School of Psychology

Frequently Asked Questions

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Questions about Undergraduate Study

Do I need good grades to get into PSYC?

There are no specific grades required to get into Psychology, except for the usual university entry criteria. 

How does PSYC at Victoria differ from other universities?

When you take Psychology courses at Victoria you will become part of an exciting and active research community. All courses include practical lab work, often using state of the art technology and techniques. You will have the chance to participate in the research conducted at the School and published in international journals. 

Staff at the school bring a wide range of practical and research experience to their teaching many are top international scholars in their fields. Our facilities are excellent, with laboratories for research in many of the School's specialist areas - cognitive, social, developmental, physiological, cross-cultural, family, clinical and criminal justice psychology, animal behaviour and psychological measurement. 

The School maintains its own test library, while the Central Library has an extensive collection of psychology publications

When is the best time to apply?

The earlier you can enrol the better. At first year level, there have been instances where students have been unable to enrol in a particular stream due to their preferred stream being full (reached room capacity) which can disrupt your timetable.  Enrolments close two weeks after the semester begins.

Where should I go on my first day?

You will go to your first lecture. It is really important that you don't miss it, as you will be told useful information and be given a course outline.  It contains invaluable information about lectures, assessment etc. Also, lab allocations are organised then and you can ask any questions you may have. 

Where can I get a timetable?

Lab and lecture times are outlined in the Psychology Undergraduate Prospectus, and on the course information web page. 

What is the work load like?

For most first year courses you will have three 50 minute lectures per week and one two hour laboratory. We recommend that for every hour you spend in class, you will need to spend one or two hours working on your own - reading through your notes, preparing assignments, writing lab reports and doing any other necessary research.

What is a major?

A major subject is the discipline or general area that you study throughout your degree. In psychology (and most other science subjects), you need to complete just under half of the courses you need for a degree to 'major' in psychology. A double major is when you complete your degree having completed the requirements for two majors.

If you are majoring in two science subjects, all science majors are designed so that you can complete your degree in around three years of full time study and if you want to study over the summer trimester you could finish faster than that.

What are points?

Every course you take is worth a certain number of points, and each point reflects the expected workload for each paper. One point is roughly equivalent to 10-12 hours of work (including lectures, labs, tutorials, private study, working on assignments and preparing for tests and exams).

Most science courses are worth 15 points which means you are expected to work around 150 hours over the duration of the course to achieve an average grade.

Completing a degree requires you to pass 360 points of courses (the equivalent of 40 hours per week for three years of full time study).

What do the points and year refer to?

All psychology courses have a course code that starts with 'PSYC'. The number that follows tells you which level it is offered at, and that also roughly equates to the year of study in which you would take that course.

The higher the level, the more background that is required before you can take it. For example, PSYC325 is a 300-level course that many people would take in their third year, because it requires that you pass several 100 level (first year) and 200 level (second year) courses before you can do it.

What is a pre-requisite?

Pre-requisites are the courses you have to  pass before you can take the course in question. For example, you have to pass STAT193 and one of PSYC121 or PSYC122 in order to enrol in PSYC232.

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Questions about the Clinical Programme

How many applicants are there for each intake?

The clinical programme is extremely popular with many more applicants than places available. Usually only 10 applicants are selected per year.

What criteria are used to select applicants?

When selecting applicants, four criteria are applied: academic ability, cultural awareness, life experience and personal qualities. All criteria are given equal weighting.  Applications are submitted, reviewed by the clinical teaching staff, and then short-listed based on the information provided. Short-listed applicants are invited to attend an interview after which successful applicants are selected into the programme.

The interview for prospective clinical students lasts about 30 minutes and is conducted by a panel of academic clinical staff and senior psychologists from Wellington. Applicants are notified of the outcome in early December and are expected to commence their clinical training in the year following selection.

How long does it take to complete the programme?

The programme takes at least three years to complete even if you have already obtained an Honours, Masters or PhD degree. You must complete each 'year' of the programme to a satisfactory level. If you have already completed a course or a requirement of the programme then you will not need to repeat it.

When can I apply for the clinical programme?

You can apply to enter the programme after completing an undergraduate degree. Applicants completing a thesis can be concurrently enrolled in the programme. If you are enrolled in both a PhD  and the clinical programme, you can request permission from the Clinical Director to defer the final year of the clinical programme for a year to focus on the PhD. Then you will be able to focus on completing the final year of the clinical programme.

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Questions about the Honours Programme

I finish my degree mid year, can I enrol in the Honours programme for trimester 2?

Yes! It's as simple as getting an Add-Drop form from your Faculty and talking to the Graduate Coordinator about the academic requirements and the courses available to you. Note that because you are starting mid year that the programme will take three trimesters to complete. The PSYC 489 Research Project spans trimester 1 and trimester 2 of the academic year only, and is a requirement for any student completing an Honours degree from Victoria.

