Course information

Do you want to understand more about what drives human behaviour? Gain in-depth knowledge of the scientific study of human behaviour, as well as research and analytical experience, with UNE's innovative Bachelor of Psychological Science. Delivered flexibly online or on campus, our accredited three-year undergraduate degree is designed to give you a balanced education with a psychology focus. Along with completing a mandatory minor in Psychological Health and Wellbeing, you will have the freedom to choose electives from any unit offered by UNE. With opportunities to focus your study with a Counselling major or Criminology minor, our course allows you to future proof your career by developing transferable skills that are highly valued in the workplace and opens doors to further advanced study in psychology.

Why study the Bachelor of Psychological Science with UNE?

Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour – our individual characteristics and abilities, how we act in social situations, how our brain works, and how our experiences and biology interact to produce normal and abnormal behaviour. UNE's Bachelor of Psychological Science provides you with a thorough grounding in the core areas of psychology and emphasises the development of transferrable skills, ensuring you're able to change and adapt to challenges and opportunities in the workplace.

Explore a wide range of subjects, studying more focused psychology units as you progress through each year of the degree. Our Bachelor of Psychological Science includes the study of the history and philosophy of psychology, motivation, emotion, social psychology, the biological bases of behaviour, cognition, language and more.

Our course provides you with an accredited undergraduate psychology sequence so that you can continue on to a fourth-year psychology program such as the Bachelor of Psychology with Honours should you wish to pursue provisional registration as a practising psychologist.

What makes our course different?

Flexibility is key to our Bachelor of Psychological Science, and we offer blended delivery of the course to suit your needs. By choosing UNE, you are choosing an industry leader in the provision of online learning. In fact, UNE is Australia's longest continuous provider of distance (now online) education. Our course gives you opportunities to:

• Balance study with your existing commitments. We have course intakes in all three trimesters, and options to study online and on campus, meaning you can study at a time and place that suits you. Some units include intensive schools, giving you the opportunity to interact and engage with your peers and academic staff face-to-face at our vibrant Armidale campus.

• Pursue a career in counselling by completing a major in Counselling — a direct pathway to UNE's accredited postgraduate counselling courses. Choose this major and you will complete two fieldwork placement units involving working with clients.

• Add value to roles in health and social care, community services and youth work with an understanding of the social factors that underpin crime. Our Criminology minor provides you with knowledge and understanding of the criminal justice system, and and the choice to focus on issues such as working with offenders, and drugs, alcohol and crime in Australia.

• Complement your knowledge with our Psychological Health and Wellbeing minor, which includes units exploring motivation and emotion, health and sports psychology, and learning principles and behaviours change.

• Follow the study pathway that is most relevant to you, with the freedom to choose electives (up to 48 credit points) from any units offered by UNE, as long as you meet the individual requirements and timetabling constraints for the unit.

• Our mission in the School of Psychology is to provide you with an excellent learning experience, with innovative teaching from friendly, experience staff. We give you the support you need in order to thrive.

Course structure

To qualify for the award a candidate must pass units to the value of 144 credit points with not more than 60 credit points at 100-level and at least 36 credit points at 300-level. Candidates who complete a Minor must pass units to the value of 24 credit points. Candidates who complete a Major must pass units to the value of 48 credit points.

• Introductory Psychology 

• Introductory Psychology II 

• Social Psychology 

• Research Methods and Statistics 

• Cognitive Psychology

• Lifespan Developmental Psychology 

• Psychopathology

• Biopsychology 

• Individual Differences and Assessment 

• Advanced Research Methods and Statistics

Career outcomes

The Graduate Careers Council of Australia reports a strong demand in Australia for people with psychology qualifications. Many careers are enhanced by a knowledge of psychological principles, for example those that require you to interact with other people or provide services and care for others.  

The research and data analysis skills that you will develop as part of the course are also highly valued in the workplace. You will graduate with a strong foundation for further postgraduate study in psychology, and in many other fields, including counselling and education.  

Some of the career opportunities that you could consider include:

• learning support worker
• market research
• family services and support work
• youth justice or youth support work
• human resources
• management roles in health and social care.