Flinders University > Courses and programs

Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)

The degree is offered co-jointly by the School of Psychology at Flinders University and the Department of Psychology at HELP College University (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and is delivered entirely in Malaysia. The degree has been established to comply with the criteria specified by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) so that graduates from the BPsychSc (Hons) will have a degree that is recognised in Australia as a four-year Honours degree in Psychology. Accordingly, graduates of the BPsychSc (Hons) will be able to apply for entry into a variety of postgraduate degrees in Australia such as Masters and Doctoral programmes in clinical psychology.

Enrolment in the degree can only be made at HELP University College and students must attend the campus in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

Admission requirements
Course aims
Learning outcomes
Program of study

Admission requirements

The general admission requirement for the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) is the successful completion of one of the following:

an Australian Year 12 program
SATs (USA)
British General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Levels or equivalent examinations
Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM)
Hong Kong Advanced Levels
International Baccalaureate
Ontario Secondary Diploma
Malaysian Unified Examination System (MICSS)
Swedish or Norwegian Gymnasium
South African Matriculation
Japan High School Diploma (selected courses only)
all or part ofan approved university degree at a satisfactory level.

And (for Malaysian citizens only)

3 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia/O Level credits
And
A pass in Bahasa Melayu .

Course aims

The Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) is an innovative, challenging course that will enable students to study human behaviour and experience. It is hoped that students will acquire from the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) a breadth of knowledge and a repertoire of skills, which will enable them to move into graduate level coursework in Psychology or other areas.

The main aim of the course is to equip students with basic skills that allow the
student to:

read and critically evaluate psychological literature
have a basic knowledge and understanding of the major theoretical perspectives and empirical paradigms used in the study of psychology
conduct their own research and critically evaluate the research of others

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the course should be able to demonstrate:

a working knowledge of basic psychological principles and processes
an understanding of the link between theoretical constructs and applied techniques
well developed written communication skills
an understanding of ethical principles within research and practice
an understanding of statistical analysis of data
the ability to compare, contrast and critically evaluate different theoretical perspectives

Program of study

The Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) requires four years of full-time study (or the equivalent part-time). To qualify for the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) a student must complete the equivalent of 144 Flinders units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic.

The major sequence in Psychology comprises 24 first level units, 30 second level units, 36 third level units and 36 fourth level units. The remaining units are made up of 12 first level elective units and 6 second level elective units.

Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) students who choose not to continue with the fourth year may apply for permission to graduate at the end of their third year with a Bachelor of Psychological Science degree. To qualify for this degree they will need to have completed 108 units as specified in the first three years of the program of study for the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) outlined below.

Year 1 (HELP University College topics)

33 credits comprising

Core - Year 1 topics

PSY 111 Introduction to Psychology 1 (4 credits)
PSY 112 Introduction to Psychology 2 (4 credits)
PSY 105 Research Methodology (3 credits)
PSY 106  Quantitative Methods (3 credits)
LLS 101  Leadership and Life Skills (3 credits)
MC 100  Social and Business Communication (3 credits)
PMG 101 Project Management (3 credits)
PSY 110 Career Guidance and Preparation for Psychology 1 (1 credit)

Elective - Year 1 topics

plus 9 credits of level 1 free electives

Year 2 (HELP University College topics)

34 credits comprising:

Core - Year 2 topics

PSY 201  Advanced Research Methodology (3 credits)
PSY 202  Advanced Quantitative Methods (3 credits)
PSY 203  Child Development (3 credits)
PSY 204  Adolescent and Adult Development (3 credits)
PSY 205  Social Psychology (3 credits)
PSY 206 Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
PSY 207  Human Personality (3 credits)
PSY 208 Biopsychology (3 credits)
PSY 220 Career Guidance and Preparation for Psychology 2 (1 credit)

Option - Year 2 topics

plus 6 credits of psychology option topics from the following:

PSY 209 Counselling Skills (3 credits)
PSY 210 Conflict Theory and Resolution (3 credits)
PSY 211 Human Services (3 credits)
PSY 212 Educational Psychology (3 credits)
PSY 213 Human Factors and Ergonomics (3 credits)

Elective - Year 2 topics

plus 3 credits of level 2 free electives

Year 3 (Flinders University topics)

36 units comprising:

Core - Year 3 topics

PSYC3051 Cognitive Psychology (3 units)
PSYC3052 Psychological Assessment (3 units)
PSYC3053 Advanced Counselling (3 units)
PSYC3059 Psychological Research Methods (3 units)
PSYC3061 Ethics and Professional Practice (3 units)
PSYC3062 Independent Studies 1 (6 units)
PSYC3063 Independent Studies 2 (6 units)

Option - Year 3 topics

plus 9 units of psychology option topics from the following:

PSYC3054 Cultural Perspectives on Child Development (3 units)
PSYC3055 Human Factors II (3 units)
PSYC3056 Abnormal Psychology II (3 units)
PSYC3057 Neuropsychology (3 units)
PSYC3058 Psychology of Work (3 units)
PSYC3060 Atypical Development (3 units)

Year 4 (Flinders University topics)