6. Bachelor of Psychology

This chapter is intended to give enrolment advice to undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Psychology. You will find answers to frequently asked questions covering all students. Following this is a specific summary of the requirements for the Bachelor of Psychology, including examples of how unit of study choices can be made over the duration of the degree. There is information on recommended combinations of units of study, especially in first year, to help guide you to your goals.

It should be stressed that the information in this chapter is intended to be a rough guide only. All students will have to decide for themselves how to plan their degree to suit their own particular interests and situation.

All students are expected to read the degree resolutions for their course before they commence their studies, and from time to time during their studies. Undergraduate degree resolutions appear in chapter 2. The undergraduate units of study available for the Bachelor of Psychology degree are listed in Table 1, in Chapter 3. They are the same as those offered in the Bachelor of Science degree.

Students enrolled in units of study offered by the faculty of Science are required to familiarise themselves with the following key policies:

Special Arrangements
Students who are experiencing difficulty in meeting their assessment requirements due to competing essential community commitments may apply for Special Arrangements for examination and assessment.

Special Consideration
Students who have a serious illness or who have experienced misadventure which may affect their academic performance in a course or unit of study may request that they be given Special Consideration in relation to the determination of their results.

At Risk
To progress through a degree course, students are required to:

1. achieve the minimum Progression Rate specified by the faculty; in the Faculty of Science, students must pass more than 50 per cent of the units attempted in each semester
2. pass any field or clinical work, practicum, or other unit of study mandated by the faculty (listed in your degree requirements).

If you do not meet the progress requirements, you will be identified as a student at risk.

Code of Conduct for Students
The University has clear expectations of students in respect of academic matters and personal behaviour.

Student Plagiarism: Coursework Policy and Procedure
The University of Sydney expects high standards of academic honesty in all student work. In particular, the University is opposed to and will not tolerate plagiarism.

Details on Special Arrangements, Special Consideration, Code of Conduct for Students, and Student Plagiarism Policy are provided elsewhere in this handbook.

Inside the back cover of this handbook you will find a planner to help you map out your degree. It is recommended that you plan your studies carefully with an eye to your final years, so that you take the correct prerequisites in the preceding years. It will be useful to revisit this planner during your studies as your interests take more detailed shape.

Enrolment day FAQs

What is a 'major'?

Some degrees in the Faculty of Science require you to complete a major. A major is a specialisation in the senior year of your degree. Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Psychology will complete a major in Psychology, and an honours year in Psychology.

How many credit points should I take per semester?

You should take 24 credit points each semester if you are a full-time student. There is an upper limit of 30 credit points per semester. If you take fewer than 18 credit points in each semester you will automatically become part-time.

To finish your degree in the recommended minimum time you will have to take 48 credit points per year, or 24 per semester. If you enrol part time you can take as few credit points as you like. You must keep in mind however that you have a 10 year limit to finish your degree.

Students wishing to accelerate their degree programs may consider undertaking units offered at Summer School or undertaking up to 30 credit points each semester.

The degree summaries and sample programs in this chapter assume you will enrol full-time.

Do I need to be full-time?

International students must enrol full-time in a minimum of 24 credit points per semester unless there are exceptional circumstances. Failure to enrol in 24 credit points per semester may have serious ramifications for your visa.

Australian citizens and permanent residents are considered full-time if they are enrolled in 18 or more credit points per semester. Australian citizens and permanent residents who wish to receive a transport concession card must be full-time students.

If you receive any financial support, whether from a University scholarship or from the government, you may well need to enrol as a full-time student. You should carefully check the terms and conditions of that support before going part-time.

Can I take units of study from other faculties?

Yes. Generally you can take any unit of study offered by the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Economics and Business, up to 48 credit points in accordance with your degree resolutions. Lists of available units of study will be available on enrolment day, or in each faculty’s handbook. Each faculty website has links to departmental and unit of study information.

Also available are undergraduate units from any other faculty at the University. The onus is on you to get written permission from the relevant department and bring it to the Faculty of Science.