Can I study part time?

Yes! You can study part time or full time. We recommend that students plan to finish their Honours degree over a two year period.

Is the grade for PSYC 325 used for calculating my GPA?

If your PSYC 325 grade is one of your four best 300 level psychology grades it will be used to calculate your GPA. If your grade for PSYC 325 is a B and you got a better grade in PSYC 331 we will use the PSYC 331 grade to calculate your GPA.

However, we will check to make sure you have completed PSYC 325 as part of your PSYC major requirements. PSYC 325 is a prerequisite for PSYC 489 and the PSYC 489 is a compulsory requirement for students wanting to complete an Honours degree in psychology.

If my GPA is below the B+ entry requirements, what can I do?

In instances where the B+ entry requirement is borderline we will review the overall academic transcript and then make a decision to accept you into the programme or not. If you do not meet the B+ entry requirement we will likely suggest that you enrol in additional 300 level psychology courses to increase your GPA.

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Questions about International Enrolment

How long will it take to complete my international enrolment form?

There is no simple answer as each enrolment is different and depends on many variables. Please keep in mind that Victoria International and the wider university works hard to complete each enrolment as quickly as possible, however there are various processes that your enrolment will go through. To make this process as easy as possible there are a few things you can do:

  1. Research the qualification you are interested in, do you have the right pre-requisites? ie. for instance do you have an undergraduate degree in psychology to apply for entry into the Psychology Honours programme?
  2. Are there application forms or additional documentation required to apply for entry into the qualification?
  3. Are there closing deadlines? Submit your application with atleast six months to spare.
  4. Do you need to get your academic transcripts translated?
  5. Do you meet the english requirements? Have you included the documentation required?
  6. Have you checked the Victoria International website?
  7. Do you have all the documentation attached?

I’ve started an undergraduate degree in psychology overseas and would like to transfer my studies to Victoria, is this possible?

Yes, provided that the university you are currently studying at is recognised by Victoria and that you meet the entry and admission requirements, it should be a fairly straightforward process.
Victoria International (VI) looks after all international admission and enrolment enquiries. You will need to complete an international application form and supply the required documentation.
Once your application is completed it will go to the Faculty and then onto the School for consideration. A decision will be made and returned to Faculty, VI will inform you of the final outcome.


Am I eligible to apply for the graduate or postgraduate programmes with an overseas degree?

Assuming your undergraduate degree in psychology is from a recognised tertiary institution and that you meet the qualification and grade requirements you will be able to apply for entry into the graduate and postgraduate programmes.

Here in the School of Psychology, students will typically complete a three year undergraduate degree in psychology, complete an Honours degree and then apply to complete a general Masters or PhD thesis. Alternatively after the undergraduate degree students can apply to enter PART 1 of a specialised Masters programme.

If you have completed an undergraduate degree and an Honours degree you can apply to complete PART 2 of a Masters thesis or a PhD thesis. Note that there are specific deadlines for Masters and PhD applications. If you are wanting to enrol in a PhD you will need to contact the Faculty of Graduate Research.

I want to enrol in a Psychology Honours degree at Victoria what do I need to do?

Just like our domestic students applying for entry into the Psychology Honours programme you will need to select and rank the 400 level psychology courses you are interested in taking. Below this list, include a list of alternatives for each course you select. The set of alternative courses will be used in cases where the course is not offered or if numbers exceed places available.

Include the course list with the documentation you submit with your international enrolment form to Victoria International. The application will be forwarded to the School for consideration. Victoria International will contact you regarding the outcome.


I’m interesting in applying for one of the specialised Masters programmes do I need to supply a research proposal? 

No. The specialised Masters programmes are divided into two parts, PART 1 consists of a series of courses and PART 2 is the thesis. You are only applying for entry into PART 1.

Part 1 will have a series of compulsory courses, core courses and optional courses that form the basis of your programme, using the postgraduate prospectus select courses that will meet the requirements for PART 1. When you complete your international enrolment form include the list you have compiled. Note that all 400 level courses are limited entry courses and that the applications close on the 10th December. The three specialised Masters programmes offered are:

How do I apply for the clinical programme as an international student?

Entry into the clinical programme is not a given. It requires submitting an application form and going through a selection process. Applications will be short listed, with shortlisted applicants invited to attend an interview. Please note that if you are shortlisted for an interview you must present in person at your own expense.

If your application is successful, you will need to contact Victoria International and complete an international enrolment form.

Is a degree from Victoria recognised internationally?

Yes, Victoria is one of New Zealand’s oldest, largest and most prestigious universities with a proud tradition of academic excellence and an international reputation for the quality and range of its courses. The School was ranked number one in the 2006 Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF) quality evaluation round.