Getting Started Guide MPSYAE

1. Go to the Course Handbook webpage
2. Look up MPSYAE
3. Click Course Plans
4. Click Full-time

1. Go to the Course Handbook webpage
2. Look up MPSYAE
3. Click Course Plans
4. Click Part-time

All students must hold provisional (or full) registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for the entire duration of their candidature — including periods when they are not on placement. Students are legally responsible for keeping their registration current and valid.

Your AHPRA registration certificate or proof of application must be provided, and registration must be renewed annually (after two renewals, a new application is required).

Students cannot commence placement without current registration.

Important: AHPRA Application Form – Please Read

• No enrolment confirmation letter is required.
  If the AHPRA application form requests confirmation of enrolment from UNE, please disregard this request and proceed with your application.

UNE submits a bulk enrolment advice list directly to AHPRA once enrolments are finalised (usually mid-January). For this reason, we are unable to provide or send individual confirmation of enrolment to AHPRA, and students should not contact the School requesting this.

If your registration expires in the interim, or if Trimester 1 commences before your registration is formally confirmed, this is not an issue. AHPRA traditionally allows a grace period while enrolment information is being processed by universities and AHPRA administration is finalised.

Please ignore all requests from AHPRA asking for university-issued enrolment confirmation.

For application information, visit: AHPRA Psychology Provisional Registration.

Important: Students transitioning from the 5+1 pathway

Students who are currently registered with AHPRA under the 5+1 internship pathway must update their training pathway to the Higher Degree Pathway upon commencing the Master of Psychology (Clinical) – Advanced Entry. This ensures your AHPRA registration accurately reflects your enrolment in an accredited higher degree and helps prevent registration issues at the completion of the program.

AHPRA’s online registration form does not currently support this specific pathway transition. Students are therefore required to contact AHPRA directly by phone on 1300 419 495. AHPRA staff will assist with manually processing the pathway change.

Further information about the Higher Degree Pathway is available on the Psychology Board of Australia website.

Students are required to obtain a National Police Certificate (NPC).

These checks must remain current for the duration of your degree.

NPCs are deemed valid for 5 years from date of issue.

Apply for a NPC via the Australian Federal Police.

Sensitive and confidential issues will be raised during this degree including anonymised descriptions of clients, clinical videos, and information from fellow students during skills training or reflection exercises. It is important that all this information is kept confidential.

This form can be accessed via: Student Confidentiality Agreement

Note:  Anyone over 18 years of age can act as the witness.

All students are required to submit a signed Student Declaration confirming that they understand and are compliant with all course requirements of the Master of Psychology courses. Within this declaration, students agree to notify the Director of the Clinical Program and the UNE Placement Coordination Team about injuries or health impairments which may affect their capacity to undertake clinical training and/or which may detrimentally affect their safety or the safety of others within the placement setting as soon as they become aware of these.

The form can be accessed via: Student Declaration

**Upload your Mandatory Documents to Inplace. You will be given access to Inplace for document submission closer to Trimester 1 start date**

• Access to Inplace: UNE Inplace for Students & Staff
• Login information: standard UNE username and password
• FAQ guide

Your MPSYAE degree includes two placement units:

• PSYC534
• PSYC535

Full-time students

• Placement 1: Trimester 1, 2026 (from February)
• Placement 2: Trimester 2, 2026 (from July, after Placement 1)

Part-time students

• Placement 1: Trimester 1 of your second year
• Placement 2: Trimester 2 of your second year
  (Commencement may vary depending on your study load.)

Students attending placement in Trimester 1 2026 are required to start organising their placement ASAP.

To meet accreditation standards, each placement must give you broad clinical exposure, including:

• Client presentations: acute and chronic
• Age ranges: child, adolescent, adult, older adult
• Settings: inpatient, outpatient, community, rural
• Skill areas: assessment, intervention, and professional practice
• Supervision: a different supervisor for each placement

APAC requirements (3.1 - 3.16 and 4.1.1 to 4.1.3) — your placement must allow you to develop the core competencies required by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), including ethical practice, assessment, intervention, research, cultural responsiveness, and lifespan practice.

Each placement must include at least:

• 150 hours of direct client contact
• Supervision hours (individual and group)
• Other placement activities

Minimum hours:

*Other activities will be explained by the Unit Coordinator upon commencement of the unit

Students are responsible for organising their own two placements. You may choose any suitable clinical setting, provided it:

• Is directly relevant to clinical psychology
• Provides appropriate clinical learning opportunities
• Has a Board Approved Supervisor
• Meets APAC requirements for hours, supervision, and client exposure

UNE has existing relationships with several agencies, and you may choose to undertake a placement at:

• UNE Psychology Clinic (Armidale) — a UNE-operated training clinic offering hands-on experience, diverse client work, and high-quality individual + group supervision (no supervision fees).  Click here for more information.
• Your current workplace — conditions apply: must expand your clinical skills, not replicate your usual duties; supervision must meet requirements; previous work experience cannot be credited.

  Can I complete placement at my workplace?

  Possibly. One of your placements may occur at your current workplace if:

  • The placement is directly relevant to clinical psychology
  • The tasks reflect work normally undertaken by a psychologist
  • Supervision meets course and AHPRA requirements
  • The placement will extend your skills beyond your usual duties

  A brief explanation of how workplace placement will expand your clinical skills must be submitted to the Placement Coordination Team for approval.

• Other sites — Tips for Sourcing your own Placement.pdf

If you are having difficulty securing a placement, the Placement Coordination Team can also suggest options.

Students are responsible for all expenses related to placement (travel, accommodation, supervision fees where required).

All placements must be approved and ratified by the Placement Coordination Team before you begin. Hours completed before approval will not count.

