Bachelor of Psychology Honours
Purpose:
Source: SAQA official qualification record. Yiba Verified does not own the underlying qualification data shown on this page.
Qualification type
Honours Degree
Credits
120
Sub-framework
HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
Providers listed
1
Qualification snapshot
Official qualification identity fields captured from the qualification record.
Originator
University of the Free State
Quality assurance functionary
CHE - Council on Higher Education
Field
Field 07 - Human and Social Studies
Subfield
General Social Science
Qual class
Regular-Provider-ELOAC
Recognise previous learning
Y
Important dates
These dates are carried directly from the qualification record.
Registration start
2021-07-01
Registration end
2027-06-30
Last date for enrolment
2028-06-30
Last date for achievement
2031-06-30
Purpose and entry context
Official SAQA text formatted for easier reading.
Purpose and rationale
Purpose
Graduates of the Bachelor of Psychology Honours (BPsychHons) will be educated and prepared to undertake further Postgraduate studies and research in Psychology by strengthening their intellectual capacity in Psychology. Furthermore, it will enable graduates to continue onto the Postgraduate Diploma [PGDip (Psychology)] that may lead to professional registration (counsellors or Psychometrists upon meeting further Board requirements), with the Psychology Board of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
The Bachelor of Psychology Honours (BPsychHons) is aimed at deepening the students' theoretical understanding of Psychology as a discipline. Furthermore, it provides preparation opportunities for research in the field of Psychology, as well as practical exposure to community engagement and service-learning activities.
Rationale
Although the qualification in itself does not lead to registration at the Health Professions Council of Psychology, it articulates to programmes that do. This BPsychHons will be a prerequisite for the proposed Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology. The Postgraduate Diploma [PGDip (Psychology)] leads to registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
Additionally, targeted students of this programme in the fields of the humanities and social sciences are mostly interested in completing Postgraduate studies in Psychology that will enable them to pursue careers such as in the social service sector. This programme addresses this identified need. This qualification will provide both access to professional qualifications in Psychology and also access to the academic pathway in Psychology.
Entry requirements and RPL
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
- RPL will be applied.
Entry Requirements
- The minimum entry to this qualification is a three (3) year Bachelor's Degree with Psychology as a major.
Replacement note
This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.
Structure and assessment
Qualification rules, exit outcomes, and assessment criteria from the SAQA record.
Qualification rules
This qualification consists of compulsory modules at Level 8 totalling 128 Credits.
Compulsory Modules
- Advanced Research Report, 32 Credits.
- Advanced Research Methodology, 16 Credits.
- Advanced Psychopathology, 16 Credits.
- Applied Psychological Assessment, 16 Credits.
- Advanced Developmental Psychology, 16 Credits.
- Advanced Psychotherapy and Ethics, 16 Credits.
- Advanced Community and Social Psychology, 16 Credits.
Exit level outcomes
- Apply quantitative and qualitative research principles, methodological tools and practical skills to competently plan, conduct and report on a research project of limited scope in the field of psychological research.
- Plan, conduct and evaluate a psychosocial intervention regarding specific contemporary psychosocial issues in a community setting.
- Apply in-depth theoretical learning of normal human development throughout the life span to real-life situations.
- Use critical and creative thinking to discuss, apply and critically evaluate various approaches to psychotherapy.
- Portray an ethical sensitivity toward a variety of therapeutic situations.
- Demonstrate understanding, knowledge and skill in the psychological assessment process of administering, scoring and interpreting of selected psychological measuring instruments in an ethical and professional way.
- Portray integrative understanding of and theoretical approaches to psychopathology during childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
Associated assessment criteria
The following associated assessment criteria are assessed in an integrated manner across all the Exit Level Outcomes
- Apply knowledge of
> Therapeutic frameworks and ethical principles.
> The different psychological disorders in order to formulate a diagnosis.
> Describe the diagnostic criteria.
> Discuss integrative causative factors and treatment options.
- Present on one of the childhood/adolescent disorders, focussing on the prevalence and statistics
> clinical description.
> DSM-5 diagnostic criteria.
> Causation and
> treatment thereof.
- Critically evaluatethe psychometric properties of assessment instruments as per test manuals.
- Integrate and apply learning to own personal psychometric protocol of assessment data.
