Master of Psychology (Clinical)

Course Details

The Master of Psychology (Clinical) degree at ACU is a two year postgraduate course consisting of academic coursework, practical training in assessment, diagnosis and intervention, and completion of a research project. Successful completion of the course allows registration as a general psychologist and upon completion of an additional period of supervised practice, for area of practice endorsement in clinical psychology with The Psychology Board of Australia.

Qualification: Master Degree (By Coursework)

Course structure: 160 credit points. Students must complete 1000 hours of practicum placement in clinical settings with at least 400 hours of face-to-face client contact.During the course, students complete three practicum placements. The first practicum usually occurs in the on-campus training clinic. During this placement students gain experience in assessment, diagnosis and therapy under close individual and group supervision conducted by experienced psychologists. Students must be supervised by a psychologist who is an approved supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia. During the second year of the course, most students complete two six-month external placements, again under supervision by a fully endorsed Clinical psychologist. Practicum options include placements in health care, community mental health teams, non-governmental and private practice settings.

Graduates will be well-prepared for work as practitioner psychologists or skilled researchers who work with individuals, families, groups and organisations in a range of institutions and agencies providing psychological and mental health services. Clinical psychologists often work in hospitals, health care centres, community mental health teams, private practice, or academic settings.