Bachelor
The Bachelor of Psychological Science explores the science of human behaviour and mental processes, providing you with an understanding of the brain, cognitive and decision-making processes and mental health. Your study will cover biological, abnormal, cognitive, forensic, developmental and social psychology. You'll develop your communication skills and apply psychological principles to personal, social and global issues.
This program gives you the option to combine your psychology degree with a complementary major to expand your career prospects. Pursue your passion for psychology alongside a major in marketing, human resource management, criminology, linguistics, philosophy, vision science or neuroscience.
Learn with the best
UNSW Science is at the forefront of many new scientific developments, research methods, teaching and innovation. We're responsive to the needs of industry, adaptive to change and take an innovative approach to teaching and learning. We're ranked 30th in the world and 2nd in Australia for psychology.*
Learn from industry-leading educators
You come to university to learn from the experts - researchers who are leaders in their fields, striving to create new knowledge. Most of our staff have international reputations and all have active research programs, often carried out in collaboration with researchers throughout the rest of Australia and at prestigious universities across the world.
Access cutting-edge facilities
The Bachelor of Psychological Science teaching facilities include world-leading behavioural neuroscience and cognitive testing laboratories. These laboratories run specialist software that will allow you to design/implement your own psychological research and analyse/interpret the data you collect. At honours level, you'll gain access to laboratories for the analysis of cognition and brain function including electroencephalography (EEG), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and eye-tracking.
Join a supportive student community
The Psychology Peer Mentoring Program has been helping first-year students make a successful transition to university for over 20 years. The program matches small groups of first-year students with a pair of third-year students majoring in psychology. Your mentors will provide guidance on topics like exam preparation, careers within psychology and time management.
*QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024
At UNSW, we are committed to ensuring prospective students have all the information they need in order to make informed decisions about their study options.
To assist you in gaining a better understanding of how Admissions works at UNSW, we have provided you with a summary of ATAR offers and the student profile.
We hope this information will help you identify the degree that is right for you.
Mathematics Advanced
We offer a range of adjustment factor schemes that reward students for academic performance and extra-curricular achievements. These schemes also take into account a range of personal and educational disadvantages that may have affected your studies.
Elite Athletes, Performers and Leaders (EAPL)
This program recognises achievements in the areas of sport, academia, leadership and music at an elite level. You may be eligible for up to five points.
Educational Access Scheme (EAS)
Factors such as illness, financial hardship, language difficulties or attending a particular school can mean you don't always get the best possible marks in Years 11 and 12. If one of these situations applies to you, submit an application for the Educational Access Scheme (EAS) via UAC. Eligible students can receive between 1 and 10 points towards their chosen UNSW degree.
HSC Plus
Your ATAR is not the only measure of your potential to succeed, which is why we offer a range of pathways into university. Explore your options below and get in touch with our future student advisors to discuss your path to UNSW.
Gateway Admission Pathway
This scheme is open to students in Years 11 and 12 who attend Gateway schools. It significantly adjusts the ATAR requirements for your preferred UNSW degree and provides you with an early conditional offer to UNSW.
Entry programs for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
We offer entry programs for Indigenous Australians, including the Indigenous Preparatory Programs and the Indigenous Admission Scheme (IAS). The entry pathway program you apply for will depend on the degree you want to study.
You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on your educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.
If you're completing an Australian Year 12 qualification (e.g. NSW HSC or equivalent), you do not need to provide anything extra to prove your proficiency. Your qualification will be used as evidence of your English proficiency.
If you do need to provide evidence of your English proficiency, this will be indicated in your application. You can prove this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
If you need to improve your English skills before you start your degree, UNSW College's Academic English Programs are for you. The programs are suitable for various English levels and help you prepare for university studies and life in Australia.
| Qualifications | Direct entry requirement |
|---|---|
|
International ATAR
|
78
|
| UNSW Foundation Studies GPA |
7.1
|
|
Great Britain General Certificate of Education (GCE A levels)
|
10
All applicants must present a minimum of two Advanced Level (A2) subjects. Entry Scores are calculated from the best two, three, or four A2 Level subjects (excluding repeated subjects) using the following values: A*=6, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2 and E=1. |
|
International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)
|
28
Results based on scores required for entry into UNSW in 2019 and are only applicable if the Diploma has been completed. Students currently attempting the IB can apply directly to UNSW or through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). For more details, visit www.uac.edu.au |
|
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) (after 2016)
|
1150
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) based on the total of evidence-based reading and writing and mathematical test scores. Must be provided in conjunction with evidence of successful completion of senior secondary studies. |
We do not accept secondary qualifications from this country. We may accept tertiary study results, please contact us for more information.
Please contact us for direct entry requirements.
If you do not meet the requirements for direct entry into your chosen degree, you may be eligible for a pathway program with UNSW College. UNSW College provides alternative entry options using university-approved content so that you can start your UNSW journey with confidence.
You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on whether you are from an English-speaking background or non-English speaking background. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.
If English is not your first language, you'll need to provide proof of your English proficiency before you can be given an offer to study at UNSW. You can do this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
If you need to improve your English skills before you start your degree, UNSW College's Academic English Programs are for you. The programs are suitable for various English levels and help you prepare for university studies and life in Australia.
Launch a successful career
This program is designed to match global career opportunities, preparing you for work in a range of organisational settings. We'll equip you with an understanding of assessment, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of problems at an individual and organisational level.
Combining psychology with a major in marketing or human resource management provides an excellent background for careers in the business world. Combining psychology with philosophy, criminology or linguistics will prepare you for a variety of social science careers. If you're interested in psychological and neuroscientific aspects of psychology, you can combine your psychology degree with vision science or neuroscience.
Pathway to registration
A minimum six-year sequence of education and training in psychology is required to become eligible for registration as a psychologist in Australia. This degree is an accredited three-stage program that can set you on the path to a career as a professional psychologist.
Work across a range of industries
You can work in a range of organisations within the public and private sectors, such as public, community and occupational health, counselling, developmental care, management consultancy, human resources, recruitment, training and development, industrial relations, banking, journalism, marketing, business, retail management and statistical and data analysis.
Career outlook
As psychology informs a range of diverse industries, the number of available jobs is increasing. Within the next five years, job openings are expected to increase by 30%, which means that each year, 7,600 new jobs will be generated
*Job Outlook
At UNSW, we believe that university is about much more than what you learn in the classroom. Through immersive learning, you'll become equipped to take on social psychology problems and become a beacon of support in the communities you feel drawn to work with.
The Bachelor of Psychological Science degree offers a hands-on approach that helps you build your skillset through practical experiences outside the classroom. When you enrol to study at one of Australia's top science faculties, you'll be encouraged to think big and form deeper connections with our world. We'll nurture your passions, purpose & potential and prepare you to take on the most important jobs of tomorrow.
UNSW has been named 'Most Employable University' by the Australian Financial Review, four years in a row. With on-the-job experience built into the Bachelor of Psychological Science, you'll graduate with the skills, confidence and connections to launch your science career - whether it's in the lab or in the field.
Graduating from the widely respected Bachelor of Psychological Science at a prestigious Go8 university like UNSW will open up a world of opportunity that could take you anywhere - Australia and beyond.
This three-stage program is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)