Postgraduate Degrees in Clinical Psychology
Master of Psychology (Clinical)
Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology)
Applications for admission to commence study in 2013 will open in early September 2012
and close on Friday 12th October 2012
Online application forms are available from here.
Why Obtain Clinical Training at UNE?
This is an excellent time to enter the UNE clinical psychology training programs. There are several reasons for this:
1. The UNE clinical programs – MPsych(Clin) and PhD(ClinPsych) – prepare students to help fill the unmet need for clinical psychologists in Australia. Rural areas in particular suffer from workforce shortages, and our programs equip sudents for practice in rural as well as urban areas. At the completion of the MPsych(Clin) and PhD(ClinPsych), students are eligible for registration as a psychologist.
2. The UNE clinical programs offer students stimulating, practically oriented training. In the first year students receive extensive training in assessment and treatment and then provide, under close supervision, assessment and therapy to clients with psychological disorders. Every unit and training experience is set up to help ensure that students are able to provide a wide range of high-quality clinical services by the time they graduate.
3. The instructors in the clinical programs are friendly, helpful and determined to help students succeed.
4. Graduates of the clinical programs have diverse career options. Some have entered private practice; others work for agencies where their skills are in high demand.
5. We have 12 Commonwealth supported places each year for students newly enrolling into the program.
6. Australian students transferring to the PhD(ClinPsych) at the end of the first year of the Masters program receive exemption from fees for second to fourth years, under the Research Training Scheme (RTS).
7. Applicants from rural, regional or remote locations who meet eligibility requirements may be able to obtain scholarships funded by either of two sources. First, there is the Services For Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) which provides funding of $15,000 per year. For 2013, applications for this scholarship will open August 6th 2012 and close 1st October 2012. Students may apply before they are admitted to the program. Second, there is the NSW Rural Allied Health Scholarships which provides funding for up to $10,000 per year. Applications for these scholarship open in February 2013. Students in the MPsych(Clin) may also be eligible for Youth Allowance or Austudy.
8. Students completing a practicum in a rural setting may be able to obtain a placement grant from NSW Health.
9. Students who continue on for a PhD may be able to obtain a UNE Scholarship or an Australian Postgraduate Award.
Programs:
Psychology at UNE offers two professional programs, the Master of Psychology (Clinical) MPsych(Clin) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) PhD(ClinPsych) see Handbook. The programs prepare students for careers in Health, Community Services, Rehabilitation Services, Disability Services, Alcohol and Drug Services, Private Practice, Non-Government organisations and elsewhere.
The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) has accredited the programs so that successful completion will result in: (a) eligibility to register as a psychologist in Australia; (b) eligibility to become a member of the Australian Psychological Society; and (c) completion of the academic requirements necessary for membership of the Australian Psychological Society’s College of Clinical Psychologists.
The MPsych(Clin) provides professional training in clinical psychology whilst the PhD(ClinPsych) combines professional training with the research training of a full Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. Students initially apply to the MPsych(Clin) program. On completion of the coursework of the first year of the program, application may be made to change from the MPsych(Clin) to the PhD(ClinPsych).
http://www.une.edu.au/bcss/psychology/
Master of Psychology (Clinical)
The MPsych(Clin) program is normally completed in two years of full-time (FT) study. FT students enrol as internal students for the first year of study, and as external students for the second year of study. The program consists of coursework, research and practicum experiences.
First Year (on-campus)
The on-campus coursework takes place in the first and second trimesters.
Coursework modules include:
- PSYC503 Adult Psychological Disorders
- PSYC504 Clinical Interventions with Adults
- PSYC505 Clinical Psychological assessment
- PSYC506 Counselling Skills and Professional Practice
- PSYC507 Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
- PSYC512 Clinical Research Methods
The Clinical Research Methods unit covers research methods and statistics that students are likely to use in their research and in applied clinical work. The primary outcome of the unit is a sound research proposal.
Clinical Psychology Placement I: This placement is usually undertaken in the first year after extensive clinical skills training. The placement is completed in the UNE Psychology Clinic. Within this placement students take on a broad range of cases.
Second Year (on-campus or off-campus)
- PSYC615 Health Psychology, Rehabilitation and Older Adults
- PSYC616 Advanced Topics in Clinical Psychology
- PSYC612 Clinical Psychology Thesis
The thesis unit consists of the completion of a 2,500 word literature review and an empirical research project submitted in the form of a journal manuscript of 5,000 to 5,500 words by the end of October.
Clinical Psychology Placements II & III: These placements provide experience in dealing with a wide range of client problems across various age ranges and settings.
Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology)
The PhD(ClinPsych) program comprises requirements completed in four years of FT study. The first year of the PhD(ClinPsych) program is the same as for the MPsych(Clin) program and involves extensive course work study in clinical psychology; completion of a practicum placement; and completion of the proposal for the thesis. The second and third years require further course work study in clinical psychology; completion of the second practicum placement; and work focused on thesis research. The fourth and final year is devoted to thesis completion, and completion of a final practicum placement (which may not be commenced until the thesis has been accepted for examination).
Field Placements
The practicum component of the clinical psychology programs consists of an intensive internal practicum and two external placements. External placements generally need to be supervised by Field Supervisors who are experienced clinical psychologists. APAC accreditation standards allow one external placement in which on-site supervision is provided by a health professional who is not a clinical psychologist, but in these circumstances conjoint supervision must be provided by suitably qualified staff from the university. There are limited placement opportunities in the New England region, so students may be required to complete two external placements outside the region. The MPsych(Clin) and PhD(ClinPsych) have been structured with this in mind so that coursework and placements are not scheduled concurrently, thus enabling students to travel away from Armidale. Completing external placements in different geographical regions adds to the breadth of clinical training. UNE cannot meet expenses associated with the completion of external placements, but some funding may be available via a placement grant from NSW Health. Placements can be completed at the rate of 2, 3 or 4 days per week; specific arrangements are negotiated with Field Supervisors.
