Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science

4 Year On Campus Bachelors Program

Deakin University

Program Overview

This combined degree gives you the best of both worlds: a deep understanding of the human mind and behaviour alongside hands-on nursing skills. It’s perfect for students who want to make a real difference in people’s lives, learning in state-of-the-art facilities and through professional placements that prepare you for a career as a registered nurse while opening doors to psychology pathways.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:
You’ll start by building a strong foundation in both nursing and psychology. Units like Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology, Quality and Safety: Nursing Practice 1, and Introduction to Psychology: Human Behaviour introduce you to the human body, safe care practices, and how people think and act. Early on, you’ll explore patient-focused care and begin applying your learning in simulated healthcare environments.

Year 2:
In your second year, you’ll dive deeper into both disciplines, balancing clinical skills and psychological understanding. Units such as Primary Health Care, Evidence-Based Practice, and Social Psychology help you develop professional reasoning, understand mental health, and apply research to real-world situations. You’ll also start taking on more hands-on placements, caring for diverse communities under supervision.

Year 3:
This year focuses on mental health and advanced psychology concepts. You’ll study units like Mental Health and Supportive Care, Cognitive Psychology, and Developmental Psychology, exploring how the brain, behaviour, and life stages intersect with patient care. Placements expand to hospitals and community health settings, giving you the confidence to handle complex care scenarios.

Year 4:
Your final year prepares you for professional practice, with units such as Chronic Illness and Supportive Care, Care of the Older Person, and Psychopathology. You’ll consolidate your clinical experience, refine your research skills, and develop advanced insights into mental health, leaving you ready to step into nursing roles and continue toward psychology registration if you choose.

Focus Areas: Nursing practice, mental health, human behaviour, clinical care, psychological research.

Learning Outcomes: Graduate with the skills to provide comprehensive patient care, understand human behaviour, and pursue pathways in nursing and psychology.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): The nursing stream leads to eligibility for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, while the psychology component is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council, giving you a clear route toward becoming a registered psychologist.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): Deakin’s nursing school ranks #15 globally in the Shanghai Rankings, and Deakin is the #1 Victorian university for graduate employment, ensuring your degree is respected and valued by employers worldwide.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

If you’re looking to become a nurse who truly understands the human mind and behaviour, Deakin’s Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Psychological Science is built for you. This program is all about hands-on learning — from using state-of-the-art clinical simulation centres that mirror real hospital and community environments, to gaining extensive real-world experience through 800 hours of professional placements across metropolitan, regional, and rural healthcare settings. You’ll graduate not just with knowledge, but with the confidence, practical skills, and insights that employers and patients value. Alongside nursing, you’ll explore psychological principles that help you understand personality, mental processes, and human behaviour, giving your care a deeper, evidence-based foundation.

Here’s what your experiential learning journey includes:

Hands-on practice in purpose-built clinical simulation centres with real-world hospital and community equipment
800 hours of supervised professional experience placements across diverse healthcare settings
Opportunities to apply psychological principles to real-world mental health and patient care scenarios
Learning in both metropolitan and regional/rural healthcare environments to develop adaptable clinical skills
Exposure to interdisciplinary care, integrating nursing practice with psychological science

This combination ensures you graduate career-ready, with both clinical expertise and psychological insight.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduating from Deakin’s combined Nursing and Psychological Science degree puts you in a strong position to make a real difference in people’s lives while building a versatile career. You’ll leave with hands-on clinical experience and a deep understanding of human behaviour, ready to step into roles such as a registered nurse, mental health practitioner, clinical support worker, or research assistant.

Here’s what this means for you:

University services that support employability: Deakin offers lifetime career support, access to industry mentors, and guidance from experienced academics to help you navigate your first steps in healthcare and psychology.
Professional experience placements: You’ll complete 800 hours in metropolitan, regional, and rural healthcare settings, gaining real-world experience under the supervision of qualified practitioners.
University–industry partnerships: The School of Nursing and Midwifery is highly connected, giving you opportunities to learn from and work alongside leading healthcare providers.
Accreditation and long-term value: Completing the nursing component makes you eligible to register as a nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. The psychology stream is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council and recognised by the Psychology Board of Australia, setting you on a path toward provisional psychologist registration.
Graduate outcomes: Deakin is ranked #1 in Victoria for graduate employment, ensuring you have strong support transitioning into your career.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing this combined degree, you have several pathways to continue your studies. You could pursue the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) or the Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) to progress toward provisional registration as a psychologist. From there, completing further postgraduate study and supervised practice opens doors to specialisations in clinical, organisational, or health psychology. If you’re drawn to nursing, postgraduate qualifications in specialised areas such as mental health, aged care, or critical care offer further career growth and expertise.