I am a practicing psychologist or psychotherapist and wish to learn specific additional tools or skills such as ‘Psychodynamic Psychotherapy’, ‘Relationship and Family Counselling’, or ‘Advanced CBT’ Expand Professionals who wish to expand or refresh their existing skills can consider enrolling in a single higher education subject, or subjects, as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or special interests though our Short Course Centre. See: Single Subjects
I am a registered general or professional psychology and want to become a Clinical Psychologist? Expand The new 2019 APAC standards now allow for APAC to accredit standalone “refresher” or “bridging sequence” studies for psychologists who have registered through a 4+2 or 5+1 general registration pathway to add a discipline endorsement, such as Clinical Psychology, to their AHPRA registration. Psychologists with other endorsements, e.g. MPsych(Org) would also be welcome to apply to ‘endorsement bridging programs’. Cairnmillar now offers a Master of Clinical Psychology (Post-registration). More information will be provided here in due course.
I am an adult applicant without an ATAR or an overseas applicant without any undergraduate degree? Expand This answer is for applicants who do not have any prior higher education qualifications or undergraduate studies and are interested in pursuing an undergraduate psychology degree in Australia. If you have an overseas undergraduate degree in psychology see: ‘If I have overseas psychology qualifications?’ If you have an overseas undergraduate degree in any discipline other than psychology see: ‘If I have another undergraduate degree which is not an APAC accredited psychology program?’ The first step in becoming a psychologist will be an APAC accredited undergraduate (APAC level 1, AQF level 7) program for students without any prior studies. From 2022 the Cairnmillar Institute will be offering our new Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling. This is a double major degree in both counselling and psychology. This program will take 3 years to complete full-time or 6-8 years part-time. The program is a TEQSA accredited AQF level 7 undergraduate degree, and is currently seeking accreditation from APAC as a (APAC level 1) for the psychology major and accreditation from PACFA for the counselling major. Note: the accreditation process is a rigorous one which will occur during the first year of offer. It is likely that APAC and PACFA accreditations will not be confirmed until the end of the first year of study. Applications for the 2022 intake will open on 1 September 2021 and close on 31 October 2021. You can register your interest here and we will contact you when applications open. An undergraduate degree, including an APAC accredited major sequence, will take three years full-time study (or 6-8 years part-time). Note: This is only the first step, you cannot register as a psychologist with only an undergraduate degree. A psychology major alone is not enough to register as a counsellor. If you undertake a dual major program (such as our Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling) then you may be able to register as a counsellor on completion of your undergraduate degree but not yet as a psychologist. Be careful to consider what other options your undergraduate degree will offer you based on other majors or subjects. On completion of your undergraduate degree and APAC accredited (Level 1) major sequence, a further year of study will be required to complete a standalone APAC accredited 1-year Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) or an inclusive Honours year. (Honours is considered APAC level 2, and AQF level 8). If you graduate from the Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling at Cairnmillar with a WAM of 70% and a grade of 70 or better in the PSY202 and PSY302 subjects you will normally be guaranteed direct offer to continue into our Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) if you so choose. Once you have completed your Honours program, you would then be able to apply for a Master of Professional Psychology (commonly referred to as a 5+1 program) or a Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) or a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) or other APAC accredited Masters or Doctoral programs in psychology, such as a Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology or Master of Organisational Psychology. You will then need to complete your APAC accredited Masters (such as the MPP or MPsych) and/or internship. At a minimum this will be at least 2 more years of study and/or supervised practice before you can gain registration as a psychologist with AHPRA. For more information about Masters programs and final pathways see: What are the Masters of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) or Master of Professional Psychology (5+1) and other higher degree pathways once I complete Honours? This pathway would take at least 6 years for you to become a registered psychologist, if studied full-time with no breaks or interruptions in your studies.
