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Master of Professional Psychology

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Summary
Master of Professional Psychology (MPPS)
Study Mode
  • On-campus
Start
  • Semester 1 (February)
Number of Units
  • 8 units
Duration
  • 1 year or part-time equivalent
Campus
  • Ipswich
All core courses are offered as on-campus Saturday workshops.
View USQ Handbook
Program Information Set

Become a registered Psychologist

Take the next step to become a registered psychologist with USQ’s Master of Professional Psychology. Have you have already completed a four-year Psychology degree and want to achieve general registration? Our Master of Professional Psychology, plus one year of full-time supervised (independent) practice, will qualify you for a career as a Psychologist.

Gain psychology experience and knowledge

Do you have a busy schedule? No problem. Our Psychology training workshops are held on Saturdays during the semester, allowing you to integrate your studies with a work-life balance.

Your studies and experience will prepare you to provide psychological assessment, intervention strategies, relapse prevention and a wide range of psychology services.

Professional accreditation

The Master of Professional Psychology has received accreditation with conditions from the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as a fifth-year program in Psychology.

Upon completion of your Master of Professional Psychology degree and a further one year of full-time supervised practice, you will be able to apply for general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia. Graduates will also be able to apply for full membership with the Australian Psychological Society after a period of supervised practice.

As a graduate, you will be able to find employment as a psychologist in a variety of within public health and community services, as well as private practice.
Professional experience

In addition to the courses listed below, you will also need to complete professional experience. These experiences provide you with opportunities to put theory into practice.

Courses to be studied Units
Core courses 6
plus 2 x practical experience courses 2
Total 8
 
The program includes five compulsory on-campus courses which occur in day-long Saturday workshops (9am-5pm) at USQ Ipswich campus. Each course comprises of a ‘block’ of 5 consecutive Saturday workshops (excluding long weekends).

Students can choose to complete their 2 practicum courses (PSY5130 and PSY5230) in two of the following: Semester 1, Semester 2 or Semester 3. Practicum courses must be a minimum of 150 hours, but may go over this threshold in order to ensure appropriate management of client cases and organisation requirements.

Deferment is not an available option for this program.
Refer to the USQ Handbook for courses to be studied and recommended enrolment patterns.

How much will it cost?

Approximate annual costs1 for your first year of study (8 units) in this program are:

Study Mode Cost
Domestic full fee paying AUD 21000

Loan to help you pay your fees

You may not have to pay your course (subject) fees upfront. FEE-HELP allows you to defer your fees until your income reaches a certain level.

You may also be eligible to receive financial support from Centrelink.

Scholarships and financial assistance

You may be able to apply for scholarships to help with your study costs.

1 These are indicative annual fees for 2018 and costs will vary depending on the actual courses selected during your study. Fees may also vary from year to year as they are reviewed annually.

Entry Requirements

  • Completed an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)-accredited 4-year sequence in psychology within the last 10 years (Honours AQF Level 8).
  • Be eligible for provisional registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia.
  • Provide two satisfactory referee reports1 and a report to address the Selection Criteria (PDF 104 KB) indicating your abilities to successfully undertake the professional and research components of the program.
  • Provide a CV of your work and study history.
  • Be assessed in a face-to-face (or via teleconferencing) interview with a panel of school staff.

1 The Australian Psychology Postgraduate Reference Request system is the same across all Australian universities. To be able to use the system, you will need to have an active subscription. The subscription allows you access the service during the 2018 – 2019 intake until 31 July 2019. The cost is $25.00 and can be paid for through the "My Account" section in the payment tab.

English Language Requirements

You are required to satisfy the applicable English language requirements. This program requires a minimum of IELTS 7.0 or equivalent.

If you do not meet the English language requirements you may apply to study a University-approved English language program.

We can help

How to apply

Apply with USQ
Note: All core courses in this degree are offered as on-campus Saturday workshops.

Closing dates

Apply directly to USQ:

  • Semester 1, 2019 - Major round applications close Friday 26 October 2018, with first round interviews occurring in November. Top-up round of applications close Friday 4 January 2019, for second round interviews where quota has not been filled in the major round.
  • Semester 1, 2020 - Applications close Friday 25 October 2019.

Credit for previous study or work experience

You may be eligible for credit if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help to reduce the number of courses that you need to study to finish your program.

How to become a Psychologist

Find the pathway for you.
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Other options for you

Master of Psychology/PhD (Clinical Psychology)
Master of Science (Research) (Psychology Research)