Bachelor of Psychological Science
at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia.
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 Edith Cowan 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 | TISC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | TISC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | TISC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official TISC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
First year at ECU's Joondalup campus introduces the breadth of psychology: how people think, learn, develop and behave, the biological bases of behaviour, and an introduction to research methods and statistics. The statistics and research-methods thread runs through the whole degree and is central to APAC accreditation, so expect quantitative work from the start. Second year covers the core APAC areas: cognition and perception, developmental psychology, social psychology, personality, abnormal psychology and the biological bases of behaviour, alongside more advanced research design and statistics. You learn to design studies, run analyses and interpret findings, often working with real datasets. Third year deepens the core areas and adds applied and elective units, plus a research and measurement focus that prepares you for Honours. The three-year sequence does not by itself qualify you to practise; it is the accredited first half of the pathway to registration. Strong students progress to a fourth-year Honours or equivalent, then postgraduate professional training.
Example first-year subjects
- Introduction to Psychology
- Foundations of Behaviour
- Research Methods in Psychology
- Introductory Statistics for Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Biological Bases of Behaviour
How you will be assessed
- Research reports written in APA style
- Statistics and data-analysis assignments
- Final exams in core psychology units
- Laboratory and study-design tasks
- Literature reviews and essays
- Presentations on psychological research
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 or peer-support worker
- Community-services or disability support officer
- Research assistant in psychology or health
- Human-resources or recruitment officer
- Market or user-experience research assistant
- Case or program support worker in not-for-profits
- Behaviour-support assistant
Graduate starting salary
$58,000 - $68,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-24.
After graduation
To become a registered psychologist, graduates complete an APAC-accredited fourth year (Honours or equivalent) and then postgraduate professional training such as a Master of Psychology, a roughly six-year pathway overall, before registering with AHPRA. Entry to fourth year is competitive and depends on grades. Graduates who do not continue often work in mental-health support, human-resources, research or community-services roles, or pursue related study in counselling, social work or organisational fields.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- People curious about why humans think and behave as they do
- Students comfortable with statistics and research methods
- Those willing to commit to a long pathway to registration
- Careful writers who can follow strict reporting conventions
- Empathetic students who also enjoy evidence and data
It is probably not for you if
- Students expecting to counsel clients straight after three years
- People who dislike statistics and research design
- Those wanting a quick route to a single job title
- Students who prefer hands-on or studio-based study
Related courses at ECU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Edith Cowan University handbook and on TISC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/ecu/bachelor-of-psychological-science.