63Y Bachelor of Psychological Science and Bachelor of Laws

The information on this page is for current students. If you are applying for our next intake, please view our active course offerings here.

Overview 2021

Entry Requirements: See entry requirements

Duration: Minimum 5 Years, up to a maximum of 11 Years
Duration
Duration refers to the minimum and maximum amounts of time in which this course can be completed. It will be affected by whether you choose to study full or part time, noting that some programs are only available part time.

Location

This course may not be available to international students. Please see the International Online Course Guide (PDF 809KB) for courses that are offered to international students

This course is now in teach-out and is not accepting new admissions. Please visit our Double Degrees page for information and options on studying a double degree.

This on-campus 5-year full-time course is offered by the College of Health and Medicine and the Faculty of Law and is available at Hobart. The first year only is also offered at the Launceston and Cradle Coast campus. This course may be studied part-time.

The BPsychSc component of this combined degree is a specialist program with a broad vocational orientation. The program has been designed to equip graduates with knowledge and skills relevant to their intended careers by providing an opportunity to undertake a minor in relevant disciplines in conjunction with their psychology major. The BPsychSc component also provides preparation for further study in postgraduate programs such as counselling, criminology and corrections, health management, marketing, rehabilitation counselling, and social work, or in psychology.

The Bachelor of Laws component is the basic academic preparation for persons who wish to enter the legal profession and other careers involving legal work. The course also has wider applicability in developing the attributes and skills inherent in a general university education. Students develop the values and intellectual abilities necessary to marshal facts and to critically assess and evaluate information, theories and doctrines thus preparing themselves for a variety of career roles.

A degree in law is the first step towards entering the legal profession. After graduating from the University, a law student wishing to practise in Tasmania is required to undertake a 6 month Legal Practice course.

Graduates who completed the APAC accredited 3-year sequence in psychology (major in Psychological Sciences plus a minor in Applied Psychology) will be eligible to apply for the BPsychSc(Hons) program, the pathway to postgraduate professional training in psychology and subsequent professional registration for practice as a psychologist.

Course objectives

The objectives of the combined degree courses are those of the component degrees. Reference should be made to the Bachelor of Psychological Science and Bachelor of Laws course entries.

Career outcomes

A law degree is a prerequisite to admission as a legal practitioner. Today, however, employers from a widening range of disciplines value the skills that law graduates possess. A range of career choices lie open to law graduates as a solicitor, barrister, industry legal officer or ministerial adviser, as well as in legal aid, community legal centres, the Attorney-General's department, law reform commissions, consumer affairs, environment, foreign affairs, police, legal drafting, politics, banking, finance, journalism, publishing and teaching.

BPsychSc graduates have knowledge, analytical, research and interpersonal skills with a high degree of application in areas such as health, education, justice, welfare, business, employment and training. Students are able to structure their course to incorporate a major, minor or student electives in areas which suit their career choice, or to equip them for a range of career options. Graduates are also able to progress to postgraduate training and careers in professional areas, such as counselling, criminology and corrections, social work and psychology

Professional Recognition

The Law component meets the requirements of the accrediting body, the Tasmanian Board of Legal Education. After graduating from the University, a law student wishing to practise in Tasmania is required to undertake a 6 month Legal Practice course. Under the mutual recognition scheme, after gaining admission and obtaining a practising certificate in Tasmania lawyers can practise in another state of Australia without having to obtain a practising certificate in the latter jurisdiction.

International students should address such enquiries to the relevant authority in their home country.

The Psychology major (pre-honours pathway) in combination with a Applied Psychology minor meets the requirements for an APAC accredited 3-year sequence in psychology. Graduates completing this sequence will be eligible to apply for the BPsychSc(Hons) program, and subsequent progression to postgraduate professional training in psychology and professional registration for practice as a psychologist.

Course structure

The Bachelor of Psychological Science-Bachelor of Laws is a five-year degree. Progression to Year 2 Law requires completion of 100pts (8 units) in first year Bachelor of Psychological Science component or another degree if appropriate units have been studied. The first year must include the units LAW121 and LAW122). There is a total quota of 200 places for all second year Law students. Students will be ranked based on their academic performance in their first year of study. Should they not be successful in progressing to Year 2, they may be able to continue their studies in a Bachelor degree related to their first year studies. For course structure purposes, this degree is regarded as following the Specialist 1 degree model.

In the Bachelor of Psychological Science component, you study a major, minor and student electives.