- Integrate and apply learning to own developmental process.
- Introduce, as part of a group, a specific therapeutic approach, focussing on:
> Key concepts.
> Therapeutic process.
> Techniques and procedures.
> Multi-cultural application.
> Evaluation.
- Understand the different steps of the research process
> Formulate
> Appy
> Document in the form of an integrated research report that comprises of a literature review; research design and methodology (quantitative or qualitative); results and discussion; and conclusion.
Integrated Assessment
Assessment in this qualification will be continuous in nature, with formative and summative component. All modules will start with an entry test, assessing the basic theoretical knowledge gained during undergraduate studies. Other forms of formative assessment include class tests (scheduled/unannounced, in class/on Blackboard), class presentations, group assignments and semester test. Summative assessments will mostly be in the form of examinations or a research report.
Examples of formative and summative activities are
Formative
- Class presentation on one of the childhood/adolescent disorders, focussing on the prevalence and statistics, clinical description, DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, causation and treatment thereof.
- A semester test consisting of theoretical questions as well as case studies in which students have to apply knowledge of the different psychological disorders in order to formulate a diagnosis, describe the diagnostic criteria, and discuss integrative causative factors and treatment options.
- Critically evaluating the psychometric properties of assessment instruments as per test manuals.
- Assignment integrating and applying learning to own personal psychometric protocol of assessment data.
- Assignment integrating and applying learning to own developmental process.
- A group presentation to introduce a specific therapeutic approach, focussing on key concepts, therapeutic process, techniques and procedures, multi-cultural application, and evaluation.
Summative
- The different steps of the research process will be formulated, applied and documented in the form of an integrated research report that comprises of a literature review; research design and methodology (quantitative or qualitative); results and discussion; and conclusion.
- An examination consisting of theoretical questions and case studies in which students have to apply knowledge of the different psychological disorders in order to formulate a diagnosis, describe the diagnostic criteria, and discuss integrative causative factors and treatment options.
An examination with case studies in which students have to apply knowledge of therapeutic frameworks and ethical principles.
Progression and comparability
Articulation options
This qualification allows for systemic articulation options
Horizontal Articulation
- Postgraduate Diploma [PGDip (Psychology)], Level 8.
Vertical Articulation
- Master in Psychology, Level 9.
- Master in Clinical, Level 9.
- Master in Counselling Psychology, Level 9.
- Master of Psychology, Level 9.
International comparability
This qualification compares favourably with the following qualification
United States of America (USA), Cornell University offers Psychology Honours qualification. This qualification is designed for learners who wish to pursue intensive and independent psychological research. Successful participation serves as evidence of the two most important skills required of an academic Psychologist: the capacity to integrate theoretical and factual material, and to devise and execute a creative empirical research project. Learners who successfully complete the qualification graduate with Honours noted on their Diplomas. Qualified majors who are planning Postgraduate work in any field (academic or otherwise) should consider applying.
The research project is conducted under the close mentorship of a faculty member. Learners conduct an empirical study, analyse the data, and interpret the results. They will produce a professional research report and present their project at an Honours Poster session and an oral defence. Conducting Honours research and completing a thesis requires both time and effort. Students in the programme must register for 3 or 4 credits of Psychology: Independent Study in both Fall and Spring semesters.
Canada, McGill University offers Honours Psychology qualification. This qualification prepares learners for graduate study, and so emphasises practice in the research techniques which are used in graduate school and professionally later on. Learners are normally accepted into Honours at the beginning of their 2nd year, and the two-year sequence of Honours courses continues through U3.
Admission to Honours is selective
Learners planning on entering the Honours Psychology programme are required to complete Introductory Psychology at the collegial level or in their first year of study at McGill University. They are also strongly encouraged to complete a course in Human Biology.
Conclusion
This qualification is quite comparable in terms of prerequisite learning, outcomes and content areas to, for example, the honours programmes at Cornell University USA and McGill University Canada. The difference between this qualification and the qualification mentioned above, is that this qualification has a stronger theoretical and professional component (and not only a research focus). This is to align with the guidelines of the Psychology Board of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)-for later professional registration.
Providers currently listed
This reflects provider names published on the official record. It is useful for qualification discovery, but it should not be treated as a substitute for checking the relevant quality body’s latest provider status.
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