Baccalaureus Artium Honores (Psych) (61601) (BA Hons)
This programme is aimed at candidates who have completed a three-year Psychology undergraduate degree, and who meet the set entrance requirement.
Candidates must have obtained a final mark of not less than 60% percent therein and comply with selection criteria as laid down by the Department of Psychology.
The selection process is as follows:
Admission criteria: 60% average on psychology modules (calculated by taking ALL core psychology modules from 1st – 3rd year).
Phase I: Successful candidates are applicants who, at this stage in the selection process, have met the admission criteria (60% average) and are short-listed. These applicants will be requested to submit Department applications and supporting documents (Autobiography, full academic record, CV and ONE Referee Report).
Phase II: Short-listed candidates will be invited to a selection test. The content that the test will cover will be provided. The content area of the test will focus on research design and methodology, as well as understanding of core psychological theories and writing skills. The selection test date will be written in September 2025 online. Details about the selection test date and test access will be given to the shortlisted candidates only.
Phase III: The top 50 scoring students will be short-listed for the 2026 intake. However, final acceptance into the programme will be dependent on the successful completion of your undergraduate degree as well as maintaining the admission criteria (60%).
Feedback: All applicants will be informed of the outcome of the selection process, by means of a final acceptance letter. Please note: the department does not provide feedback to candidates beyond the outcome of the selection process. We do NOT provide feedback to parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, family relatives etc. This is based on the large number of applicants we receive yearly (500+ applications processed for the 2024 class).
The programme shall extend over one academic year of full-time study, and no part-time option is available, and the course is offered face-to-face.
Please note that obtaining an Honours degree successfully does not automatically qualify a candidate for the Masters Programme. For more information on the Masters Selection process, please consult the Masters Info page on this website.
NOTE: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All students with international qualifications/degrees must apply via our International Education Office.
For any assistance with the International postgraduate application, please contact:
Ms Nomsa Xubane (Summerstrand Campus North)
For any assistance with the postgraduate application, please contact:
Mr Siyabulela Mashalaba (Summerstrand Campus South)
When applying please use an email address you have access to as all application updates and outcomes are communicated via the email address provided. If you are an unregistered student at the university or a Nelson Mandela University alumnus, please make use of your personal email address.
An average minimum of 60% for all psychology modules. Please make sure you have completed or are currently completing all the modules below to be considered. We are currently working with the SPVV module codes, and you should check only those module codes.
When working out the average for psychology, the modules listed below are used with the understanding that the current 3rd year students have not yet completed all the required modules, therefore, the 3rd year marks that are available at that moment are used.
SPV Code:
SPV101, SPV111, SPV102, SPV142,
SPV201, SPV211, SPV202, SPV212,
SPV301, SPV311, SPV302, SPV312
SPVV Code:
SPVV101, SPVV102, SPVV111, SPVV112, SPVV122,
SPVV201, SPVV202, SPVV212, SPVV211,
SPVV300, SPVV302, SPVV312, SPVV311
All external applicants to submit a full academic record with their marks and the calculations are done for them by the department.
Please note that if you have completed your undergraduate degree and 10 years or more have passed, you do not qualify to apply for the programme.
Applicants applying for the BA Psychology Honours programme are kindly requested to submit their completed postgraduate applications first. The Departmental of Psychology will contact applicants who meet all minimum requirements to submit Departmental Applications.
The submission of all the supporting documents (Autobiography, full academic record and CV) will be done online via the SharePoint Site application system. Online Forms. Only applicants requested to submit them within the gven time frame.
Applicants are requested to ask for the submission of only ONE referee report. Please ask your referee to complete the confidential online report ONLY when requested by the Department. The referee selected must be someone who can provide the selection panel with insight to the suitability of the applicant for postgraduate training in psychology.
Due to the overwhelming number of applicants, no individual questions pertaining to the honours programme will be answered. An online Information Session will be held to give all applicants an opportunity to get answers to any questions they may gave.
BA Psychology Honours Information Session for the 2026 Intake
To view a recording of the honours information session please visit the following link:
To summarise:
2. Applicant to submit the Departmental Application and supporting documents using the SharePoint Site ONLY WHEN REQUESTED TO BY THE DEPARTMENT. The link will be provided when the requests for supporting documents are sent out.
3. Referee Report to submit the confidential report using the SharePoint Site ONLY WHEN REQUESTED TO BY THE DEPARTMENT. The link will be provided when the requests for supporting documents are sent out. Students must ask one referee to submit the form on their behalf, the form is to be completed via SharePoint Site and is to only be completed by the referee.
ALL BA PSYCHOLOGY HONOURS APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON 15 AUGUST 2025
No late applications will be considered.
If the applicant has any issues, please contact Miss Luthando Lwana or Programme coordinator Dr Konesh Navsaria.