Are you weighing the pros and cons of studying a Bachelor of Psychology at WSU? Don’t fret! We can help.
We’ve compiled all you need to know and more about the degree so you don’t have to.
Have a look!
What is a Bachelor of Psychology at WSU?
Core Units for this Degree
How to Get into a Bachelor of Psychology at WSU
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
What is a Bachelor of Psychology at WSU?
The Bachelor of Psychology at WSU helps students develop their own prowess and analytical skills in understanding the often mysterious and intricate patterns of the brain! Through the study of this degree at WSU, students will gain not only an insight into the brain as a whole, but also their own perception of themselves and others.
This degree gives students the opportunity to learn about a wide range of psychological concepts, apply concepts to practical situations and conduct research to a high standard.
Within WSU Psychology, students are required to take a number of core units, but there is also a vast amount of psychology electives relating to all aspects of the field. So, studying this degree really gives students an edge, allowing them to follow their passions and interests.
Who should study this degree?
This degree can be taken by a vast range of individuals, however, it should be noted that this degree is not for the faint of heart — nor, the individual who hates lots and lots of reading and writing. People who want to gain a more holistic grasp on themselves and the world around them would greatly benefit from Western Sydney University Psychology.
Can this degree be studied with another?
Yes, it can be studied as a double degree! This means that with some extra study time, you will emerge from your degree with two Bachelor’s degree qualifications.
Students often pair this degree with Applied Leadership and Critical Thinking.
Honours
The Bachelor of Psychology degree at WSU is an Honours degree — to graduate with a Bachelor of Psychology, students must complete a fourth honours year of study. However, students who do not wish to continue after third year will graduate with a Bachelor of Psychological Studies.
Something to keep in mind is that to be eligible for the Honours portion of the degree, students must have passed all of their units with a weighted averaged mark (WAM) of 65+.
Career Paths
Completion of the Bachelor of Psychology at WSU opens up many different opportunities and career paths! Some options include:
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- Clinical, industrial and organisational psychology
- Disability services
- Psychology and the law
- The media
- Community psychology
- Forensic psychology
With further study, students can become a psychologist or even a research academic in the field of psychology.
Core Units for this Degree
The Bachelor of Psychology at WSU’s core units are extremely broad and cover an extensive amount of content, ranging from the physicality of the body and mind, Brain and Behaviour, to the niche and refined aspects of our brains, Personality or Motivation and Emotion!
One of the compulsory core units that all Western Sydney University Psychology students take on is Introduction to Logical Thinking. This first year unit gives students an introduction to basic aspects to human reasoning and argument, through the scope of scientific and psychological thinking.
Another core unit students will take is, Introduction to Research Methods, which gives students the fundamentals needed to commence research! Students will learn from the initial planning stages to conducting and finally, presenting.
Finally, another core unit Psychology students cover is Human Learning, which focuses on theoretical, past examples and experiments conducted to gain a grasp on how humans tick, specifically in the realm of learning new things.
Electives
As well as compulsory core units, there are elective units — students are able to pick and choose Psychology subjects relating to their interests. As there is no major structure within this degree, choosing electives within a specific area allows students to explore their varied interests within Psychology at WSU!
Some elective units include Health Psychology, Psychology of Language and Community Engaged Learning.
Are there built-in placements?
Within the Bachelor of Psychology at WSU, there are no built-in placements. Students are, however, encouraged to participate in student’s honours surveys, focus groups and interviews in first year to gain a feel of what they will be doing later down the track!
Though there are no formal placements for the degree, students have the autonomy to seek out their own placements in third year study and beyond.
How to Get into a Bachelor of Psychology at WSU
The ATAR required for guaranteed entry into the Bachelor of Psychology at WSU is 90. However, if you haven’t obtained this ATAR, don’t be discouraged — WSU has pathways tailored to different students and their needs prior to commencing study!
Alternate Pathways
The College
Students who do not meet the ATAR requirements to gain admission into Psychology can potentially be invited to undertake their first year of study at The College. Studying here mirrors the first year of the Bachelor’s degree, but has smaller class sizes and additional classes so students can receive extra help and feel confident going onto the second year of their studies!
Once the first year of study is complete, students will gain admission into the second year of study in their desired degrees if they’ve passed all of the required subjects.
HSC True Reward Early Offer Program
This program aims to give students early entry into their preferred degree by looking at their Year 11 or Year 12 results rather than the scaled results from their HSC results. It should be noted that students who choose to use their Year 11 results will still need to complete the HSC for admission into the program.
You can apply for the program here!
Scholarships
WSU hosts a huge range of scholarships! To see if you are eligible, check out the Scholarships Calculator Tool here!
What’s the Teaching Format?
Degrees taken at WSU are structured according to semesters. This means that there are two teaching periods each year with breaks in between.
Class Structure
The teaching format and methods vary from class to class and unit to unit but Western Sydney University Psychology students can typically expect this format for all units:
Lectures
Within lectures, there can be anywhere between 200 to 500 students attending and they tend to run for 1-3 hours. The lecturer will cover new topics, research, theories and methodologies — all this content will inform tutes that follow.
Tutorials
Occurring after the lecture with around 30 people maximum for 1-2 hours, the tutorial is an opportunity for students to gain a more in-depth understanding of the topics covered within the lecture. Students will participate in class discussions, activities and have an opportunity to ask their tutors questions within the tutorial space.
How much time do you spend on campus?
Generally, Western Sydney University Psychology students study 4 subjects each semester on a full-time load. Students can be on campus anywhere from 15-20 hours each week!
With this amount of time spent on campus, students will eventually get the opportunity to meet lots of their cohort and make friends.
What are the assessments like?
The assessments within Psychology vary from each unit. Students can expect to have at least one exam and assignments within their semester of study.
Assignments can range from research reports, analytical reports, essays to long form questions! Of course, the Bachelor of Psychology at WSU will also either carry a largely weighted mid-term or end of term exam!
Skills That You Refine and Learn
This degree helps students gain a huge range of skills and attributes, not just relating to the discipline of learning! Students who study a Bachelor of Psychology will gain a heightened sense of empathy, as they will gain a holistic understanding of the people around them.
They will develop their literacy skills, because of the many, many research reports and readings students will complete during their degree. It should be noted that although the readings can be quite long and extensive. they’re rarely ever boring!
Students will also give their own brains a boost by honing in on their communication, analytical and critical thinking skills, putting their heads together to achieve great things.
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
The cohort for Western Sydney University Psychology is large and extremely diverse — students all want to enrich their lives through the noble cause of helping others. Psychology tutors and lecturers, much like their student counterparts echo this passion and welcoming atmosphere.
Clubs and Societies
WSU runs many different clubs and groups — they help students get together on the basis of sport, course, culture, hobbies or even interests. From Cheerleading to Chess, there is a group for you!
Find out more about the different society and clubs you can join here!
Support Programs
WSU hosts the mentoring program, MATES, which is aimed at first year uni students and gives them the opportunity to connect with other first year students and older mentors. MATES allows students to ask questions, connect and have fun in a supportive environment!
PASS is another program that WSU organises for students who would like academic help. These Peer Assisted Study Sessions are run by students for students with the aim of boosting academic results as well as making friends along the way!
Matilda Elliott is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and a Communication graduate with a major in Journalism at Western Sydney University. You can find some of her published work in a range of platforms including SBS World News, The Music Network and within her own creative exploits with her twin sister. Matilda is a lover of listening, helping people to tell their stories, making genuine connections, clowning around in her circus troupe and dancing like no one is watching at live music shows!
