Undergraduate study

Find out about your study options—you can choose to study psychology in a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Psychology, or Bachelor of Science.

You have a number of options for studying undergraduate psychology with us. You can choose between a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Psychology (BPsyc), or a Bachelor of Science (BSc). Each of these degrees gives you different options depending on which courses you'd like to combine with your psychology courses. The BSc is the best choice if you're more interested in science subjects, the BA if you're keen on social sciences and arts subjects, or the BPsyc if you want to focus on psychology.

Undergraduate psychology

Study psychology to understand behaviour—how we think, feel, and act. Learn how our biology and our environment interact to make us who we are.

Bachelor of Psychology

Our Bachelor of Psychology is the only one of its kind in Aotearoa. The structure of a required major with a set of optional complementary majors allows you to tailor the degree to suit your interests and career goals.

Find out more about each of our psychology majors:

Psychology study area

Find out more about the Psychology study options we offer.

Bachelor of Psychology

Choose a Bachelor of Psychology if you want a focused psychology qualification, offering a broad overview of the subject.

Bachelor of Science

Choose a Bachelor of Science if you want to combine Psychology with mostly science subjects, such as Biology, Data Science, and Statistics.

Bachelor of Arts

Choose a Bachelor of Arts if you want to combine Psychology with mostly humanities and arts subjects such as Criminology, Education, and Sociology.

Graduate Diploma in Science

If you completed a BSc but didn’t major in Psychology, the Graduate Diploma in Science (GDipSc) can prepare you for postgraduate study in this area.

Graduate Diploma in Arts

If you have completed any undergraduate degree—it doesn't have to be a BA—you could study Psychology by doing a Graduate Diploma in Arts (GDipArts).

Planning your degree

You can combine psychology majors with many other subjects. You could complete a conjoint degree, a double major, or add a minor subject.

  • Double major—specialise in two subjects in your degree.
  • Second major from another degree—study a wider range of subjects without doing another degree.
  • Minor—specialise in a subject without doing as many courses as for a major—generally 60 points at 200-level or above, with at least 15 points at 300-level. Almost all subjects offered as a major in the BSc and BA are also available as a minor.
  • Conjoint degree—this intense programme lets you complete two degrees more quickly, in a minimum of four years. For example, you could combine a BSc or BA in Psychology with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Education, or a Bachelor of Health.

If you are already thinking about postgraduate study, it’s a great idea to talk to us about your course choices for your undergraduate degree. We can help you make sure you’re prepared for further study.

Find out more about planning your undergraduate degree

Individual courses

You can study individual psychology courses without enrolling in a degree or diploma programme, although you will still need to meet the entry requirements for that course. A Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) can be granted for every course passed. The CoP can be a stand alone qualification, or in the future you can credit the courses you have passed to a degree or diploma.