CQUniversity Unit Profile
PSYC22004 Thesis II
Thesis II
All details in this unit profile for PSYC22004 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

This unit is part of the sequence of units that culminates in the degree of Master in Clinical Psychology. This unit is intended to provide supervision and knowledge necessary for carrying out and finalising a thesis project. It is also intended to help the student inculcate research skills necessary for working as a Clinical Psychologist.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 9
Credit Points: 12
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.25

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

PSYC22003 Thesis I

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 2 - 2019

Online
Rockhampton

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 12-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 100%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student feedback

Feedback

The word count in the Thesis manual is unclear

Recommendation

Clarify word count in line with University policy and APAC accreditation guidelines.

Feedback from Student feedback

Feedback

The format of the Thesis is apparently unclear

Recommendation

The format for the thesis is explained in the manual. However to be sure they are clear and understood, I recommend going through the manual with the students so that they are aware of where the instructions are for the format of the thesis.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Utilise research knowledge and skills applicable to working from a scientist - practitioner base as a clinical psychologist.
  2. Apply systematic inquiry skills to clinical problems including problem identification, and the acquisition, organisation and interpretation of information to allow critical analysis and disciplined, rigorous, careful and scientific inquiry of the psychological phenomena.
  3. Generate hypotheses of relevance to clinical practice and operationalise these into testable research questions.
  4. Demonstrate a high level knowledge of qualitative and / or quantitative design and methods, including the systematic collection of data and the subsequent skilled analysis of data allowing accurate interpretation of findings
  5. Utilise skills of critical evaluation to identify and evaluate research literature.
  6. Incorporate a knowledge of ethical and professional matters into the research process.
  7. Apply high level written communication skills and an awareness of professional writing styles to the production of the final thesis.

These learning outcomes align with the research competency requirements of the APAC standards

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - Written Assessment - 100%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Written Assessment - 100%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

There are no required textbooks.

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Sarah Blunden Unit Coordinator
s.blunden@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1: Getting started again Begin Date: 15 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

The 2019 thesis manual is available on Moodle

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2: Have you found the journal you will be targeting? Begin Date: 22 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

Identify, with your supervisor, what journal you will be publishing in.

Chapter

Author Guidelines of your chosen journal

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3: Writing the methodology section of your research report Begin Date: 29 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

This will be based on your chosen journal's guidelines

Chapter

Author Guidelines for your chosen journal

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4: Continuing literature reviews and sections of your research report Begin Date: 05 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5: Continuing literature reviews and sections of your research report Begin Date: 12 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Supervisor guidance and approval for the literature review should be completed.

 

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 19 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6: Residential School Begin Date: 26 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

 Any potential Thesis issues can be discussed at residential school

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7: Concentrating on data analyses and interpretation Begin Date: 02 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Literature Reviews should be complete. Data analyses and interpretation should be your focus now.

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8: Concentrating on data analyses and interpretation Begin Date: 09 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Interpreting your data in the Discussion


Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9: Completion of your Discussion Begin Date: 16 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

The final section of your Research Report, the Discussion, should be nearing completion by now.

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10: Bringing it all together Begin Date: 23 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Check you have all the components of the thesis including appendices.

Chapter

Thesis sections checklist on Moodle

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11: Formatting, editing and proof reading Begin Date: 30 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Do not underestimate how long this attention to detail can take.

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12: Submission of Thesis online and hard copies to HMAS Begin Date: 07 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

An electronic version to be submitted through Moodle

Hard copy non-archival data and original questionnaires etc.

Chapter

Check with the Thesis manual for submission requirements

Events and Submissions/Topic

An electronic version to be submitted through Moodle by 5.00pm Friday October 11th 2019.

Hard copies of data delivered to:

Department Administration Office of the Health, Medical and Applied Sciences (HMAS) (Building 6, 1st floor), by 5.00pm Friday October 11th 2019.





Thesis Due: Week 12 Friday (11 Oct 2019) 5:00 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 14 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 21 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Return of marked Theses

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Thesis

Task Description

No Assessment Task Description


Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Friday (11 Oct 2019) 5:00 pm AEST

Submission via Moodle


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Friday (25 Oct 2019)

Return via Moodle


Weighting
100%

Minimum mark or grade
50%

Assessment Criteria

See Thesis manual for marking criteria and rubric.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Utilise research knowledge and skills applicable to working from a scientist - practitioner base as a clinical psychologist.
  • Apply systematic inquiry skills to clinical problems including problem identification, and the acquisition, organisation and interpretation of information to allow critical analysis and disciplined, rigorous, careful and scientific inquiry of the psychological phenomena.
  • Generate hypotheses of relevance to clinical practice and operationalise these into testable research questions.
  • Demonstrate a high level knowledge of qualitative and / or quantitative design and methods, including the systematic collection of data and the subsequent skilled analysis of data allowing accurate interpretation of findings
  • Utilise skills of critical evaluation to identify and evaluate research literature.
  • Incorporate a knowledge of ethical and professional matters into the research process.
  • Apply high level written communication skills and an awareness of professional writing styles to the production of the final thesis.


Graduate Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Communication
  • Cognitive, technical and creative skills
  • Research
  • Self-management
  • Ethical and Professional Responsibility
  • Leadership

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?