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We're ranked 30th globally for psychology by the 2021 QS University Rankings by Subject.
Our graduates are ranked 1st in Australia and 4th globally for employability by the 2020 QS Graduate Employability Rankings.
In response to COVID-19, the University of Sydney has reviewed the availability of courses to be delivered remotely for students commencing their studies in Semester 1, 2021.
This course will be available to study remotely for students commencing in Semester 1, 2021. Please note that some units of study that are not essential to completing the degree may not be available to be studied remotely.
Note: The University intends to offer as many units of study as possible in a remote as well as face-to-face learning method of delivery in Semester 1, 2021 and subject to ongoing border closures and public health orders impacting attendance on campus, in Semester 2, 2021. However, some units of study and courses require students to study in-person at the relevant University of Sydney campus/es and host locations for placements and will not be available remotely.
About this course
You can study our accredited Psychology program with the Bachelor of Psychology degree described here, but also through a number of other degrees at the University. For more information on the various ways you can study Psychology, please visit the Faculty of Science website.
The Bachelor of Psychology is ideal for the student who knows they want to work in the industry. By the end of the four-year degree, you will have the basis for provisional registration as a psychologist in Australia and enough training and experience to start working right away.
In the first three years of the course, you will build your specialisation in psychology, studying topics like behavioural neuroscience, social psychology, personality theory, perception, intelligence, abnormal psychology, and developmental psychology. In the fourth year, you will complete an Honours program that includes a research project in a specialised area of psychology that interests you.
Upon graduating, you will be eligible to pursue registration as a psychologist in Australia. For more information on how to become a registered psychologist, see the section below under ‘Professional Accreditation’.
Please note that places in this course are limited and subject to strict enrolment quotas.
Pathways to Psychology
There are several ways you can study psychology at the University of Sydney.
Our Bachelor of Psychology is a four-year degree (including honours as the fourth year), in which you study our fully accredited psychology program plus a selection of science subjects or subjects from a university-wide shared pool. After graduating, you will be eligible to pursue registration as a psychologist in Australia. (see above for more detail).
You can also study our accredited psychology program within the three-year Bachelor of Science; Bachelor of Arts; or combined four-year Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Advanced Studies. After completing the psychology program you are eligible to apply for honours in psychology which is necessary to enable you to pursue registration as a psychologist.
The Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science also offers a major in psychology. An additional honours year is available to meritorious students who wish to purse registration as a psychologist.
Your third option is to study the non-accredited Psychological Science major, which is also available within the Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science; Bachelor of Science, the combined Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Advanced Studies; and the shared pool of majors.
You are required to complete the Psychology Program, which incorporates the Psychological Sciences major. You are also required to complete a minor, from the shared pool.
Depends on your qualification, citizenship status
Every year, we provide hundreds of scholarships, awards and prizes to students of all backgrounds and levels.
Prospective domestic students apply through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) for a Commonwealth supported place . Refer to the UAC website for key dates. Separate scholarship deadlines apply, visit the scholarships website for details.
For other useful information, visit our How to apply page.
Current University of Sydney students applying to transfer from one bachelor's degree to another apply directly to the University. The exact process will depend on the course you are currently in and the course to which you wish to transfer. For more information visit the Change your course page.
Current students applying to transfer from a diploma to a bachelor's degree must apply through UAC.
Refer to the UAC website Separate Scholarship deadlines apply - visit the Scholarships webpage for details.
Semester 1 (March)
Visit the How to apply page for detailed information on if you need to apply directly to the University or through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). If you are a direct applicant, when you are ready to apply select the `Apply’ button on this course page.
Current University of Sydney students applying to transfer from one bachelor's degree to another apply directly to the University. The exact process will depend on the course you are currently in and the course to which you wish to transfer. For more information visit the Change your course page.
Closing dates
Direct applicants:
Semester 1 - 31 January of the commencing year.
We strongly encourage international applicants to apply as early as possible to allow time for visa and travel arrangements. Separate scholarship deadlines apply - visit the scholarships webpage for details.
UAC Applicants: Refer to the UAC website.
Semester 1 (March)
The Bachelor of Psychology may be undertaken full-time over four years or part-time over eight years. Full-time students enrol in units of study to the value of 48 credit points ( cp ) in each year.
All students complete core studies in psychology from a defined pool of units each year comprising a minimum 12cp of junior units, a minimum 24cp of intermediate units, and a minimum 30cp of senior units in psychology. You must achieve a minimum 70 percent in first year and maintain a minimum average mark of 70 percent in second and third years to proceed to the honours year in psychology, which comprises a research project of 48cp for the award of the degree.
Bachelor of Psychology
| Year | Sem | Unit of study | |||
| 1 | 1 | Psychology | Maths | Elective | Minor |
| 2 | Psychology | Elective | Elective | Minor | |
| 2 | 1 | Statistics and Research | Brain and Behavioural Psychology | Elective | Minor |
| 2 | Personality and Social Psychology | Perception, Cognition and Intelligence | Elective | Minor | |
| 3 | 1 | Advanced Statistics for Psychology | Psychology Elective* | Elective | Minor |
| 2 | Psychology Elective* | Psychology Elective* | Psych 4000-level | Minor | |
| 4 | 1 | Honours | Honours | Honours | Honours |
| 2 | Honours | Honours | Honours | Honours | |
*Psych disciplines include: social, cognitive, behaviour, perceptual systems, statistics, personality, developmental, abnormal, application, psychiatry, neuroscience.
Mathematics Advanced or higher, other assumed knowledge depends on minors or units of study chosen.
The Bachelor of Psychology includes a fourth year honours course that involves specialised individual research. This fourth year of honours is essential if you intend to apply for postgraduate study that will lead to registration as a professional psychologist. In order to progress successfully into the honours year of the Bachelor of Psychology, you must satisfy the minimum progression requirements expected of students in this course.
The honours year in the Bachelor of Psychology will allow you to explore your research potential and allow you to put the theory from your previous studies into practice.
During honours, you will design a project in a specialised area of psychology, and undertake your project under the supervision of an academic staff member.
The specialised areas offered in the psychology honours program include clinical, cognition, developmental, health, learning, method, neuroscience, perception, personality and intelligence, and social psychology. Please note that the areas available may differ from year to year.
Admission to this course is on the basis of the following criteria:
Admission pathways are open to domestic applicants on the basis of equity or other adjustment factors, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. For details, visit admission pathways.
Mathematics Advanced (Band 4) or Mathematics Extension 1 or 2 (Band E3). For details on the prerequisite, and how it applies to you, visit: Mathematics course prerequisites.
For more information about the University’s credit policy, please see the Credit for Previous Studies page.
The course includes opportunities to participate in the University's Study Abroad and Exchange Program, the Science Link-Up and Mentoring (SLAM) Program and the Dalyell Scholars program (entry by invitation from the Dean of Science), and opportunities specific to majors or subject areas, such as the Year in Industry program offered by the School of Chemistry.
To meet the requirements for registration as a psychologist in Australia, you first need to complete a four-year tertiary program in psychology accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council. You are then eligible to apply for provisional registration, which is necessary to complete the professional training required for full registration.
Full registration requires at least two years of postgraduate study in professional psychology; or one year of postgraduate study in professional psychology plus one year of approved internships; or two years of approved internships.
Full registration as a professional psychologist in Australia and approval of internships is overseen by the Psychology Board of Australia.
You can gain full registration by completing the Master of Clinical Psychology degree at the University of Sydney.
After three years of study (psychology program or Psychological Science major):
After four years of study (honours in psychology) you can pursue registration as a psychologist or enter a range of other careers. Honours graduates have the necessary training to work in:
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