In Australia, the minimum time to become a registered psychologist is six years. This includes undergraduate study, a fourth year, and postgraduate training and supervised practice.
At UNE, we know that many people need flexible learning, so we have enabled our students to study their psychology courses online as well as in-person. Our pathways are designed to be flexible and manageable around life demands.
Understanding the path to becoming a psychologist
- Overview of psychology as a field
Psychology is the science of how people think, feel and behave. Psychologists apply this knowledge to improve outcomes in health, education, work and community settings. - Different types of psychologists in Australia
There are several recognised areas of practice, including clinical, counselling, forensic, organisational, educational and developmental, health, sport and exercise, and community psychology. Training time is similar across areas: general registration first, then extra training for endorsement in a specialty. - Role and responsibilities of a psychologist
Psychologists assess problems, deliver evidence-based interventions, evaluate outcomes, contribute to research and advise organisations. All of UNE’s psychology courses are accredited by APAC- the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council. APAC is an independent quality and standards organisation that ensures all higher education providers in Australia are up to accreditation standard.
Educational Journey and Timeline
- Undergraduate psychology degree requirements: The first step is a three-year psychology degree such as the Bachelor of Psychological Science, APAC accredited. Many UNE students complete this online and part-time while working, which can extend the study time.
If you have already studied a full Bachelor qualification or a qualification with an AQF level 8 or more, you can enrol into a Graduate Diploma in Psychology to meet the initial requirements for psychology. This is a one-and-a-half year full time course, also APAC accredited that is an approved pathway to the next step in becoming a psychologist.
- Fourth-year honours: Next is a Bachelor of Psychology with Honours course. While the name is deceiving, this accredited degree only takes one year full-time and acts as your fourth year of study. This is required for entry to further postgraduate training. It also allows you to apply for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia and makes you eligible for associate membership with the Australian Psychological Society.
- Postgraduate studies and supervised practice: The last step in becoming a fully accredited psychologist is postgraduate studies. This can look different, depending on your chosen pathway:
- Master’s pathway – a two-year accredited Master of Psychology with supervised placements. Upon completion, you can apply for general registration. This can take the form of completing a Master of Professional Psychology and then going into a Master of Psychology (Clinical) Advanced Entry or a two-year Masters program.
- 5+1 pathway – a one-year Master of Professional Psychology course plus a one-year supervised placement as a provisional psychologist. After which, you can apply for general registration as a psychologist.
UNE’s Psychology study options
UNE offers accredited programs that can take you through the entire journey to become an APAC accredited psychologist, from first year through to postgraduate clinical training. With online delivery available for much of our study options and strong student support, you can shape your study around your needs.
- Initial courses:
- Bachelor of Psychological Science – 3 years full-time
- Graduate Diploma in Psychology – 1.5 years full-time
- Fourth-year course
- Bachelor of Psychology with Honours – 1 year full-time
- Postgraduate courses
- Master of Professional Psychology- 1 year full-time. This online-only course includes 300 hours of practicum that meets the requirements of the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council
- Master of Psychology (Clinical) Advanced Entry- 1 year full-time
Support services and resources for UNE psychology students
Students can access academic and statistics support, online library resources, mentoring, placement coordination, and wellbeing and counselling services.
How to Apply to UNE’s Psychology Programs
- Application process and deadlines
Apply online via the UNE website. Our undergraduate courses are offered over Trimester 1, 2, and 3. However, from our fourth-year programs onward, the only intake is in Trimester 1. Both our Honours and Masters have limited, competitive places. - Early Entry
- School-leavers can apply for our Bachelor of Psychological Science through Early Entry. UNE Early Entry is an online application that guarantees you an offer to our university. More information about Early Entry can be found here.
