Psychology at Macquarie University sits apart from the university's Business, Actuarial Studies, and Law programmes already covered elsewhere, and it's a genuine institutional strength: Macquarie's Psychology department is one of Australia's largest and most research-active, with its own dedicated clinic (the Macquarie University Psychology Clinic) used for student training and public services. It follows Macquarie's general admission and English proficiency standards, the same tier as Business, rather than the elevated standards Macquarie applies to Law, Medicine-adjacent disciplines, and Education.
This article covers admission requirements, cost, English-test requirements, and career outcomes for Psychology at Macquarie.
Acceptance Rate
Macquarie does not publish a single official acceptance rate across any of its programmes. As with Business and Actuarial Studies, Macquarie does not set one uniform ATAR cut-off; entry standards are set per-course. Psychology is not one of Macquarie's elevated-standard programmes (unlike Law, Medicine-adjacent disciplines, or Education), so it follows the university's general, moderately accessible entry bar. For applicants who fall short of direct-entry academic requirements, Macquarie's International Academic Entry Program remains available as an alternative pathway.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Macquarie's official published figure is a broad commencement-fee range rather than a single Psychology-specific number, since fees are set per credit point and vary by course.
| Cost item | Amount (AUD/year) |
|---|---|
| Commencement fee range (all courses) | $16,000 - $23,500 (per semester band cited by Macquarie) |
| Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), indicative | Not separately published; expect a figure broadly in line with Macquarie's Science/Arts faculty range rather than the higher Business School rate |
| Living costs (Australian government minimum financial requirement) | $29,710/year |
We could not confirm an exact Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) tuition figure from Macquarie's own fee pages during this research; use Macquarie's online fees calculator for an exact quote before budgeting. On top of tuition, budget for the compulsory Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF), textbooks, and accommodation. For the full picture, including Macquarie's overall cost structure, see the Macquarie University guide.
Admission Requirements
- A recognized senior secondary school qualification or university entrance examination (for example, the NSW Higher School Certificate or an equivalent overseas credential)
- Alternatively: a recognized university Foundation course, a 2-3 year Diploma/Advanced Diploma/Associate Degree, or at least one year of completed university study from a recognized institution
- Evidence of English language proficiency (see below), unless exempt
- Certified transcripts, with official English translations where the originals are not in English
- Completed international application through Macquarie's official application channel
Macquarie's Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is a 4-year accredited programme designed to meet the academic requirements for provisional psychologist registration in Australia; students who complete it and the required supervised practice become eligible to pursue registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
How to Get Into Macquarie's Psychology Programme
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Check the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) page specifically, since it is a 4-year accredited degree rather than a standard 3-year Bachelor of Arts or Science major, and the accreditation structure matters if your end goal is registration as a psychologist in Australia.
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Use the International Academic Entry Program if you're borderline on paper, the same legitimate Macquarie pathway available across its general-entry programmes.
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Get transcripts certified and translated early, since document verification delays are a common, avoidable bottleneck in Australian international admissions.
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Clear the English proficiency bar comfortably, not exactly at the minimum, given the reading and statistics-heavy coursework load in an accredited psychology degree.
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Apply through Macquarie's official international application channel directly, since intakes (February and July), deadlines, and required documents are managed centrally.
IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and Duolingo Requirements
Psychology follows Macquarie's standard English proficiency requirement, below the elevated bar Macquarie applies to Law, Medicine-adjacent disciplines, and Education.
| Test | Standard programmes (incl. Psychology) |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | 79 overall, minimum 12 per section |
| PTE Academic | 58 overall, minimum 50 per skill |
| Duolingo English Test | Officially accepted from September 2025; specific minimum not published in the sources checked |
Waivers: typically available for applicants from designated English-majority countries or with sufficient English-medium prior education; check Macquarie's official Admission Policy (Schedule 1) for the exact waiver list. For the full picture, see the Macquarie University guide.
Career Outcomes and Subclass 485 Relevance
Macquarie's Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), which matters directly for graduates planning to register as psychologists: it is one of the recognized pathways toward provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia, ahead of further supervised practice or postgraduate specialization. Graduates also move into roles in human resources, market research, policy, and community services that draw on a psychology background without requiring registration.
We could not find an official, Macquarie-published, programme-specific graduate employment rate for Psychology; check Macquarie's own Graduate Destination Survey page or Australia's national QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey for current, programme-level data.
Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate visa): graduates of eligible Macquarie degrees can apply for Australia's Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) after completing a CRICOS-registered qualification and meeting the required English level. Under the July 1, 2024 reforms, the Post-Higher Education Work stream generally grants up to 2 years for a bachelor's degree (longer for Master's by Research or PhD, and under some bilateral arrangements). The Genuine Student (GS) requirement, introduced March 23, 2024, also governs the student visa stage that feeds into this pathway. Always verify current settings on the Department of Home Affairs' official website.
FAQ
Does Macquarie publish an acceptance rate for Psychology? No. Macquarie sets entry standards per-course rather than publishing a university-wide or programme-specific acceptance rate; Psychology follows Macquarie's general (not elevated) admission standard.
What IELTS score do I need for Psychology at Macquarie? 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0, the general programme threshold, below Macquarie's higher 7.0-7.5 bar for Law, Medicine-adjacent disciplines, and Education.
Is Macquarie's Psychology degree accredited? Yes. The Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), relevant to pursuing registration as a psychologist in Australia.
Does Psychology at Macquarie qualify for the subclass 485 visa? Yes, as a CRICOS-registered bachelor's degree, subject to meeting the English and other requirements for the visa, generally granting up to 2 years under current rules.