I am an Australian school leaver with an ATAR? Expand For now, applicants with an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 65 or better are welcome to apply for direct entry to our Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling. You can also consider applying for another APAC accredited undergraduate degree. See: APAC The first step in becoming a psychologist will be an APAC accredited undergraduate (APAC level 1, AQF level 7) program. From 2022 the Cairnmillar Institute will be offering our new Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling. This is a double major degree in both counselling and psychology. This program will take 3 years to complete full-time or 6-8 years part-time. The program is a TEQSA accredited AQF level 7 undergraduate degree, and is currently seeking accreditation from APAC as a (APAC level 1) for the psychology major and accreditation from PACFA for the counselling major. Note: the accreditation process is a rigorous one which will occur during the first year of offer. It is likely that APAC and PACFA accreditations will not be confirmed until the end of the first year of study. Applications for the 2022 intake will open on 1 September 2021 and close on 31 October 2021. You can register your interest here and we will contact you when applications open. An undergraduate degree, including an APAC accredited major sequence, will take three years full-time study. Note: This is only the first step, you cannot register as a psychologist with only an undergraduate degree. A psychology major alone is not enough to register as a counsellor. If you undertake a dual major program (such as our Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling) then you may be able to register as a counsellor on completion of your undergraduate degree but not yet as a psychologist. Be careful to consider what other options your undergraduate degree will offer you based on other majors or subjects. NOTE: An APAC accredited undergraduate degree alone is not normally sufficient to practice as a counsellor or psychotherapist, our program will only allow this because it has a second major which is seeking accreditation from PACFA and the ACA as well. On completion of your undergraduate degree and APAC accredited (Level 1) major sequence, a further year of study will be required to complete a standalone APAC accredited 1-year Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) or an inclusive Honours year. (Honours is considered APAC level 2, and AQF level 8). If you graduate from the Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling at Cairnmillar with a WAM of 70% and a grade of 70 or better in the PSY202 and PSY302 subjects you will normally be guaranteed direct offer to continue into our Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) if you so choose. Once you have completed your Honours program, you would then be able to apply for an APAC accredited Master of Professional Psychology (commonly referred to as a 5+1 program) or a Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) or a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) or other APAC accredited Masters or Doctoral programs in psychology, such as a Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology or Master of Organisational Psychology. You will then need to complete your APAC accredited Masters (such as the MPP or MPsych) and/or internship. At a minimum this will be at least 2 more years of study and/or supervised practice before you can gain registration as a psychologist with AHPRA. For more information about Masters programs and final pathways see: What are the Masters of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) or Master of Professional Psychology (5+1) and other higher degree pathways once I complete Honours? This pathway would take at least 6 years for you to become a registered psychologist, if studied full-time with no breaks or interruptions in your studies.
If I completed an APAC accredited fourth year (Honours or equivalent) more than 10 years ago? Expand If you completed an APAC accredited fourth year more than 10 years ago then you will need to refresh your fourth-year qualification before you apply to any of our Masters courses in psychology. You will normally refresh by completing 4 units from the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours). These can be taken as Single Subject but you may want to consider all four units under our Graduate Certificate of Pre-professional Psychology if FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP (2021 intake only) is important to you. The units you will normally need to complete as a refresher program are: HON401 - Professional Practice and Professional Ethics HON403 - Psychological Assessment HON404 - Evidence-Based Practise and Practise Based Evidence HON402 - Research Methods OR HON407 - Developmental Psychopathology across the Lifespan Approval of a refresher sequence is not the same as Masters admission. Masters applications are still very competitive, and an approved refresher sequence will make you eligible to apply, but cannot guarantee a Masters offer in most cases. You can also contact [email protected] for additional advice or to develop an individual pathway plan. For example, applicants who have recently completed a PhD may not need to refresh their Research Methods subjects. Note: this advice does not apply to registered psychologists seeking admission to the Master of Clinical Psychology (Post Registration). Registered psychologists are required to maintain current skills and knowledge through CPD and practice. See instead: I am a registered general or professional psychology and want to become a Clinical Psychologist?