Before commencing placement, you must:

1. Review key documents

• Placement Supervision Form
• Placement Offer Form
• MPSYAE Psychology Placement FAQs
  
  Share relevant documents with potential placement sites.

2. Contact potential placement sites

Discuss:

• Available opportunities
• Learning needs
• APAC requirements
• Supervisor eligibility (must have AHPRA Clinical Endorsement)
• **Refer to 'Placement Requirements' tab for full details***

If unsure whether a site or supervisor is suitable, contact the Placement Coordination Team via AskUNE.

3. Submit pre-placement documentation via AskUNE

Use subject line: “Psychology pre-placement documentation.”

Submit:

• Fillable Placement Offer Form
• Placement Supervision Form
• Screenshot of supervisor’s AHPRA Clinical Endorsement on the AHPRA Endorsement Site
• Professional Indemnity Insurance (only if placement is paid)
• UNE Consent to provide oversight form (only if supervisor is off-site)
• Letter explaining how workplace placement will extend your skills (only for workplace placements)

Ensure you are enrolled in the placement unit — students not enrolled are not covered by UNE insurance.

4. Complete any site-specific requirements

Examples may include:

• NSW Health immunisation compliance
• Department of Education WWCC requirements
• Site-specific onboarding

Contact the Placement Team if unsure.

5. Await formal approval

The Placement Coordination Team will:

• Review your documents
• Approve or request changes
• Issue a Welcome Pack to your supervisor
• Organise the Student Placement Agreement (legal contract)

6. Do not start placement until approval is confirmed

You must wait for official notification that your placement is ratified.
Hours completed before approval do not count toward placement requirements.

Before contacting the team, please carefully review this webpage, and the Course Handbook for answers.

All placement-related communication must go through AskUNE to ensure correct tracking and response.

How to submit an enquiry:

1. Log in to AskUNE
2. Click Contact Us
3. Subject line: Psychology Placements
4. Topic sequence:
   Professional/Practical Experience → School of Psychology
5. Attach documents if needed
6. Click Submit

Placement Coordination Team

Ms Alice Hone

• Placement Coordinator (Tue–Fri)
• Clinical Supervisor, UNE Psychology Clinic

Ms Anna Helder

• Placement Coordinator (Mon, Wed–Fri)
• Clinical Supervisor, UNE Psychology Clinic

Dr Justine Evans

• Placement Coordinator (Advanced Entry, Mon–Wed)
• Clinical Supervisor, UNE Psychology Clinic

Dr Kath Boekamp

• Placement Coordinator (Advanced Entry, part-time)
• Clinical Supervisor, UNE Psychology Clinic

Ms Tania Robb

• Clinical Placement Officer
• Phone: +61 2 6773 3680

What if my placement runs longer than the trimester?

It is common for placements to extend beyond the trimester in which you are enrolled.
If this happens, the Placement Coordination Team will automatically request a Special Extension of Time (SET) on your behalf.
Once all hours and documentation are completed, you must notify the placement team.

What are my requirements during placement?

Throughout your placement, you must complete and submit a series of assessment tasks via the relevant myLearn unit site. These typically include:

• Monthly logbooks
• Mid-placement review
• End-placement review
• Case studies
• De-identified case notes
• Case presentations

All tasks must be submitted and passed to meet placement requirements.

What if I can’t source a placement?

If you are having difficulty finding a placement or are unsure which sites to approach, you can contact the Placement Coordination Team via AskUNE.
UNE has relationships with many agencies and may be able to suggest suitable options. Please note: some recommended sites may require you to relocate to the placement location.

For a full FAQ list, click here.

Attendance at Online Intensive Schools is mandatory for your enrolled units.

• Failure to attend the full Intensive School will result in withdrawal from the unit
• If the Intensive School occurs after census date, withdrawal will be without academic penalty, but HECS/fees will still apply
• Check your Intensive School dates early to ensure you can attend
• If you cannot attend, notify the Course Coordinator as soon as possible via AskUNE

Dr Amanda Jefferys

• Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Acting Director of the Postgraduate Psychology Programs

Dr Hayley Farrell

• Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Deputy Director of the Postgraduate Psychology Programs

Professional Conduct

As you commence your studies, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you that you are registered health professionals enrolled in a degree that requires a high standard of professional conduct.

Your conduct and communication throughout the program are not informal or optional — they form part of the professional competencies assessed within your course. This includes how you communicate with staff, peers, and professional staff at UNE.

As a student in a professional psychology degree, your written communication must reflect the expectations of a working health professional. To support clear, efficient, and professional communication, all students are required to set up a standard email signature in their UNE email account.

Required Email Signature

Details to include

• Full name
• Student number
• Course (MPSYAE)
• AHPRA registration number

Example signature

• John Smith
• Student Number: 2200124578
• Course: MPSYAE
• AHPRA Number: PSY000326XXX

Updating Existing Signatures: For students who have previously studied at UNE (including former MProfPsych students), please ensure your email signature is updated to accurately reflect your current enrolment.

How to Contact Us & Required Subject Line

Course Requirements

Please note that it is a course requirement that students:

• Check their UNE email account frequently
• Understand that UNE staff are only required to communicate with students via their UNE email address

If you prefer to use a personal email account, you must log in to your UNE email and set up email forwarding so that all UNE correspondence is received.

Accessing Your UNE Email & Setting Up a Signature

If you are unsure how to access your UNE email account or set up an email signature, guidance is available here:

👉 https://www.une.edu.au/current-students/support/it-services/email

If you require further assistance, please reach out for direction.

We look forward to a trimester of professional growth, successful learning, and collegial engagement with you all.