Undergraduate & honours qualifications

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Qualification code: 90180
NQF level: 7
Total credits: 360
SAQA ID: 118636
APS/AS: 20
Rules:
This qualification consists of 30 modules. Students should note that during the course of their studies they would be required to have access to a computer or laptop, printer and the internet. Some of the pre-requisites and/ or co-requisites outlined in this qualification may not apply as they do not form part of the curriculum.
Purpose statement:
The purpose of this qualification is to enable prospective mental health professionals and researchers in Psychology to prepare for a career in psychological services and/or psychological knowledge generation. The qualification aims to develop students' understanding of the basic principles of Psychology, knowledge of community functioning, understanding mental health well-being, development of psychometric assessments, the procedures for diagnosing mental health disorders, knowledge of social and societal functioning, critical understanding of the principles of scientific research related to human behaviour, emotion, development, ageing and cognition. Furthermore, the qualification emphasises the development of counselling skills within the South African context. The qualification further aims to make students aware of the political history of Psychology and how it has contributed to the power structures that legitimised inequalities in societies. Students are encouraged to critically consider the shift from Psychology in Africa to African Psychology and to claim Psychology as an African endeavour. The Bachelor of Arts in Psychology consists of a minimum of 50% Psychology modules which form the core of the degree and are combined with a choice (electives) from other Humanities and Social Science disciplines. The aim of the multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary teaching approach applied within this qualification is to develop well-rounded psychological professionals who are capable of drawing on multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary knowledge in studying human development and behaviour and providing mental health services.
This qualification will be presented via distance learning mode.

Who can register?

  • Applicants (new applicants & Unisa students who applied for admission to a new qualification) may only register if they have received an offer of placement from Unisa and have accepted the offer online. Unisa reserves the right to not process and / or to cancel your registration if it is found that you were incorrectly admitted to a qualification. 
  • Re-registering students may register for the 2024 academic year once the registration period opens.

Please note: Should you wish to start a new qualification, please apply online for the alternative qualification during the prescribed application period.


How to choose your modules

Each Unisa qualification is structured in such a way that you need to pass a certain number of NQF level credits within a certain amount of time in order to graduate.

  • Co-requisite: Module A is a co-requisite for Module B. You want to register for Module B, but have not yet passed Module A. You must then register for both Modules A and B simultaneously. You may NOT cancel your registration for Module A unless Module B is also cancelled.

  • Pre-requisite: If Module A is a pre-requisite for Module B, you must pass Module A before you may register for Module B.

You may not register for more than the allowed maximum number of credits / modules per academic year and / or semester: 60 credits per semester or 120 credits per academic year.

The maximum number of credits do not include supplementary and / or aegrotat examinations from a previous semester. Modules taken for non-degree / non-diploma purposes also count towards the maximum number of credits allowed.

You must take your available time into consideration when choosing your modules, as this will impact your academic performance. You need approximately

  • 6 to 8 hours per week for semester modules.
  • 4 to 6 hours per week for year modules.

Click here for more information on managing your studies.

Curriculum for this qualification

While you are deciding on the modules for which you will be registering, write down the module names and codes so that you have something to refer to when completing your registration.

Please click on the modules below to see further information (eg semester/year module, NQF level)

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