There are limits, and exclusions. You should refer to the degree summary sections of this chapter for specific information about your particular degree.

Can I receive credit for previous tertiary study?

Yes. The amount of credit you may receive depends on your individual circumstances, but in general the total amount of credit granted may not be greater than 96 credit points and may not include more than 48 credit points from degrees that have been completed.

On the day that you enrol you must lodge an application for credit from previous study. Because of the large numbers of applications received at enrolment there can be a considerable delay in processing your application, but all credit offers will be sent to students well in advance of the last day to add a unit of study for the semester in which they enrol.

The faculty must sight originals of your academic transcripts, as well as detailed descriptions of prior units of study completed, as at the time of completion of the units. Descriptions will normally be an extract from a handbook or a unit of study syllabus or outline, and should include the credit point value, learning outcomes, assessment details, texts and references, and contact details for each unit of study. You must bring this information with you on the day that you enrol.

On enrolment day you will have to make unit of study choices as if you have had no previous university study. Alternatively, you may be able to obtain special permission to enrol in intermediate or senior units of study by taking a copy of your transcript and unit of study descriptions to academic advisers for each individual unit of study. Unit of study academic advisers are listed under unit of study descriptions in this handbook.

Information on the current application process for credit, including the application form, is available from the Faculty of Science website.

Are there any bridging courses available?

There are bridging courses in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, designed to cover the assumed knowledge that students would normally cover in the HSC. They run in February each year after enrolment and are recommended for students who either didn’t take a subject at the HSC or feel they need some revision.

Who can enrol in advanced units of study?

Advanced units of study are available to those students enrolled in any program in the Faculty of Science who have performed at a high level in science subjects in the HSC or who perform well in their studies at the University.

Consult a departmental adviser about your eligibility to enrol in advanced level subjects in the first year of study. Students should also consult the unit of study tables for assumed and prerequisite marks in the HSC required to enrol in advanced units of study.

For students in an advanced degree it is recommended that you enrol in no more than 24 credit points of advanced units of study in a year. Advanced units of study are very demanding and students are required to perform at a higher standard than in the normal units of study.

What is the Talented Student Program?

The Talented Student Program (TSP) is unique to the University of Sydney. It is tailored to meet students’ individual needs and is restricted to the very top students.

Students may be able to bypass some first year study and enrol directly in a second year course. If you have outstanding results in any of your HSC science subjects you may wish to negotiate a special program of study with one of the departments in the Faculty of Science.

The Talented Student Program is available in most areas of Science. Students receive special supervision by academic staff and often engage in studies on an individual basis with small numbers of fellow students, all of whom have a special interest in the same subject.

Am I eligible for the Talented Student Program?

Entry to the TSP is by invitation from the Dean, which you should have received by the time you enrol. The following guidelines apply generally, although departments may have additional (and sometimes more stringent) requirements for entry into the program.

To get into the program in your first year, you should normally have a ATAR (or equivalent) of at least 99.00 and a result in band 6 in at least one HSC Science subject area and/or a mark of 95 or better in HSC Mathematics Extension 2. For entry into the program in your second and third years, you should normally have a weighted average mark of 85 or over and a high distinction grade in the relevant subject area.

Bachelor of Psychology (BPsych)

Degree code: LH013

Summary of requirements
The requirements for the degree are set out in the Senate and Faculty Resolutions (see chapter 2) which should be read by all candidates. In particular it is important to ensure that any proposed course of study will comply with the basic requirements for the degree. Important aspects of the Resolutions are summarised below. The Resolutions should be consulted for any clarification of the summary points.

Note that at the time of enrolment candidates will be required to nominate the Science or the Art stream of the BPsych in which they plan to complete the requirements for the degree. Different requirements apply to the two streams.

