Science Honours

Psychology

Completing fourth year Psychology Honours offers graduates a provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia and enables them to apply for further postgraduate study leading to full registration as a professional psychologist in Australia. The Honours program adds a new dimension to the skills that the students have acquired during their undergraduate years and enhances their immediate employment prospects and, more significantly, their future career potential. Besides the most obvious route to a career in professional psychologies, there are many other career opportunities such as in the Police service, marketing, coaching and organisational development, public relations and policy in the government sector, science journalism and many more.

Prerequisites for admission

Course Details

Psychology Honours program is 1 year full-time study (part-time candidature may be permitted under special circumstances only), consisting of:

Empirical Thesis (50% of final Honours mark) – throughout Semester 1 and 2; and

Coursework:
Semester 1:
a) 2 x Special Fields elective modules (each worth 15%) OR Theoretical Thesis (30%)
b) Psychological Research Methods (15%)

Semester 2
c) Ethics and Professional Issues (5%)

Further information is available on the School of Psychology website.

Assessment

In summary, students are required to:

1. devise, conduct and report upon an Empirical Thesis research project
2. attend two Special Fields seminars and complete required assessment tasks or write a Theoretical Thesis; and
3. attend all lectures for Ethics and Professional Issues in Psychology and Research Methods and complete the required assessment tasks

Empirical Thesis: Semester 1: devise, conduct and submit a report on your empirical research project in a research area (this is dependent on the interests and specialisation of the academic staff member supervising your thesis). In S2 write up and submit final Empirical Thesis.

Special Field modules: Semester 1: written assessment/presentation in each of the modules
OR
Theoretical thesis: Semester 1: draft and submit final Theoretical Thesis

Ethics and Professional Issues in Psychology: Semester 1: exam

Research Methods: Semester 2: exam

Honours Coordinator:
Professor Alex Holcombe
T +61 2 9351 2883
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