If I completed an APAC accredited undergraduate degree more than 10 years ago? Expand If you completed an APAC accredited undergraduate degree (or equivalent overseas qualifications as assessed by the APS) more than ten years ago and have not undertaken any additional APAC accredited studies in psychology in the intervening time, then you may be asked to complete a refresher sequence prior to a formal offer being made for the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours). The information below applies to applicants who are asked to complete a refresher sequence prior to applying for the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours): You will need to complete 4 units (one semester full-time or equivalent part-time) from a Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science (GradDipPsychSci) or equivalent APAC accredited 2+3 year sequence (APAC level 1) or Bachelor of Psychology undergraduate degree. We recommend our Graduate Certificate in Psychological Science. The Graduate Certificate in Psychological Science consists of any 4 units of 6 offered from the Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science program. It can be studied full time in one semester (half a year) or part-time in two semesters (one year). You must undertake PSY402 (Data Sciences and Statistical Inference) or an equivalent research methods unit as part of your refresher sequence unless you are otherwise able to demonstrate current knowledge and training in statistics and research methods. You can undertake any other three units offered in the Graduate Certificate in Psychological Science or any other units which contribute to the APAC accredited major sequence in an alternative program. If you already hold an APAC accredited undergraduate degree or equivalent you will need to obtain a 70% average in your 4 Graduate Certificate in Psychological Science units and maintain satisfactory academic integrity and personal conduct during your studies for a guaranteed offer to our APAC accredited 4th year program the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours). You will be able to complete this refresher in one semester full-time or two semesters part-time (one year) and will not normally require the additional 4 units to complete the Graduate Diploma if you already hold an APAC accredited undergraduate degree or equivalent. Guaranteed Honours offers do not apply to alternative or external refresher sequences. NOTE: the Graduate Certificate in Psychological Sciences is taught online only, the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) is normally only offered as an on campus course in Melbourne. Interstate students may need to consider alternative options for 4th year study. Once you complete your refresher training, you would be able to apply to the standalone 1-year Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) program. The BPsych(Hons) program is an APAC accredited 4th year program, also known as APAC level 2. Once you have completed your Honours program, you would then be able to apply for a Master of Professional Psychology (5+1) or a Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) and other APAC accredited Masters or Doctoral programs in psychology. You will need to undertake your Masters (Master of Professional Psychology or Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology)) and may also need an internship or second Masters year if you follow a 5+1 pathway. At a minimum this will be at least 2 more years of study and/or supervised practice before you can gain registration as a psychologist with AHPRA. This pathway would take at least 3.5 years until you are eligible for general registration if studied full-time, not including the years of prior study.
If I have another undergraduate degree which is not an APAC accredited psychology program? Expand If you have an unrelated undergraduate degree, from either an Australian university or higher education provider, or equivalent overseas qualification, then you can start your psychology pathway with a Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science (GradDipPsychSci). These programs need to be an APAC accredited 2+3 year sequence (APAC level 1) and are equivalent to the psychology major in a Bachelor of Psychology or similar. Once you have completed your GradDipPsychSci, with a 60% or better average, you would be able to apply to the standalone 1-year Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) program. The BPsych(Hons) program is an APAC accredited 4th year program, also known as APAC level 2. Once you have completed your Honours program, you would then be able to apply for a Master of Professional Psychology (5+1) or a Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) and other APAC accredited Masters or Doctoral programs in psychology. You will need to undertake your Masters (MPP or MPsych) and may also need an internship or second Masters year if you follow a 5+1 pathway. At a minimum this will be at least 2 more years of study and/or supervised practice before you can gain registration as a psychologist with AHPRA. This pathway would take at least 4 years if studied full-time, not including the years of prior study.
If I have overseas psychology qualifications? Expand Your first step to studying any postgraduate psychology course in Australia is getting your overseas qualifications assessed by the APS. For more information on getting your qualifications assessed you will need to contact the APS directly. See: https://www.psychology.org.au/membership/qualifications/university/ If your qualifications are assessed by the APS as equivalent to 3 years of study in psychology (or as 4 or 5 years without APAC equivalency, which is common) then you would need to do an APAC accredited 4th year sequence (such as our Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) program) before you can apply for any APAC accredited Masters courses. If your qualifications are assessed by the APS as being equivalent to an APAC accredited 4th year sequence, then you would be able to consider applying directly for a Master of Professional Psychology (5+1) or a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) and/or Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) which are all pathways to registration as a psychologist in Australia. APS assessments can take some time at peak periods, so it is best to get this underway as soon as possible. Once you have your formal APS assessment, then we can give you individual advice about your psychology pathway options at the Cairnmillar Institute. You can email your APS assessment to [email protected] and we can suggest the next best step for your specific situation.
