Bachelor of Psychology (BPsych) Degree
Duration: 4 years
SACAP’s BPsych degree is a professional qualification that leads to registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as a Registered Counsellor.
The BPsych degree empowers you with knowledge and essential “work ready” counselling and communication skills to provide short-term supportive counselling, psycho–education and psychological assessment for the purpose of protecting and promoting psychological wellbeing with individuals and families in diverse community settings. The BPsych develops a thorough grounding in the knowledge, theory and principles of the profession of psychology and builds high intellectual independence and research capacity in the methodology and techniques of psychology.
Is this course for me?
If you say yes to any of the following points, then the BPsych could just be the perfect fit for you.
Do you?
- Want an HPCSA-accredited qualification to become a Registered Counsellor.
- Have an interest in social transformation and a concern for the needs of people living in South Africa.
- Have a desire to provide accessible psychological services that address a range of psychosocial challenges in diverse community settings.
- Want to gain practical experience as part of your studies to increase your expertise and confidence for a career as a Registered Counsellor
- Want the depth and breadth of an Honours equivalent professional degree with a strong applied learning component.
- Want to develop high intellectual independence and research capacity in the methodology and techniques of psychology.
- Want a qualification that will give you multiple academic pathways for Masters studies in psychology, the social sciences or related fields.
What will I learn?
Throughout the BPsych degree you’ll develop critical thinking skills and gain a depth of understanding into:
- Psychology, mental health and people in a social context including personality and developmental paradigms for understanding individual and group behaviour.
- Psychological challenges and models for understanding behaviour and intervention.
- Diversity and cross-cultural dynamics in the South African context.
- Ethics in psychology.
You will also develop:
- Counselling and interpersonal communication skills, including referral and management strategies in accordance with the guidelines for good practice in the Health professions.
- Essential skills to protect and promote psychological wellbeing and enhancement of personal functioning
- Skills to design, implement, monitor and evaluate programmes with a focus on training individuals, families and communities to develop strong, collaborative and supportive partnerships within community contexts.
- Competence in applied planning and intervention within a community setting, including psycho-education, psychosocial health promotion, applied mental health intervention and community based care.
- Practical experience through the practicum component of the programme.
- An aptitude in applying a research design, methodology, analysis and implementation and evaluation.
- Competence in psychological screening, primary mental status screening and basic psychological assessment.
What can I do with this qualification?
You will be able to work in professional practice as a Registered Counsellor. This means that, working together with interdisciplinary support teams, you can:
- Provide short-term supportive counselling services to protect and promote psychological wellbeing.
- Perform psychological screening, primary mental status screening and basic assessment and refer clients where necessary, according to the guidelines for good practice in the Health professions.
- Promote psychosocial health and community based care with individuals, families and communities in diverse settings.
- Perform primary mental health interventions.
- Participate in the design, implementation, management, and evaluation of psychologically-based programmes that are appropriate for individuals or groups in community contexts.
- Participate in policy formulation based on various aspects of psychological theory and research.
- Train and supervise other Registered Counsellors.
What further study pathways are open to me?
Once you have successfully finished the BPsych degree, you’ll be eligible for admission into a Master’s degree in psychology, the social sciences or related fields – both locally and internationally.
AT A GLANCE
Availability: On Campus (Johannesburg, Cape Town)
Duration: 4 years, full-time only
Modules and Credits: 33 modules (at least 480 credits)
Practicum: 960 hours including supervision
NQF 8, CHE and HPCSA accredited
SELECTION PROCESS
SACAP has a limited intake of 20 students per campus per year into this programme. Acceptance into this programme is subject to a stringent selection process that includes, inter alia: applicants meeting the minimum entrance requirements, completion of application forms, assessment of academic and non-academic aptitudes and competencies, interview with a panel, psychometric assessment and final selection interviews.
MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
- A National Senior Certificate, or equivalent, with English at Level 4 or above coupled with an achievement rating of 5 or better in five designated subjects (excluding Life Orientation) including Mathematics, OR
- A Senior Certificate with endorsement, or at least a Conditional Exemption, passed in at least four subjects, including English first language and Mathematics (Symbol E at Higher Grade or the Symbol C at Standard Grade), OR
- For mature students (24+) not meeting the above requirements, a portfolio of evidence to support admission on the basis of SACAP‘s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy
For more info
SACAP
Contact Number: 0860 77 11 11
Contact email address: info@sacap.edu.za