UniSC offers two options for Psychology Honours:
- The Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), a four-year program with the Honours component embedded into the fourth year.
- The Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology) (Honours), a standalone one-year, end-on Honours program following completion of an approved degree in Psychology.
Both pathways require a minimum grade point average (GPA) for entry. This GPA is calculated based on your grades in specific courses, which are called the ‘accredited sequence’.
GPA requirements for the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) fourth year
Entry into fourth year requires a minimum GPA of 5.5 in the accredited sequence of developing (200-coded) and graduate (300-coded) PSY courses.
Students who meet the GPA requirement automatically progress to fourth year.
GPA requirements for the Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology) (Honours)
Entry is competitive and requires a minimum GPA of 5.0 (Credit level) in second- and third-year psychology courses or graduate diploma psychology courses. There are a limited number of Honours places available. Selection will be based on applicants’ order of merit on developing (200-coded) and graduate (300-coded) PSY courses. Depending on the number and quality of applicants, a higher than minimum GPA may be required to be offered a place.
FAQS
The FAQs below provide more information on how GPAs are calculated for entry into these programs.
The accredited sequence refers to the courses in a program that are accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). These are the courses we use to determine your GPA for entry into Psychology Honours.
At UniSC, the accredited sequence is the 14 developing (200-coded) and graduate (300-coded) PSY courses in the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) or the Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology).
Each course in UniSC’s accredited sequence has an equal unit value (12 units per course).
If you have completed an approved psychology degree at another Australian university or institution, that program will have its own accredited sequence we will use to calculate your GPA. This is typically second- and third-year Psychology courses, or any courses in a graduate diploma.
GPAs are determined according to the UniSC Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy.
For entry into Psychology Honours, Student Services manually calculates a Special GPA for each applicant. (For UniSC students, this is different to the Study Period GPA and Cumulative GPA that appear on your transcript or in USC Central.)
The GPA is calculated using the following steps:
- For each course in the accredited sequence, multiply the grade value achieved by the number of units associated with the course.
- Add these results together.
- Divide the total by the sum of units for all courses in the accredited sequence.
The calculation includes all course ‘attempts’ at a course, including if you:
- failed a course,
- repeated a course, or
- received credit transfer for a course (where that course received a grade).
UniSC assigns grade values using a 7-point scale. For more detail, go to section 5.2.4.1 of the UniSC Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy.
All ‘attempts’ at a course in the accredited sequence are included in the calculation of your GPA. This includes if you failed a course or withdrew with academic penalty.
If you repeated a course (eg failed your first attempt and then took the course again), both attempts will be counted.
If you have completed an approved Psychology degree at another Australian institution, your GPA for entry will be calculated based on your grades in that program’s accredited sequence.
Grades for courses outside the accredited sequence (eg electives) will not be included in the calculation, even if these are Psychology courses.
Grade values will be assigned using the 7-point scale outlined in section 5.2.4.1 of the UniSC Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy, and the calculation will take into account the original unit value of a course. Where grading bands (or the percentages used to determine grades) differ between institutions, UniSC will generally honour the grading system of the institution where the course was completed.
If you have transferred to UniSC from another institution, see What happens if you receive credit transfer for previous studies?
If you have transferred to UniSC from another institution, or changed programs at UniSC, you may have received credit transfer for previous studies.
If you have received credit transfer for any courses in the accredited sequence, the original grades are included in the calculation of your GPA for the purposes of entry into Psychology Honours.
(Note: This is different to UniSC’s general policy for credit transfer, in which any courses for which you receive credit transfer are not included in the Program GPA or Cumulative GPA calculations that appear on your Academic Transcript.)
Grades for courses outside the accredited sequence (eg electives) will not be included in the calculation, even if these are Psychology courses.
Grade values will be assigned using the 7-point scale outlined in section 5.2.4.1 of the UniSC Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy, and the calculation will take into account the original unit value of a course. Where grading bands (or the percentages used to determine grades) differ between institutions, UniSC will generally honour the grading system of the institution where the course was completed.
If you have studied overseas, your previous studies will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the Program Coordinator to determine which courses are included towards the calculation of your GPA.