Bachelor of Psychological Science
at Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory.
An APAC-accredited three-year psychology sequence. Forms the first half of the six-year pathway to registration as a psychologist with AHPRA.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the Charles Darwin University Bachelor of Psychological Science. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | SATAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | SATAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | SATAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official SATAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
Year one introduces foundations of psychology, brain and behaviour, research methods and statistics 1, and developmental psychology. CDU's psychology programme is APAC-accredited and embedded within the Faculty of Health, with strong attention to Indigenous psychology, remote mental health and trauma-informed practice. Year two builds biological psychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, abnormal psychology and research methods and statistics 2. Year three delivers personality and assessment, learning, psychopathology, advanced research design and a capstone research project. The degree is heavily statistical from year one and uses SPSS or R for data analysis. Expect closed-book exams across the core sequence, weekly tutorial problem sets and a research project worth 25 per cent of third year. CDU runs the degree both on Casuarina campus and online with intensive on-campus residentials.
Example first-year subjects
- Foundations of Psychology
- Research Methods and Statistics 1
- Brain and Behaviour
- Developmental Psychology
- Foundations of Social Science Research
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
How you will be assessed
- Closed-book final exams (50 to 60 per cent weight)
- SPSS or R-based statistics assignments
- Mid-semester multiple-choice tests
- Research method labs and write-ups
- Capstone research project in third year (proposal, analysis, report)
- Tutorial participation and discussion forum
Career outcomes
- Graduates work in support roles in mental-health services, drug-and-alcohol clinics and community-services organisations.
- Common destinations include human-resources, market-research and user-experience research positions across the private sector.
- Most alumni continue into a fourth-year Honours programme and the Master of Psychology to register as a psychologist.
Professional accreditation
- APAC accredited (three-year sequence)
Typical first jobs
- Mental-health support worker
- Disability or community services case worker
- Human resources or organisational development graduate
- User experience researcher in a digital agency
- Market research analyst
- Research assistant in psychology, health or social science
After graduation
An APAC-accredited Honours year (fourth year) is the next step for the registration pathway. From Honours, students continue to a two-year Master of Psychology in Clinical, Counselling, Forensic, Educational and Developmental, Health, Community or Organisational Psychology, followed by provisional and then general registration with AHPRA. CDU also offers the Master of Psychology (Clinical) for graduates wanting clinical practice in the NT context. Alumni who exit at three years often pursue careers in human resources, user research, organisational behaviour or further study in social work, speech pathology or occupational therapy.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- You enjoy reading research and applying statistical methods
- You are interested in mental health, remote services or Indigenous psychology
- You can commit to a six-year pathway to AHPRA registration
- You handle closed-book exams and SPSS analysis assignments
- You want a small APAC-accredited cohort with direct lecturer access
It is probably not for you if
- You expect to practise as a psychologist after three years
- You dislike statistics and quantitative research methods
- You want a fully clinical or face-to-face caseload degree
- You are not prepared for the six-year registration pathway
Related courses at CDU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Charles Darwin University handbook and on SATAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/charles-darwin/bachelor-of-psychological-science.