External Enrolment
There is considerable demand for clinical training to be offered in the distance education (i.e. external) mode, a form of education pioneered by UNE. However, UNE prefers to deliver the foundations of clinical training in the face-to-face mode. Hence, the UNE programs are structured so that the components of clinical training that necessitate internal enrolment (e.g., clinic placement and some coursework) have been packaged together at the beginning of the program leaving the remaining components to be completed via external enrolment.
Students completing the MPsych(Clin) full-time are committed to being in Armidale for two or three days per week during their first year. In second year, students attend brief intensive schools. External placements can be completed anywhere provided that students cover an adequate range of clinical experiences and appropriate supervision can be arranged. Research projects can be completed at UNE or elsewhere. All research projects will be supervised by UNE staff but joint supervision with professionals in the field can be arranged.
Staff
Dr Tanya Hanstock - Director of Clinical Psychology
Special interests: I am a senior clinical psychologist with experience in child and adolescent psychology particularly in community and inpatient mental health settings. My research interests are in the areas of: (i) juvenile bipolar disorder, (ii) complex trauma, (iii) dissociation, (iv) psychonutrition, particularly omega-3 treatment for mood disorders, (v), psychodermatology, (vi) Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and (vii) obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). I enjoy clinical practice as well as supervising students in clinical practice and research and writing and publishing psychology journal articles and books. I also enjoy promoting and improving mental health literacy in the community.
Other staff who teach and supervise in the clinical program are:
Dr Debra Dunstan Senior Lecturer
Dr Gavin Clark
Special interests: I am a Clinical Psychologist and Physiotherapist with more than two decades of experience across the public, private and NGO sectors. My clinical expertise is in the areas of psychological assessment and work disability management. My fields of research interest include work disability prevention, and modes and models of clinical service delivery suitable for rural settings. My current research projects are: the evaluation of community-based, rural mental health programs; the role of co-workers in workplace rehabilitation; and, the importance of social inclusion in mental well-being.
Special interests: I am a clinical psychologist with experience in adult mental health, particularly in the area of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for common mental health problems. My current research interests are in the areas of: (i) the treatment of co-morbid anxiety disorders; (ii) transdiagnostic approaches to psychological interventions; (ii) the application of evidence-based interventions in clinical practice; (iii) processes contributing to the effectiveness of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
Dr Amy Lykins
Special interests: My research interests are primarily in the areas of human sexuality and sexual health, specifically: (i) the development and nature of sexual preferences; (ii) female sexual health issues; (iii) sexual dysfunctions and disorders—their development, assessment and treatment; and (iv) gender identity and gender identity disorder. I am particularly interested in studying the cognitive underpinnings of the aforementioned topics using psychophysiological (e.g., EEG, genital plethysmography) and cognitive-based methodologies (e.g., eye-tracking, dot-probe paradigm).Dr Lisa Patterson-Kane
Special interests: I am a Clinical Psychologist with experience in rural and remote practice. I have worked extensively throughout rural and remote regions of Queensland and New South Wales, predominantly in areas of adult mental health, indigenous mental health and private practice. My areas of interest include male depression, rural and remote mental health and e therapy; particularly attitudes and acceptance of e therapy in rural and remote regions.Research projects by clinical students are open to supervision by any member of the Psychology Discipline, and students should browse the individual pages of all staff members.
Fees and Financial Assistance
There are currently 12 Commonwealth-supported places in the clinical program. Information on fees can be found at http://www.une.edu.au/for/current-students/costs/stufees.php
Students who transfer to the PhD(ClinPsych) after completion of the first year of the MPsych(Clin) are ordinarily exempt from fees under the Research Training Scheme. For more information about financial assistance, see point 7 Why Obtain Clinical Training at UNE
Eligibility
- Applicants must have successfully completed a four year, or three year plus a fourth year, APAC-accredited sequence in psychology, within the last 10 years, with an upper second class Honours (2A) or equivalent overall mark, and be eligible for registration with the psychologist Registration Board as a conditional/provisional psychologist. An exception to this Standard may be made for currently registered psychologists who can demonstrate current compliance with Registration Board CPD requirements seeking to gain a professional postgraduate qualification.
- In ranking eligible applications the selection committee will take account of the whole of an applicant’s undergraduate record.
- Attendance in person for interview by the selection committee is required of all short-listed applicants.
- In determining admission to candidature, attention will be given to each applicant’s suitability for the roles and tasks required of a clinical psychologist. This will take account of such personal qualities as emotional and social intellect, empathic outlook, maturity and open-mindedness. Relevant occupational and/or service experience will also be considered.
- Entry to the PhD(ClinPsych) program is by way of transfer after the first year of study in the MPsych(Clin) if grades are at a satisfactory level of Distinction or higher.
- Applicants for the programs who have completed their degrees at universities other than UNE should submit full documentation related to their qualifications in Psychology so that equivalence can be established. Qualifications completed outside Australia must be assessed for equivalence by the Australian Psychological Society (APS).
Advanced Standing
Advanced standing for the first year of the PhD(ClinPsych) may be granted to applicants who have completed the first year of the MPsych(Clin) or equivalent. Advanced standing will only be considered for first year work.
Applications:
Applications for 2013 close Friday 5th October 2012.
Applications will be submitted online and are opening 14th August.
Online application forms are available from:
http://www.une.edu.au/for/future-students/postgraduates/admissions.php
Enquiries:
Email: Libby Fitzgerald
Telephone: (02) 6773 3189