Let's paint the picture: you know you want to study psychology but as you explore your options, you're flooded with information. Less obvious is the information about which courses match your career goals, what to look for when choosing a degree plan, and all the options available to you. This article lays all those points out and more.
Degrees for Psychologist: Necessary Criteria
- APAC accreditation: the most important consideration when choosing courses.
- Degree plans are geared towards specific fields: clinical psychology, research and so on.
- Double-degree courses expand your career options, often without extending your course.
- The type of psychology degree you aim for matters: BSc is best for research work, for example.
- The course delivery method: online, in-person, and hybrid present varied learning experiences.
APAC Accreditation: Vital for Degrees to Be a Psychologist
APAC stands for Australian Psychology Accreditation Council. It is a body the government formed and appointed to oversee the education and training of Australian psychologists.
APAC grants accredited status to schools that meet its requirements for educating future psychologists. Its job is to review psychology learning programs for quality and completeness, and recommend improvements and updates. APAC does not certify individual courses; it certifies entire learning plans.
A school or program that falls short of APAC requirements could have its accreditation suspended or revoked outright. As any guide to becoming a psychologist should specify, such a one should be left on the back burner.
Following an APAC-accredited curriculum guarantees licencing and practicing privileges.
Generally speaking, Australian universities' undergraduate programs all carry APAC accreditation. Even if you don't see 'APAC' prominently listed on the course overview page, you're sure to find it in the in-depth course description.
You're more likely to find non-accredited courses beginning at the graduate level. Such include:
- Master of Applied Psychology
- Professional Certificate in Positive Psychology
- Master of Applied Positive Psychology
- Educational Psychology (currently listed as accredited with conditions)
These courses will not lead to a guaranteed psychology career and salary as they lack the proper oversight. However, you needn't worry about accidentally choosing such a course. Any non-APAC-accredited course is clearly marked as such.
What About the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA)?
Students seem to battle confusion over which regulatory body's accreditation to look for as they search for their psychology degree Australia. This breakdown helps explain the matter.
In short, the PsyBA oversees the APAC, and APAC oversees and regulates psychology learning programs.
Differences in Degrees for Psychologist
Psychology degrees are among the most versatile; these studies prepare you for work in an astounding array of careers. Psychology is the ideal subject for students who aren't sure what they want to do with their lives.
As you cycle through university psychology offerings, you'll no doubt wonder what ATAR you need to qualify for enrolment. You may also be taken aback by the variety of courses to choose from and their entry requirements. Schools do that on purpose - not to confuse you, but because the field of psychology is so broad.
Psychology has applications in education, social and community work, in marketing and in industry. Psychological research is yet another dimension of this far-reaching field. And patient-focused psychology demands yet another range of skills.
Imagine a psychology course that teaches all that. You'd be in school for decades! Over the past 100 years, as the science of psychology grew, the logical choice became breaking its education into separate parts.
Courses generally break along professional lines.
A Bachelor in Psychology prepares you for specialisation at the graduate level.
Bachelor of Arts with Psychology degrees are best-suited to client-facing work.
Bachelor of Science with Psychology gears you towards research and industrial applications.
Bachelor degrees typically take three years to complete. Those with Honours programs attached add a year. That extra time is usually devoted to mastering research and clinical skills, such as working with patients and conducting field work.
You should have an idea of your career goals before planning which degree plan to enrol in.
Even the best universities for psychology in Australia can't decide which degree type is best for your needs and goals. You must choose the degree plan that paves the way for the work you want to do.
Where do Double-Degrees Fit?
If any quality hints at the breadth of psychology studies, the discipline's dizzying array of double degrees would be it.
You can study Law and Psychology, Psychology and Criminology, or a degree that includes Science studies. Such double degrees expand your range of career opportunities.
They're also a great option for hardworking students unsure about the learning path they'd like to follow.
Having to take core courses is perhaps one the most frustrating aspects of university study. Double-degree programs see no need for you to endure that torture twice. So, completing one set of core classes satisfies both degrees' requirements.
Double degrees often blend core elements from both subjects, while giving students a broad range of subject-specific electives to choose from.
Suitable Degrees to be a Psychologist
Many students (and adults!) define 'psychologist' as someone who treats patients. That is, indeed, the case but only in very general terms.
