Bachelor of Psychology (Counselling and Interpersonal Skills)

The Bachelor of Psychology (Counselling and Interpersonal Skills) at Adelaide University is a three-year degree for people who want to understand how humans think, feel and relate to each other, and who want to work directly with people in a helping role. You study psychology as a behavioural science alongside focused training in counselling practice. The psychology side covers the core areas Australian psychology degrees are built around: human development across the lifespan, cognition and perception, social psychology, personality, biological bases of behaviour, research methods and statistics, and psychological assessment. The counselling side is where this degree differs from a straight psychology major. You learn how counselling relationships are built, how to listen actively and respond in ways that help, how to work with clients from different cultural backgrounds, and how to recognise ethical dilemmas and handle them properly.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees run three years full time and sit at Level 7 of the Australian Qualifications Framework. Adelaide University delivers its degrees through semesters, and you enrol in individual units of study, each carrying a set number of credit points. You accumulate those credit points across the three years to complete the qualification. Most of your first year is foundational psychology and research methods, with room for electives. Later years go deeper into specialised psychology topics and the counselling and interpersonal skills units, and you will usually complete a capstone or research project in your final year where you design a study, collect or analyse data, and write it up. Assessment is a mix of essays, exams, lab reports, practical skills demonstrations, group work and presentations. The exact unit list, credit point values and capstone options are set out in the official course rules, so check those before you plan your enrolment.

Skills you build

You graduate with two overlapping skill sets. The first is scientific: reading and interpreting research, running statistical analyses, designing studies, and thinking critically about claims people make about behaviour. The second is interpersonal: interviewing, reflective listening, questioning techniques, giving and receiving feedback, and managing your own reactions in emotionally charged situations. You also practise writing clearly for different audiences and working in teams, which matters in every health and community setting. Work-integrated learning and placement are common in this field, and many students complete supervised practical experience in community organisations, schools, mental health services or similar settings. Confirm the placement requirements, including any checks you need before you can attend, on the official page.

Who it suits

This degree suits school leavers and mature-age students who want to work with people and are willing to put in the reading and statistics work that psychology demands. It is a good fit if you are interested in counselling but want the stronger scientific grounding a psychology degree gives you, rather than a narrower counselling qualification. It is also a sensible choice if you are considering further study toward registration as a psychologist, because the psychology sequence is structured to meet the accreditation requirements set by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council. If your goal is to practise as a registered psychologist, note that a three-year degree is the first step only. Registration with the Psychology Board of Australia requires an accredited fourth year plus further postgraduate study and supervised practice. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream is available to eligible graduates. English proficiency requirements, tuition and intake dates are published on the CRICOS register and the university's official course page, so confirm the details there before applying.

• Support worker or case worker in community mental health, disability and family services
• Youth worker or school support officer
• Counsellor's assistant or intake officer in a counselling service
• Client services and wellbeing roles in aged care and community organisations
• Human resources and people-and-culture officer, using psychological assessment and interviewing skills
• Research assistant on behavioural and social research projects
• Behaviour support practitioner working with NDIS participants
• Pathway to further study: an accredited fourth year, then postgraduate psychology study toward registration with the Psychology Board of Australia