Bachelor of Biomedicine (Honours) Bachelor of Science (Honours)
University of New England	NSW	Armidale Online	Bachelor of Psychology with Honours
University of Newcastle	NSW	Callaghan Ourimbah	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
University of Notre Dame	NSW	Sydney	Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Psychology
University of Notre Dame	WA	Fremantle	Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Psychology Bachelor of Science (Honours) Psychology
University of Queensland	QLD	St Lucia	Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) (Honours) Bachelor of Science (Psychology) (Honours)
UniSQ	QLD	Ipswich Online	Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Psychology)
University of Sydney	NSW	Camperdown	Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours) Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science (Hons) Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours) Bachelor of Science (Honours)
University of Tasmania	TAS	Hobart Launceston	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Hons)
UTS	NSW	City campus	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
UWA	WA	Crawley	Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) Bachelor of Science (Honours)
University of Wollongong	NSW	Wollongong	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
USC	QLD	Moreton Bay Sunshine Coast	BBehavSc(Psych)(Hons)
Victoria University	VIC	Footscray Park	Bachelor of Psychological Studies (Honours)
Western Sydney	NSW	Bankstown Parramatta Penrith	Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)

Source: APAC Accredited Courses in Psychology

Note that some universities offer four-year "honours" programs to school leavers with high ATAR scores. These programs embed an honours year as an expected progression after the third year. This arrangement, for the most part, appears to be a superficial change since (a) you'll still need good grades to qualify for the fourth year, and (b) high-performing students in three-year bachelor degrees are also eligible for an honours year.

Do You Need Honours to Be a Psychologist?

You essentially need an honours degree to become a psychologist. Qualifying as a registered psychologist in Australia requires a master's degree or doctorate. These programs only accept honours graduates or those with the equivalent qualification of a Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced).

Note that not just any honours degree is sufficient. You should achieve a first-class or upper second-class grade. Without performing well in your honours year (or advanced graduate diploma), you won't be accepted into postgraduate programs leading to general registration.

How Hard Is It?

Psychology Honours is a step up from undergraduate studies. The difficulty rating goes up because the class is a select group of the top psychology students. Each course is pitched towards the better students in the cohort, without being dumbed down for strugglers who didn't make the cut.

I found honours to be more intense than a master's degree and PhD. Academic standards are high and your specific grades matter. Once you achieve first-class or 2A honours, you've made the cut academically. After that, higher education is mainly a matter of determination.

Dr Andrew Lancaster

The challenge also rises because students are determined to do well, which can be out of fear. They may need to at least maintain their performance level from previous studies to avoid a lower second-class grade (or third class), which would make it hard to progress in the field.

Some students are also found out by the research component. To do well, you generally need to be able to work independently and complete a project without much help or direction. There's a risk if you're mainly good at following directions. In Australia, most supervisors expect honours students to drive the research project after the initial planning phase.

Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced)

The Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) is an alternative to an honours year, also serving as 4th-year psychology and master's prep. It's open to students with a high GPA from their bachelor (or graduate diploma) in psychology.

The course lasts one year and mixes coursework with research projects. Topics covered include psychological assessment, intervention, ethics, and research skills. Offered online, this postgraduate course is ideal for working professionals wanting to study part-time.

Another option is a 2-year Master of Professional Psychology, offered by 3 universities at last count. This combines the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) with the usual one-year master's program. Students complete the 4th and 5th years of study within one degree.