What are the Masters of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) or Master of Professional Psychology (5+1) and other higher degree pathways once I complete Honours? Expand Once you have completed the first 4 years (or 2 years if you already hold another undergraduate degree) of your APAC accredited sequence you will be eligible to apply for APAC accredited Masters programs which can lead to registration as a psychologist through either the 5+1 pathways or the higher degree pathway. If you pursue a Master of Professional Psychology program you will do a fifth year of tertiary study which will normally include a supervised placement. After this you will then need to complete a year of practical experience called an Internship before you can apply for general registration as a psychologist. This additional year can be completed through an internship directly with an organisation or through an internship or multiple internships orchestrated by a tertiary institution. Cairnmillar offers this second option through our Master of Professional Psychology Practice (MPPP). For more information on the combined MPP and MPPP 5+1 program at Cairnmillar, see: Cairnmillar Professional Psychology Info Sheet. If you pursue a Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) you will complete two years of further full-time study involving coursework, placement and a research thesis. After this you will be eligible for general registration as a psychologist. This pathway will also enable you to apply for registration as a psychologist with clinical endorsement (i.e. a clinical psychologist) after two years of supervised practice through the ‘registrar’ program. This supervised practice is typically completed whilst you are working as a general psychologist. If you pursue a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) you will complete four years of full-time study involving coursework, placement and a substantial research thesis. The first two years of coursework and placements are identical to those in the Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology). After two years of full-time study you may then be eligible for general registration as a psychologist if you have completed the equivalent coursework and placement requirements as per the Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) and you have made suitable progress on your research thesis. Upon completion of the Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) you will be able to apply for registration as a psychologist with clinical endorsement (i.e. a clinical psychologist) after one year of supervised practice also known as a registrar program. This supervised practice is typically completed whilst you are working as a general psychologist. For more information on the pathways see: https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/registration/general.aspx The APS also have a great guide here: https://www.psychology.org.au/Training-and-careers/Careers-and-studying-psychology/studying-psychology/Study-pathways For more information on area of practice endorsements and registrar programs for clinical psychologist, see: https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Endorsement/Registrar-program.aspx
What is the difference between being a Psychotherapist or Counsellor instead of being registered as a Psychologist in Australia? Expand In Australia, Psychology is a restricted title and registered profession protected by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). The sections above deal with studying an approved pathway in psychology so you can become registered with AHPRA as a psychologist at the end of your studies (and internship is applicable). Psychotherapist and Counsellor are not legally regulated titles in Australia. However, they are professionally regulated by their accrediting associations, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). These associations have particular Training Standards to ensure the quality of counselling and psychotherapy education and practice. In order to obtain professional insurance and maintain required standards of their professional practice, practitioners should join PACFA or ACA. Students wishing to become psychotherapists and/or counselling professionals are encouraged to consider the Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy, which is a qualification approved for membership to either (or both) the ACA and PACFA. The program at Cairnmillar does offer two lower level exit points, a Graduate Certificate of Counselling and Psychotherapy and a Graduate Diploma of Counselling and Psychotherapy however these qualifications are generally considered foundational only and are more suitable exit points for graduates with existing careers where counselling and psychotherapy skills may be useful or even required but may not be sufficient for those planning to practise primarily as a psychotherapist. The lower qualifications alone are not normally sufficient for those wishing to practice primarily as psychotherapists or counsellors, although the Graduate Diploma level may make some graduates eligible for membership of the ACA or of PACFA under an RPL membership pathway in some circumstances, normally only if studied part-time. The Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy is a two year full-time program, or can be studied over four years part-time. Entry to the program is open to anyone with an undergraduate degree. Counselling or Psychotherapy may be a more suitable change of career for those who cannot commit to a full APAC accredited sequence as well as those for whom psychotherapy is a more appropriate methodological fit.