A Psychology major of 8 units: 2 introductory, 2 intermediate and 4 advanced units;
A minor of 4 units: 2 introductory, 2 intermediate level units, chosen from a schedule of acceptable Bachelor of Psychological Science minors. Students considering further study and a career in psychology need to complete a Applied Psychology minor to be eligible to progress to Psychology Honours and postgraduate professional training;
Student Electives: 2 introductory level units from any other study area in the University that you have the prerequisites to take (including Breadth units).

In the Bachelor of Laws component,

LAW121 Introduction to Law and LAW122 Legal Systems should be completed in your first year. These units will count toward the Psychological Science Component of the degree.

you take two majors of 8 units each and 8 additional advanced level units. Students commence the majors in the Bachelor of Laws component at intermediate level and consequently are required to complete 4 units at intermediate level for the requirements for each major within this degree.

Students studying a Law combined degree are required to substitute one advanced level unit from the other discipline of the combined degree for one non-core Law unit.
The Mooting unit must be taken in the final year of study

Only units from the schedules below fulfil the requirements for the Bachelor of Laws component of the degree, as approved by the University and the accrediting body, the Tasmanian Board of Legal Education.

Psychological Science Component

Compulsory major

Psychological Science

The way we behave. The way we think. The way we react and interact. When you study psychology, you'll begin to understand the science behind human behaviour – and how we can use this science to solve practical problems in all sorts of situations.

Students considering a career in Psychology need to complete an accredited undergraduate sequence of study in Psychology (11 units) to progress to fourth year and postgraduate study in Psychology. The requirement for the accredited undergraduate sequence is completion of the Psychological Science major (8 core units, 7 of which are accredited) and a minor in Applied Psychology (4 accredited units).

Complete the following two units at Introductory level (25cp)

PSY111

Location	Study period	Attendance options		Available to
Hobart	Semester 1
Hobart	Semester 2
Launceston	Semester 1
Launceston	Semester 2

Location	Study period	Attendance options		Available to
Hobart	Spring school (late)
Launceston	Spring school (late)
Cradle Coast	Spring school (late)

Bachelor of Psychological Science and Bachelor of Laws (63Y)

Overview 2021

Entry Requirements

Duration

Duration

Location

Career outcomes

Professional Recognition

Course structure

Compulsory major

Complete the following two units at Introductory level (25cp)

Transferable Skills in Psychology

Mental Health and Individual Differences

Intermediate level: Complete the two following units (25cp)

Research Skills in Psychology

Social Psychology

Advanced level: Complete the following four units (50cp)

Advanced Research Skills in Psychology

Lifespan Developmental Psychology

Psychological Assessment and Intervention

Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience

Choice of minor

Complete the following two units at Introductory level (25cp)

Brain and Behaviour

Psychological Processes

Intermediate Units: Complete the following two units (25cp)

Health and Psychological Wellbeing

Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience

Year 1

Compulsory introductory units

Contemporary Indigenous Australia

Colonised Land: Indigenous Australian History

Year 2

Choose 2 intermediate units from the following list:

Special Topic in Aboriginal Studies

Indigenous Community Development

Indigenous Justice Issues

International Indigenous Tourism

Van Diemen's Land

Indigenous Australian Health and Well Being

Australia's Ancient Aboriginal Past

Indigenous Warfare: Conflict and Collaboration

Aboriginal Australia and Gender Relations

Aboriginal Arts: From Rock Painting to Gallery

Indigenous Life Histories

Empire: Ambitions and Aftermath

History and Cultural Heritage

Indigenous Peoples and the Marine Environment

Year 1

Compulsory introductory unit

Biology of Animals

Choose 1 introductory unit from the following list:

Ecology

Cell Biology, Genetics and Evolution

Year 2

Choose 2 intermediate units from the following list:

Population and Community Ecology

Functional Biology of Animals

Tasmanian Fauna: Ecological and Evolutionary Studies

Biology and Society

Year 1

Choose 1 introductory unit from the following list:

Chemistry 1A

Chemistry 1A

Choose 1 introductory unit from the following list:

Chemistry 1B

Chemistry 1B

Year 2

Compulsory intermediate unit

Organic and Inorganic Chemistry

Choose 1 intermediate unit from the following list:

Analytical Chemistry

Environmental Chemistry

Physical and Analytical Chemistry

Year 1

Compulsory introductory unit

Programming

Choose 1 introductory unit from the following list:

Programming Fundamentals

Introduction to Data Science