Clinical psychology is vastly different from being a school counsellor, yet both those positions require training in psychology. What about research - a community psychologist versus one who studies mental health? Yet more degree plans to consider!
Comparing these three general degrees from the University of Melbourne gives you a sampling of psychology-related degree plans. The comparison highlights the intensity of studies. That, in turn, decides the career pathways these courses prepare students for.
Bachelor of Arts
- 88 guaranteed ATAR
- Honours year available
- requirement: English
- major in psychological sciences
- select major in Year 1 or Year 2
- prepares you for specialised psychology studies at the graduate level
Bachelor of Science
- 91 guaranteed ATAR
- Honours year available
- requirements: English, Advanced Maths, at least one Science
- major in psychological sciences
- Year 1, option 1: declare major, begin psychology studies
- Year 1, option 2: select general courses, delcare major in Year 2
- pathway to graduate psychology studies
- prepares you for clinical and social work
Bachelor of Biomedicine
- 93 guaranteed ATAR
- Honours year available
- requirements: English, one Science, Maths
- major in psychological sciences
- Years 1 and 2: core subjects
- Year 3 psychology is main focus
- gives you the greatest access to careers in psychology
APAC defines all three of these degree plans as accredited with conditions, despite their different requirements and outcomes.
Students looking for the most comprehensive approach to psychology studies should aim for the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Biomedicine program.
Those unsure about their career path could opt for the Bachelor of Science degree plan, as it is more generous with its Year 1 planning. Learners lacking required subjects and those with low ATAR may choose the Bachelor of Arts study path. They may then change their course of study after their first year.
Online versus On-Campus Psychology Degrees Australia
Students have many reasons to drag their feet on their way towards higher education.
- They've spent all of their lives in school; signing up for more is akin to torture.
- Some don't have the resources to devote another three to six years of learning.
- Some have career plans that don't involve higher education.
- Some don't see the point in higher education.
Being uninterested in psychology studies or more schooling is not a bad thing. However, if you want to study psychology but baulk at spending years in school, consider online degree plans.
Credit for credit, online psychology courses match in-person programs standards. Courses are structured the same, and cover the same topics. They have roughly the same timeframe - three years or longer, and the same session dates. Most importantly, online psychology degrees Australia are also APAC accredited.
Both online and on-campus psychology courses have advantages and drawbacks. The best way to see them is to compare them side-by-side.
In-person learning
- a traditional learning experience
- direct and remote access to teachers
- work according to class schedule
- opportunities for social engagement
- work opportunities depend on class schedule
- additional fees for housing, student contributions, parking and so on
Online learning
- an isolated learning experience
- only remote access to teachers (email, SMS, videochat)
- work at your own pace
- social engagement ouside of school framework
- work doesn't impact class scheduling
- no extra costs for housing, parking or support fees
Both instruction methods offer Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP), scholarships and financial aid. Tuition profiles are roughly the same, with private schools charging higher tuition than publicly-funded ones. However, lower overall costs are a definite plus for online learning.
Top Online Psychology Degrees Australia
All of Australia's top universities offer psychology courses online. Access to them may be as competitive as in-person courses. They all include the same elements, thanks to APAC oversight.
Which ones might you consider to be the best? These are the schools that student surveys and school ranking bodies place at the top of their lists.
| 🏫School | 📜Degree type | 🥇APAC Accredited? | 📳Instruction model | 📅Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Southern Queensland | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) | Yes | Fully online full in-person available | 4 years full-time or part-time equivalent. |
| Deakin University | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) | Yes | Fully online full in-person available | 4 years full-time or part-time equivalent. |
| Southern Cross University | Bachelor of Psychological Science | Yes | Fully online full in-person available | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| Edith Cowan University | Bachelor of Psychology | Yes | Fully online full in-person available | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| La Trobe University | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) | Yes | Hybrid (Multimodal) | 4 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| Federation University | Bachelor of Psychological Science | Yes | Fully online full in-person available | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| Swinburne University | Bachelor of Psychological Sciences | Yes | Fully online | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| The University of South Australia | Bachelor of Psychological Science and Sociology | Yes | Fully online | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| The University of Tasmania | Bachelor of Psychological Science | Yes | Fully online full in-person available | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| CQ University | Bachelor of Psychological Science | Yes | Fully online full in-person available | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
