Master of Psychological Practice

About

Are you looking to advance your undergraduate psychology studies with a comprehensive program that integrates coursework, research, and practical experience? Are you ready to take the next step towards becoming a registered psychologist? Look no further than the Master of Psychological Practice offered by Charles Sturt University.

The Master of Psychological Practice is a four-year part-time/two-year full-time course that delivers graduates an integrated program of psychological studies at fourth and fifth-year levels (APAC Level 2 & 3). Following the successful 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, they will be eligible to apply for general registration as a psychologist.

For those interested in the Master of Psychological Practice (School Psychology) School Counsellors in Training program, please contact the NSW Department of Education's Student Wellbeing Recruitment Team first, via 1300 32 32 32 (option 3, 3, 4). 

Admission criteria

Applicants for the Master of Psychological Practice must meet the following Admission Requirements:

• The personal suitability to undertake professional practice as a psychologist, assessed through interviews and referee reports; and

• Completion of an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited undergraduate program within the previous five years with a Grade Point Average of no less than 5.5 in core level 2 & 3 psychology subjects (equivalent full time) of the accredited sequence; or

• Completion of an APAC-accredited Graduate Diploma program within the previous five years with a Grade Point Average of 5.5 excluding any introductory psychology subjects; and

• Completion of PSY301 Advanced Research Methods in Psychology OR PSY461 Advanced Research Methods in Psychology with Charles Sturt University or the equivalent from an APAC accredited program.

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

Late applications will not be accepted.

Important

This course has limited places. Up to 50% of places will be reserved for graduates of Charles Sturt’s level 1 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. Given the high volume of applications received, available positions are highly competitive. Regrettably, not all eligible applicants can be accommodated.

Supporting documents

1. Where entry to the course is requested based on the results in a Graduate Diploma of Psychology, applicants must provide evidence of a completed Undergraduate / Bachelor’s degree.
2. Where entry to this course is requested based on the results in an Undergraduate /  Bachelor’s degree, applicants will be required to provide a letter from their home university confirming the name of the degree being completed, that it holds APAC accreditation as a level 1 course, and, most importantly, the specific core psychology subjects in their accredited sequence (i.e., not electives). We will be unable to assess your application without this documentation.
3. International qualifications must be assessed by the Australian Psychology Society (APS) before applying for entry into the Master of Psychological Practice. The APS must deem the qualification equivalent to an Australian three-year sequence in psychology.

Final date for submitting supporting documents

The final deadline for ALL documentation in support of applications to the 2025 program is the: 30th November 2024.

Applicants with incomplete studies must supply a transcript confirming interim results and have until the date published to provide the final results.  

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 until 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 two professional, one 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 selection criteria

Applicants must complete the Master of Psychological Practice Supplementary Form.

Short listed 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 indicate a determination of lack of suitability for postgraduate professional psychology training but, instead, is indicative of the high standard of applications received annually.

Given the volume of applications to our professional psychology programs, individual feedback on applications or interview performance is not provided.

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.

At the end of the fourth year of this program, and before commencing 5th year, students must apply to the Psychology Board of Australia for provisional registration. Provisional registration is usually granted for one calendar year and must be maintained for the duration of the 5+1 internship program: i.e., for the remaining duration of this degree and the 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.

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.
Contact 1800 275 278 or email the university if you have any queries.