Overview
This unit forms the capstone project of the Master of Clinical Psychology course. In this unit, you will conduct a clinical psychology project in which you will engage a community-based partner to conduct a project. The project may involve research or an intervention to be evaluated. You will design and conduct the project, evaluate the project by collecting relevant data, and produce a written report of your project and evaluation.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Students must be enrolled in CG17 Master of Clinical Psychology or CM49 Master of Clinical Psychology (Advanced Entry).
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 - 2024
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).
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
Assessment Overview
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.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
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 in class.
The unit version delivered in 2023 required an academic research project to be conducted and a thesis to be produced. Some students felt that they would gain more clinical skills by doing a more community-based project, particularly as they had already demonstrated their research ability during their fourth year of study.
Update the unit to have a stronger clinical psychology practice focus, whilst retaining a research project structure.
- Apply advanced knowledge and skills professionally, ethically, and in a culturally appropriate manner, to design and complete a community-based project that is applicable to clinical psychology.
- Apply assessment and evaluation skills to clinical problems including the acquisition and interpretation of data to inform practice in clinical psychology.
- Communicate project evaluation findings professionally, ethically, and in a culturally appropriate manner fit for a range of audiences.
These learning outcomes are intended to link with the 2019 Australian Psychology Accreditation Council accreditation guidelines for Clinical Psychology and further to align with the Clinical Psychology guidelines of CG17 (Master of Clinical Psychology) course Learning Outcome 5: "Demonstrate the capacity to formulate, research and successfully complete a discipline-based research project."
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Research Proposal - 30% | |||
| 2 - Report - 70% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 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 | |||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
c.l.thompson@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Friday morning 9.00 to 12.00: First project Class Meeting.
- This meeting is compulsory for all students in the unit.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Friday morning 9.00 to 12.00: Class Meeting.
- This meeting is optional for all students in the unit.
- Students should attend from 9.00 a.m.
- The meeting will conclude when all student questions have been answered.
- PROJECT PROPOSALS ARE DUE AT 4.00 P.M. ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
Assessment Task 1 - Project Proposal Due: Week 3 Friday (26 July 2024) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Friday morning 9.00 to 12.00: Class Meeting.
- This meeting is optional for all students in the unit.
- Students should attend from 9.00 a.m.
- The meeting will conclude when all student questions have been answered.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Friday morning 9.00 to 12.00: Class Meeting.
- This meeting is optional for all students in the unit.
- Students should attend from 9.00 a.m.
- The meeting will conclude when all student questions have been answered.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Friday morning 9.00 to 12.00: Class Meeting.
- This meeting is optional for all students in the unit.
- Students should attend from 9.00 a.m.
- The meeting will conclude when all student questions have been answered.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Friday morning 9.00 to 12.00: Class Meeting.
- This meeting is optional for all students in the unit.
- Students should attend from 9.00 a.m.
- The meeting will conclude when all student questions have been answered.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
- Friday morning 9.00 to 12.00: Class Meeting.
- This meeting is optional for all students in the unit.
- Students should attend from 9.00 a.m.
- The meeting will conclude when all student questions have been answered.
- PROJECT REPORTS ARE DUE AT 4.00 P.M. ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
Assessment Task 2 - Project Report Due: Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 4:00 pm AEST
Students should note that the first scheduled class meeting is compulsory for all students. The subsequent meetings are optional.
Proposals must be approved before any project-related activities may be undertaken.
1 Research Proposal
You are required to develop and submit a Project Proposal. This is a plan for the undertaking, evaluation, and reporting of your project. The proposal should include an overview of the topic/area of focus, including the practice issue or need that is the aim of the project. The proposal should also include detailed information regarding the theoretical approach and intervention methodology to be used to address the specific aim of the project. The proposal must include plans for evaluation, cultural, ethical, and resourcing considerations, and a Gantt chart for charting project tasks and timeline.
Week 3 Friday (26 July 2024) 4:00 pm AEST
Via Moodle
Week 5 Friday (9 Aug 2024)
Via Moodle
The proposal should include:
a) Rationale & theoretical background demonstrating the need for the project (15)
b) Project partners, including details of services or other organisations that are involved in the proposed project and details of how permissions from partner organisations will be sought and documented (5)
c) Methods, including the setting, participants, and any proposed action or intervention, with a step–by–step plan for how the project will be prepared and implemented (20)
d) Evaluation plan, including specific details of measures used to evaluate the project/intervention and how the evaluation data will be analysed (20)
e) Ethical considerations with reference to the APS code of ethics (5)
f) Integrated cultural considerations where appropriate (5)
g) Resources and budget, describing what resources would be needed and any budget requirements and sources of funding (note that no project funding will be provided) (5)
h) Gantt chart showing the project tasks and timeline (10)
i) References in APA-7 format (5)
j) Appendices if required (5)
Proposals should be succinct and clearly written using APA-7 formatting (5).
- Apply advanced knowledge and skills professionally, ethically, and in a culturally appropriate manner, to design and complete a community-based project that is applicable to clinical psychology.
- Apply assessment and evaluation skills to clinical problems including the acquisition and interpretation of data to inform practice in clinical psychology.
2 Report
Students are required to prepare and submit a Report of their Project. This is a report of the undertaking and outcomes of your project. The report should include a brief overview of the topic/area of focus, including the practice issue or need that is the aim of the project. The report should also include detailed information regarding the theoretical approach and intervention methodology used to address the specific aim of the project. The report must include some data gathered to evaluate the project. Complex statistical analysis is not required, however the data must be reported in a way that accurately reflects the outcomes of the project. The report must include a section on Reflective Practice regarding the project, including what went well and what could be done differently in future, as well as what the student learned through undertaking the project.
Week 12 Friday (4 Oct 2024) 4:00 pm AEST
Via Moodle
Exam Week Friday (18 Oct 2024)
Via Moodle
a) Rationale & theoretical background demonstrating the need for the project (15)
b) Project partners, including details of services or other organisations that were involved in the project and details of how permissions from partner organisations were obtained and documented (5)
c) Methods, including the setting, participants, and the action or intervention, with step–by–step detail of how the project was prepared and implemented (20)
d) Evaluation of the project, including specific details of measures used to evaluate the project/intervention and presentation and evaluation of the collected data (20)
e) Ethical considerations with reference to the APS code of ethics (5)
f) Integrated cultural considerations where appropriate (5)
g) Reflective Practice, detailing the experience of undertaking the project. This section should include what went well, what could be done differently next time to improve the project, and a reflection on what was learned through the process of planning and undertaking the project (15)
h) References in APA-7 format (5)
i) Appendices if required (5)
j) Project reports should be succinct and clearly written using APA-7 formatting (5).
The word count for the report should be between 2000 and 5000 words (not including references and appendices).
- Apply advanced knowledge and skills professionally, ethically, and in a culturally appropriate manner, to design and complete a community-based project that is applicable to clinical psychology.
- Apply assessment and evaluation skills to clinical problems including the acquisition and interpretation of data to inform practice in clinical psychology.
- Communicate project evaluation findings professionally, ethically, and in a culturally appropriate manner fit for a range of audiences.
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?
