Bachelor of Psychological Science
at University of South Australia, South 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 University of South Australia 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
First year introduces the breadth of psychology: foundations of psychology, the biological and social bases of behaviour, developmental psychology, and research methods and statistics. You learn how psychologists gather and interpret evidence, and begin to read and design simple studies. Second year deepens the core areas required by accreditation: cognition and perception, learning and behaviour, social psychology, personality and individual differences, and more advanced research methods and statistics. UniSA's applied focus shows in practical research and data-analysis work using statistical software. Third year covers advanced topics such as abnormal and clinical psychology, neuropsychology, health psychology and applied or organisational psychology, plus an advanced research methods and design course. The three-year sequence is APAC accredited and forms the first half of the pathway to registration; an additional Honours (fourth) year is required to continue toward becoming a registered psychologist.
Example first-year subjects
- Foundations of Psychology
- Biological Bases of Behaviour
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Research Methods in Psychology
- Statistics for Psychology
How you will be assessed
- Final exams worth a large share of mark in core courses
- Research reports written in APA style
- Statistics and data-analysis assignments
- Laboratory and practical exercises
- Essays and literature reviews
- Group projects and presentations
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 or disability support worker
- Research assistant in psychology or health
- Human resources or recruitment officer
- Market or user-experience research assistant
- Case worker or community-services officer
- Behavioural or wellbeing program officer
- Pathway entry to Honours and postgraduate psychology
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
The three-year degree alone does not lead to registration as a psychologist. Most students apply for a fourth-year Honours or graduate-diploma program, then complete an accredited Master of Psychology (or equivalent supervised pathway) to register with AHPRA, typically five to six years in total. Graduates who stop at the bachelor work in support, research and people-focused roles, or move into related masters in counselling, social work, human resources or data and behavioural science.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students curious about why people think and behave as they do
- People comfortable with statistics and research methods
- Strong writers who can also handle quantitative work
- Students prepared for the long postgraduate registration path
- Patient, evidence-driven and reflective learners
It is probably not for you if
- Students expecting to practise as a psychologist after three years
- Those who dislike statistics and research reports
- People wanting an immediate, single job outcome
- Students seeking a hands-on or lab-science-only degree
Related courses at UniSA
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the University of South Australia handbook and on SATAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/unisa/bachelor-of-psychological-science.