Honours

UNSW campus walkway

The School of Psychology offers a one-year APAC-accredited full-time honours year in psychology, available for commencement in Term 1 only. The honours year can be taken as part of an embedded Honours degree or as a stand-alone degree, and is not available part-time, by distance or for mid-year commencement. Alternative fourth year programs, such as a Postgraduate Diploma or Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced), are not offered.

Overview

Information on this page is designed for internal applicants. External applicants should refer to the information available here.

An internal applicant is a student who completes an APAC-accredited undergraduate (or bridging) sequence in psychology at UNSW the year immediately prior to commencing Honours (including students enrolled in dual degrees with an embedded Honours year*).

For example: a student completing at any point during 2023 would be considered an internal applicant for the 2024 Honours year.

* Dual degree students in embedded Honours programs should check with their Program Authority when the Honours year can/should be taken, as dictated by the program structure

Students will conduct a year-long major independent research project (completed under the guidance of an academic supervisor) and write a thesis based on the project. In addition, students complete advanced-level core and elective coursework in both Term 1 and Term 2. For more detail, please see the program entry in the University Handbook.

The Honours year begins with a mandatory Orientation Meeting, typically held in the final week of January. Details of the meeting will be provided to successful applicants when they receive their application outcome.

An internal applicant is one who completes an APAC-accredited undergraduate (or bridging) sequence in psychology, at UNSW, in the year immediately prior to commencing their honours year. 

If you complete your undergraduate (or bridging) psychology sequence in any teaching period one year and intend to commence Honours the very next year, your application will be assessed according to the internal application guidelines below. 

Application guidelines

Applications open on 1 August and close on 15 November. Before applying, prospective honours students should:

  1. Read the detailed honours information (updated around March or April each year).
  2. Review the Honours FAQs
  3. Complete the Intention to Undertake Honours Form
  4. Review the supervisors and research areas document, typically published just before applications open. Note that the document may be edited after its initial publication.
  5. Read the step-by-step guide to applying.
  6. Submit your application according to the faculty’s instructions.

Enquiries

Please contact the School with questions about the application process, eligibility or anything else relating to the Honours year.