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What can you do with a psychology degree?

Psychology. It’s a science and it’s a profession. At the heart of both is the study of the human mind and how it affects behaviour. How do emotions work? What influences motivation. And then how can we harness it? What part does perception play in how communities function? If it’s to do with human behaviour, it’s to do with psychology. And that’s what you investigate when you study psychology. But what can you do with a psychology degree?

Well, psychology offers so many career paths. When you graduate with a degree in psychology, you’re qualified to work in any number of fields. And you can make a real difference. To individuals, organisations, and communities. What’s more, the government predicts that future demand for a range of psychology professionals will be strong.

Moreover, when you start your career in psychology with an undergraduate degree from Charles Sturt, you’re putting yourself in the best position for success. After all, more Charles Sturt undergrads get jobs after they complete their degree than any other uni in Australia. And, graduates from our undergrad psychology courses get well paid for their expertise.

The student view

With a unique understanding of human behaviour, psychology graduates can help those navigating emotional challenges or difficulties.   

Graduates like Tricia Allen. After graduating and wondering what to do with a psychology degree, she started Finesse Leadership Academy. The academy runs workshops for teenage girls in regional areas. It covers topics like self-esteem, workplace and job interview preparation, personal development, resilience, and emotional intelligence.

Or Judith Gullifer, who helps train psychologists to work in rural and regional locations.

“My most memorable career moment was working for the community and then seeing the difference I could make. Particularly when you’re working with children and young people. Seeing them grow and develop – then become contributors to their community. And knowing that you’ve had an impact. You’ve been able to shape that somehow. Psychologists have such an important role to play in these small communities – not just for individual members, but for the community itself.

Start your psychology journey to discover what you can do with a psychology degree

Your bachelor’s degree in psychology is the first stepping stone on your career path. At Charles Sturt, we have two that you can choose from. Both are available online or on campus (at Bathurst and Port Macquarie), so you can select the best study option for you.

Bachelor of Psychology

This psychology course is the ideal first step to becoming a registered psychologist. Moreover, it’s accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council as a four-year sequence of study in psychology.

So once you have graduated, you can apply for provisional registration as a psychologist in Australia.

You will acquire knowledge across a range of key areas of psychology practice, including:

  • cognition
  • developmental and social psychology
  • psychological testing
  • biopsychology
  • psychopathology
  • personality
  • learning theory
  • research methodology. 

What’s more, you can choose electives from across a wide range of topics, depending on your interests, including psychology of crime, health psychology, psychology of substance abuse, psychology and the legal system and psychology of trauma.

Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology)

This undergraduate psychology degree has two main outcomes.

Firstly, if you want to become a registered psychologist but didn’t quite get meet the entry requirements for the Bachelor of Psychology, this course can act as a pathway.

The ATAR is lower at 65 (compared to 75). Plus, once you have successfully completed the degree, you can transfer to the Bachelor of Psychology.

Secondly the Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) can open up many career opportunities. For example, you could secure a role as a:

  • case manager
  • child development specialist
  • criminal investigator
  • human resources specialist
  • media officer
  • public relations specialist
  • research analyst
  • substance abuse counsellor.

What can you do with a psychology degree?

Discover more about the Bachelor of Psychology

CRICOS: 025518G

Discover more about the Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology)

CRICOS: 011994F

Stat about Charles Sturt having the highest graduate employment rate, demonstrating what you can do with a psychology degree