Enrolment guide
To complete your degree you must gain credit for at least 192 credit points including completing the honours course in Psychology and maintaining the required average grade in each year of study in the Science Subject Area of Psychology. The 192 credit points required for the degree must include:

• PSYC1001 and PSYC1002 at an average of Credit or better
• PSYC2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 at an average grade of Distinction of better.
• At least 30 credit points from senior units of study in the science subject area of Psychology with an average grade of Distinction or better. The senior units must include PSYC3010, 3018 and at least one of PSYC3011, 3012, 3013 and 3014. HPSC3023 may be included as a senior unit in the 24 senior credit points and is required by students who wish to complete the theoretical thesis option in Psychology honours.
• 48 credit points of honours Psychology units of study with a grade of honours (H3 or better).

AND Either

a Science Stream consisting of:

• at least 12 credit points of units of study in the Science subject areas of Mathematics and Statistics
• at least 12 credit points of Junior units of study from Science subject areas other than Psychology and Mathematics and Statistics
• at least 96 credit points from Science subject areas

Or

an Arts Stream consisting of:

• a minimum of 60 credit points from Part A of the Table of units of study for the Bachelor of Arts degree (included in Chapter 10 in this Handbook); including a major consisting of 36 senior credit points in a single subject area, or cross-listed between subject areas, as outlined in the Faculty of Arts Resolutions, Section 3.

You should also note the following:

• units of study completed at The University of Sydney Summer School which correspond to units of study in the table of undergraduate units of study may be credited towards the course requirements.
• a standard full time enrolment is 24 credit points per semester; less than 18 credit points per semester is considered to be part time
• you may not enrol in more than 30 credit points in any one semester without permission.
• you may not enrol in more than 60 credit points of junior units of study
• before being admitted to enrol in a unit of study, you have to meet any prerequisites and corequisites for that unit of study
• once the award course requirements of 192 credit points have been satisfied a student may not enrol in additional units of study without first obtaining permission from the Dean.
• if a student fails or discontinues enrolment in one unit of study twice, a warning will be issued that if the unit is failed a third time, the student may be asked to show good cause why he or she should be allowed to re-enrol in that unit of study.

Progression requirements
A minimum requirement for progression in the BPsych is as follows:

• Credit average in junior Psychology units of study
• Distinction average in intermediate and senior Psychology units of study.

A student who fails to meet progression requirements will be transferred to either the BSc (those who are meeting the Science stream requirements) or the BA (those meeting the Arts stream requirements).

A student may not enrol in Psychology honours until they have completed 144 credit points of units of study and have satisfied all requirements for the BPsych except those related to honours.

Plans of study
It is important when choosing units of study at any stage of your university career that you consider your overall degree program. There is a sample degree program below and a degree planner inside the back cover.

Units of study
Units of study for the BPsych are listed in Table I of the Faculty of Science Handbook and in Part A of the Faculty of Arts Handbook.

Honours
Students shall complete the requirements for the honours course full-time over two consecutive semesters. If the faculty is satisfied that a student is unable to attempt the honours course on a full-time basis and if the Head of Department concerned so recommends, permission may be granted to undertake honours half–time over four consecutive semesters.

A student may not re-attempt the Psychology honours course. Please refer to ‘Honours in the Faculty of Science’ and "Honours units of study" in chapter 11.

Discontinuation
In some cases, discontinuation can affect your access to units of study, prizes and scholarships. Deadlines for withdrawal and discontinuation can be found on the second page of this handbook.

Special permission
You should note that the faculty can, in certain circumstances, permit exceptions to the normal requirements for a degree. Applications should be made in writing to the Associate Dean (Undergraduate) after discussion with staff in the Faculty Office.

Transferring into the BPsych
Students may transfer from any degree into the BPsych. Applications are competitive on the basis of academic merit. Applications should be made through UAC (Domestic Students) or the International Office (International Students).

Transferring Between Science and Arts streams in the BPsych
Students may transfer between Science and Arts streams. In deciding whether to transfer, you should consider that you must meet the requirements for either of the streams in totality - no 'mixing and matching' of stream requirements is permitted.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)
The minimum ATAR for admission to the course varies from year to year.

Degree Resolutions
See chapter 2.

Sample Bachelor of Psychology - Science Stream