• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

What does a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) get you? (1 Viewer)

Crimson red

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
14
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Hi everyone,

Just curious what jobs i can get from doing a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology). I am doing a key program in psychology basically i do only 4 core arts units and the rest is psychology units. So if i don’t want to do honours what can i do with this degree? Can I become a counsellor? Where else can I work?

Thank you.
 

Omar-Comin

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
144
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Hi everyone,

Just curious what jobs i can get from doing a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology). I am doing a key program in psychology basically i do only 4 core arts units and the rest is psychology units. So if i don’t want to do honours what can i do with this degree? Can I become a counsellor? Where else can I work?

Thank you.
it depends, what university are you attending?
 

Crimson red

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
14
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
I don’t think that matters to a great extent. I’m just wondering what jobs I would be able to apply for.
 

Makro

Porcupine
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
415
Location
In between.
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
Different BA (Psych) courses have a different focus and I'm guessing you can probably get further with one than another.
 

Crimson red

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
14
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Thanks for the insight Makro, however are there jobs out there for those who complete a BA(Psychology)? E.g.....
 

Crimson red

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
14
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Thanks Makro, the tables helped, although I wish there was more I could do with the degree without doing honours or post grad :S
 

Crimson red

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
14
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
I'm deciding between doing B Arts(Psychology) and B Sci with my law degree and I cant make up my mind, I’ve completed 1 year of Law/Arts(psychology) but after 3yrs its not going to get me anywhere as I will not be a registered psychologist and i cant complete honours as i will be finishing off my law units. Makro have you studied sci? Is it hard?
 

amirite

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
Messages
295
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
My top two preferences will be arts/law and science/law, majoring in psych for science or arts.

When I have completed my psych major if I have high enough grades I might opt to do honours in psych and defer my law degree.
If I am able to do doctors or masters after psych honours then I might do that and forget about the law degree for the time being.
Maybe I'd rather focus on the law degree after just the psych major and then practice law.
If I became disenchanted with law I could go back and do postgrad psych courses.

These are options for you too.
 

Crimson red

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
14
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Wow Amirite your answer really helped thanks! I never considered deferring my law degree, I really think psychology would be less workload when combined with law than Sci, so I might just stick to it.
 

dolbinau

Active Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
1,334
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
APAC - Australian Psychology Accreditation Council : NSW

Once you're accredited I'm assuming you're not very limited. So the BA(Psych) at USYD lets you become a full psychologist. At the other unis you must do honours or a postgrad study. In regards to other jobs, I don't know.

At ALL Unis you must do honours *and* post graduate study (or 2 year supervision) to become a 'full' psychologist.

There is nothing special about the USYD BA-PSY program, so it must be a 4 year degree (3 year coursework + honours usually) and 2 years post graduate training or supervision, to be a psychologist.
 

Makro

Porcupine
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
415
Location
In between.
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
4-Year sequence of study

APAC accredited courses in psychology of four years' duration leading to a single qualification:
And the BA from USYD is under it. Do you need to something more than be accredited by the APAC? I was just googling + reading.

OP: I've not done anything at uni yet, I start this year, but if you like psychology, then do it as opposed to science.
 

Crimson red

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
14
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Thanks guys.

Makro, I like science(well biology mainly) better than psychology, however it will be too time consuming combining law and science.


imsopostmodern, I don’t think I can get into forensic psychology without being a registered psychologist, am I right?
 

Makro

Porcupine
Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
415
Location
In between.
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
Thanks guys.

Makro, I like science(well biology mainly) better than psychology, however it will be too time consuming combining law and science.


imsopostmodern, I don’t think I can get into forensic psychology without being a registered psychologist, am I right?
You still do the same amount of work. Do you think the external effort (out of contact hours) would be too much?
 

spence

Active Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
1,640
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
Thanks guys.

Makro, I like science(well biology mainly) better than psychology, however it will be too time consuming combining law and science.


imsopostmodern, I don’t think I can get into forensic psychology without being a registered psychologist, am I right?
From what I understand, to get into forensic, you either do a masters, which makes you a psychologist, or you can do a PhD. I think I heard somewhere though that having a PhD doesn't make you a registered psychologist, because its too specialised. But that would get you into forensic psychology research
 

amirite

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
Messages
295
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
You do 3 years of an accredited sequence, either through arts, science, applied or social science, whatever.
Then you either do honours or a graduate diploma. Honours you do an individual thesis and its more prestigious/harder to get into. GD you do a group thesis, it requires a lower GPA to get into but it qualifies you for even further study.
These options are either masters or doctors. There may even be a 2 year placement for qualification as a psychologist. So 3 paths. Although they may have scrapped the placement. Masters is a 2 year course which on completion gives you the title psychologist. A person with a masters degree can practice CLINICAL psychology. Doctors is a 3 year course which results in you becoming qualified as a research psychologists. I think its during doctors that you choose to specialise in forensic psychology.
 

Crimson red

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
14
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Makro, Definitely, if I do psychology it is 3-4hrs per week per unit(of lec/tutes) as opposed to science units which would be 6hrs per week per unit(of lab, tutes and lec). The external work would go towards studying chemistry mainly which takes an extensive amount of effort to learn and comprehend fully.

Spence, thanks for the information, greatly appreciated.
 

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

Top