Psychology honours
Honours is a final, usually fourth, year of undergraduate study. You continue to focus on your major subjects while developing research, time management, problem solving, communication and other useful skills.
We recognise the need to train more Indigenous psychologists, and have created a pathway in to Honours for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants, see the Entry Requirements and Prerequisites for more information. This pathway has been developed as part of an exception of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 [s51] that is being applied to achieve equality.
A full description of the honours program and sequence can be found in the honours in Psychological Science UWA handbook entry.
On this page
The Bachelor of Science (Honours) (BP004) when incorporating the Psychology specialisation (HON-PSYCH), the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (BP001) when incorporating the Psychology specialisation (HON-PSYCH), the Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) (BH005) when incorporating the Psychology specialisation (HON-PSYCH), and the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) (BH014), are accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).
Points to consider before you apply
- Deferral - apply only for the year you want to start. Deferral is not available for this program.
- Taking time off - you should have completed your level 3 Psychology units within the seven years prior to applying for honours, so most applicants can take several years off.
- Part-time study - is available but you must complete the course in two years. Student visa holders are required to study full time.
- Commencement – this course is only available for Semester 1 entry.
- Late applications – late applications will not be accepted. Applicants must have all results finalised by the application closing date
Successful completion of a bachelor's degree with an accredited sequence of psychology study (including a Graduate Diploma in Psychology)
UWA applicants applying for entry to the honours program in 2025 must have completed one of: the traditional double major (2 majors in Psychology) degree, or one of the new single major, or extended major degrees. These degree structures contain different numbers of level 3 psychology units.
Selection criteria:
- All Level 2 and Level 3 psychology units are included the entry rank calculation.
- The average of all Level 3 psychology unit marks will be weighted twice as heavily as the average of all Level 2 psychology unit marks.
- Psychology Honours Applicant Ranking Score = (a + 2*b)/3.
Where: a = the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of Level 2 psychology units, and b = the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of Level 3 psychology units e.g. if your Level 2 average is 70 and your Level 3 average is 80, your formula score would be (70 + 160)/3 = 76.67.
Applicants will be ranked according to their entry rank and offered places from the top of the list (rank 1) until the School has filled its available places (rank n). The total number of places available (n) will vary according to the number of staff available to supervise.
Indigenous applicants
Indigenous applicants who score at or above an average of 70 per cent in the Level 3 psychology units will be granted entry to the program and are exempt from the ranking process described above.
Non-UWA applicants
Applicants who hold a three-year bachelor's degree with an accredited sequence of psychology study (including a Graduate Diploma in Psychology) from another University are welcome to apply. Your degree must be APAC-accredited. Your grades will be assessed on a case-by-case basis if they are not provided on the same scale as UWA grades.
Up to 5% of Psychology honours program places may be made to Non-UWA psychology course graduates.
How to apply for 2025 entry
To apply for honours (Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) BH014, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) BH001 or Bachelor of Science (Honours) BH004) follow the steps given below:
Ensure that you meet the entry requirements.
- Attend the honours conference or download the honours information session recording: Attend the School of Psychological Science Honours conference to find out more about our honours program. The conference typically runs during the mid-semester break of Semester 2. It's free and you don't need to book - just turn up. Announcements will be made via email to current 3rd year UWA students and via social media channels. An information session for prospective applicants is held on that day, and you're encouraged to attend that meeting. If you missed it, you can view a recording of the session here.
- Know the timeline: Please refer to the UWA Deadlines and Dates page for deadlines for both Australian and International applicants. Current students and graduates from UWA are to apply on Student Connect. Non-UWA applicants should apply via the UWA Lodging Your Application page. Applicants must provide all Psychology results by the deadline. Failure to do so will result in the application being deemed ineligible. Deferred exams and delayed external results will result in an application being incomplete.
- Please ensure you submit your application by the due dates as specified on the UWA Lodging Your Application page. Please note that Psychology Honours applications have an earlier closing date than other specialisations.
Note: Supervisor preferences are nominated after offers are issued.
- Before applying consider your interests
- Contacting supervisors
- I have an offer to the program, how do I choose a supervisor?
- Assigning supervisors
Recommended unit progression
Full-time enrolment (1 year)
| SEM 1 | PSYC4412 Psychological Assessment | PSYC4418 Research Methods and Analysis in Psychology II | PSYC4421 Psychology Honours Research Project Part 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEM 2 | PSYC4403 Psychological Science in the Modern World** | PSYC4413 Psychological Interventions | PSYC4422 Honours Research Project Part 2 |
Key
6 Points 
12 Points
** Students who have completed PSYC3303 may not enrol in PSYC4403. They should enrol in PSYC4416 Psychological Research and Theory (which is only available to these students).
Part-time enrolment (2 years)
| 1ST YEAR | SEM 1 | PSYC4412 Psychological Assessment | PSYC4418 Research Methods and Analysis in Psychology II |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEM 2 | PSYC4403 Psychological Science in the Modern World** | PSYC4413 Psychological Interventions | |
| 2ND YEAR | SEM 1 | PSYC4421 Psychology Honours Research Project Part 1 | |
| SEM 2 | PSYC4422 Psychology Honours Research Project Part 2 |
Key
6 Points
12 Points
Time commitment:
- Students are expected to commit ~150 hours of work per semester for a 6-point unit, and ~300 hours of work per semester for a 12-point unit. Many units and research projects have compulsory attendance requirements and you would need to be able to accommodate scheduled activities even if enrolling part-time.
Points to be aware of:
- For part-time students it is recommended that the thesis units are completed in the second year.
Explore postgraduate courses and careers
Gain higher-level skills and knowledge with a UWA postgrad degree and become more attractive to employers. Find out where further study in psychology could take you.
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