Master of Professional Psychology

About

The Master of Professional Psychology (with Specialisations) is a two-year part-time/one-year full-time course that delivers graduates an integrated program of psychological studies at a fifth-year level.

This fully-online program is designed to accommodate the needs of full-time or part-time students. The Master of Professional Psychology (with Specialisations) offers flexibility without compromising the quality of education. Learn from experts using interactive technologies, and a wide variety of virtual classroom materials, blended with practical experience gained through work-place learning and remote intensive schools.

Following completion of this program, graduates will be eligible to undertake a sixth year of supervised practice internship approved by the Psychology Board of Australia; on completion of this subsequent internship program, you will be eligible to apply for general registration as a psychologist.

Master of Professional Psychology (School Psychology)

All queries regarding this specialisation should first be directed to the NSW Department of Education (the Department). If you have been advised by the Department to apply for this program, you may do so through our direct channel, here: https://study.csu.edu.au/apply/start-your-application.

To be considered for the specialisation you will need to apply for the scholarship AND be approved by the NSW Department of Education, as well as meet the minimum eligibility requirements of the Master of Professional Psychology.  Acceptance into the Master of Professional Psychology (School Psychology) requires full-time enrolment for one year.

Admission criteria

Applicants for the Master of Professional Psychology must meet the following Admission Requirements:

• Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited four-year degree within the previous ten years with a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of no less than 75 for the fourth year of psychological studies, and
• The personal suitability to undertake professional practice as a psychologist, assessed through interview and referees' reports, and
• Eligibility for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Applications for the 2025 program will close on the 31st of October 2024.

Late applications will not be accepted.

IMPORTANT: meeting the above requirements does not guarantee admission. Due to the large number of applications received, places are extremely competitive. Regrettably, not all eligible applicants can be accommodated.

This course has limited places. Up to 50% of places will be reserved for graduates of Charles Sturt’s level 2 APAC accredited courses and up to 10% of places will be reserved for First Nations applicants who meet the admission requirements of this course. Any remaining places will be available for eligible applicants and those residing in rural and remote areas of Australia may be given preference.

Supporting documents

CRITICAL: If your 4th year transcript does not include a Weighted Average Mark (WAM), you must submit an official document from your university confirming the raw marks (%) and credit points for each fourth year subject completed (unless raw marks are already included in the transcript). Where an applicant’s WAM cannot be determined, the School of Psychology will calculate a WAM based on the lowest mark in a grade banding using Charles Sturt’s grading conventions.

International qualifications must have been assessed by the Australian Psychology Society (APS) before applying for entry into the Master of Professional Psychology. The APS must deem the qualification equivalent to a fourth-year in psychology completed in Australia.

Additional selection criteria

Applicants must complete the Master of Professional Psychology Supplementary Form.

Final date for submitting supporting documents

The final deadline for documentation for applications to Charles Sturt Psychology Masters programs for 2025 is 30th of November 2024.

Applicants with incomplete 4th year studies must supply a transcript confirming interim results and have until the date published to provide final results. Admissions will accept unofficial transcripts in the interim, however, successful applicants must supply official transcripts prior to commencing the course.

If your final results are anticipated to be available after the above date, the School of Psychology will not be able to assess your application. Please postpone your application to the following year, as the University will be unable to accept documents later than the published deadline.

References

Applicants must arrange references from a minimum of three professional or academic referees to be submitted via the National Referencing System (https://www.psychologyreference.com.au). These can be either 2 professional, 1 academic, or vice versa.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that references are lodged and that these references are made available to Charles Sturt. Applications for which references have not been received, will not be considered.

Additional information

On acceptance to the program, and when requested to do so, applicants will be expected to provide, at their own expense, the following:

• National Police Certificate - this can be obtained either through your State or Territory Police Service or through the Australian Federal Police.
• Working with Children Check - this can be obtained through the Office of the Children's Guardian.
• Obtain provisional registration and maintain this throughout the enrolment in the program.

Provisional registration is typically provided for a duration of one calendar year and must be upheld throughout the entirety of the 5+1 internship program, encompassing both the remaining period of this degree and the subsequent year of supervised practice.

Successful applicants will also be required to:

• attend compulsory online intensives; and
• organise their own practical experience and related supervision in line with university requirements. Discussions about placements will be entered into with successful candidates only, and following acceptance of a formal offer.

Shortlisted applicants

Shortlisted applicants will undergo a selection interview, typically conducted across November/December. Successful applicants will be notified after all interviews have concluded and after consideration of academic records, referee reports, and interview performance.

Failure to receive an invitation to interview or an offer of candidature in the program does not necessarily imply a determination of lack of suitability for postgraduate professional psychology training but, instead, reflects the high standard of applications received annually.

Given the volume of applications for our professional psychology programs, we do not provide individual feedback on applications or interview performance.

Fees and charges

Call 1800 275 278 for further information about tuition fees or visit our online course brochure.

Australian Government financial assistance
Charles Sturt University scholarships and financial assistance

Further information

Read the full course details on the Charles Sturt University website.
Call 1800 275 278 or email the university if you have any queries.