• Best of luck to the class of 2024 for their HSC exams. You got this!
    Let us know your thoughts on the HSC exams here
  • YOU can help the next generation of students in the community!
    Share your trial papers and notes on our Notes & Resources page
MedVision ad

Psychology Degree, Please help! (1 Viewer)

pallavis

New Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
3
Gender
Female
HSC
2014
Hi! If I wanted to study Psychology so I could progress into doing Clinical Psychology for my career, how many years would it take me?

Who studies Psychology here, is it possible to transfer from BA Psych to Psych (Honours)

Feel free to tell me any information about the Psych degree.
Thanks so much. :spin:
 

Hatake88

Active Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Messages
196
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Hi! If I wanted to study Psychology so I could progress into doing Clinical Psychology for my career, how many years would it take me?

Who studies Psychology here, is it possible to transfer from BA Psych to Psych (Honours)

Feel free to tell me any information about the Psych degree.
Thanks so much. :spin:
Most psych degrees are actually formatted exactly the same as an arts or science degree. However, if you take a plain BA/BSc, you will need to get a distinction average (at least at Usyd) to be considered for honors. If you want to transfer half way (say end of first year), you will need around 75 (distinction) as well. That may sound easy, but getting 75 means you are in the top 15% of your cohort. If you can do that, it takes 3 years to finish your bachelor's degree, 1 year of (compulsory) honors then you have to be supervised for 2 years. So a total of 6 years before you are fully qualified.

As for personal experience, I went to usyd last year and did psych as an elective. I found the content really interesting but kind of gave up on psychology as a career in pretty much my first lecture. I still remember the lecturer (Caleb) asking how many people in the lecture hall that day was interested in becoming a psychologist. Approximately two thirds were. Then, he sighed and said "there are more than 2000 people enrolled in first year psychology at Usyd but only around 40 of you would actually practice as psychologists". That is like 2% and freaked me out lol
 
Last edited:

maths_genius

New Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2012
Messages
22
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
I am currently doing my honours in psychology at Sydney University as part of a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours). Like the others before me have said, you''ll need an average of at least 75 (Distinction) to make it into honours (but if you're majoring in honours in a BA instead of doing a B. Psychology you may even need a higher average). The only advantage of doing a B. Psych is you are automatically admitted a place in psychology honours as long as you achieve 75. But the rest of the places are fought out between the people who major in psychology.

To transfer from a BA Psych into B.Psych is possible, but very hard. You would need to re-apply through UAC and make a good case for why you should be doing a B. Psych (like a good average at uni and an ATAR that was just not good enough) at the end of 1st year.

If you want to be a registered psychology, you will need to complete your honours and then you will have to do a accredited post-grad degree in clinical psychology (could be a masters or doctorate, as long as its accredited), which typically will take 3 years (+ another year supervision afterwards). The entry into these post-grad clinical courses are much more competitive than the entry into honours. As an example, only one of the 80 people doing psych honours last year ended up doing a Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Usyd. However, clinical psychology is not the only option after finishing honours. You can do forensic or organisational psychology (both allow you to be a registered psychologist) or you may choose to do counselling.
 

Willow129

New Member
Joined
May 7, 2014
Messages
10
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
A friend of mine is studying a Bachelor of Psych at Macquarie Uni completing her Honours at the moment and looking at either Clinical or Organisational Masters. She actually wrote about her course and the options at Maq, pros and cons, and transferring from other degrees into B. of Psych so you can do Honours and Masters on this website- http://thefootnotes.com.au/bachelor-of-psychology-macquarie-university/ . She and so many others in her course thought Psych would be a 3- max 4 year degree, but to get the qualifications you need to actually practice it's much longer. Definitely have a read of the article she wrote about it all.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top