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CG17 - Master of Clinical Psychology

Overview

Course Overview

The aim of this course is to give you the knowledge and skills required for the professional competencies in clinical psychology specified by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and to prepare you for the Registrar Program to gain an Area of Practice Endorsement in Clinical Psychology with the Psychology Board of Australia. You will be engaged in postgraduate training focussed on psychopathology across the lifespan and culturally sensitive psychological assessment and intervention for culturally and linguistically diverse populations including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, through a variety of learning modalities including classroom instruction, engagement in practical skills training, supervised practice, and research training.

Career Information

Clinical psychologists are employed in a wide range of practice-related fields including outpatient, inpatient, counselling, educational, forensic, health and other settings that focus on assisting people across the lifespan, from children through to elderly. They are also employed in teaching and research settings. Clinical Psychologists work in both the private sector and they also are employed in the public sector, including hospitals, government departments and agencies.

Course Details
Duration 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time
Credit Points that Must be Earned 96
Number of Units Required CQUniversity uses the concept of credits to express the amount of study required for a particular course and individual units. The number of units varies between courses. Units in postgraduate courses normally consist of 6 points of credit or multiples thereof (e.g. 12, 18, 24).
Expected Hours of Study One point of credit is equivalent to an expectation of approximately two hours of student work per week in a term.
Course Type Postgraduate Award
Qualification (post nominal) MClinPsych
AQF Level Level 9: Masters Degree (Coursework)
Course Fees
Indicative Year - 2024
  • Commonwealth Supported Place – Indicative First Year Fee - $4,440
  • Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $29,025
  • International Indicative First Term Fee - $17,040
  • International Indicative First Year Fee - $34,080
Indicative Year - 2023
  • Commonwealth Supported Place – Indicative First Year Fee - $4,120
  • Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $27,181.5
Indicative Year - 2022
  • Domestic Full Fee Paying – Indicative First Year Fee - $25,416
  • Commonwealth Supported Place – Indicative First Year Fee - $3,984

Admission Codes

Domestic Students
Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes
Not Applicable
International Students
CRICOS Codes
Not Applicable
Where and when can I start?
Units offered internally at the below campuses may be delivered using a combination of face-to-face and video conferencing style teaching.
Units offered via MIX mode are delivered online and require compulsory attendance of site-specific learning activities such as on-campus residential schools, placements and/or work integrated learning. See Course Features tab for further information. Online units are delivered using online resources only.
Please Click Here for more information.
The following tables list the courses availabilities by location and term. Directing your pointer over your preferred location will provide further information if this course is not available for the full duration. Please be sure to also check individual unit availability by location and term prior to enrolling.

Domestic Availability

Term 1 - 2025

Rockhampton

Term 1 - 2024

Rockhampton

Term 1 - 2023

Rockhampton

Term 1 - 2022

Rockhampton

Term 1 - 2021

Rockhampton

Term 1 - 2020

Rockhampton

Term 1 - 2015

Rockhampton

Term 1 - 2014

Rockhampton
Show All

International Availability

Term 1 - 2025

Sorry, no international availabilities found.

Term 1 - 2024

Sorry, no international availabilities found.

Term 1 - 2023

Sorry, no international availabilities found.

Term 1 - 2022

Sorry, no international availabilities found.

Term 1 - 2021

Sorry, no international availabilities found.

Term 1 - 2020

Sorry, no international availabilities found.

Term 1 - 2015

Sorry, no international availabilities found.

Term 1 - 2014

Sorry, no international availabilities found.
Show All
For any problems regarding admissions availability for the selected course please contact 13 CQUni (13 27 86) or send us an email at http://contactus.cqu.edu.au/
What do I need to start?
Entry Requirements

To be eligible for entry into this course, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Hold a completed four-year, or three-year plus a fourth year, Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited sequence in Psychology that satisfies the APAC criteria for pre-professional competencies in psychology, and
  • Be eligible for registration with the Psychology Board of Australia as a provisional psychologist; or
  • Be a currently registered psychologist who can demonstrate current compliance with Registration Board Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements.

Entry is competitive with limited places available. To be considered for a place within this course, applicants must supply:

  1. An official academic transcript;
  2. A current resume or curriculum vitae that includes employment, relevant experience, research experience and accomplishments;
  3. A one-page statement outlining expectations of the course, reasons for applying for entry and including qualities that make you a suitable applicant for clinical psychology training. Applicants who are applying on the basis of current registration and CPD should provide details of this. Please use Times New Roman, size 12 font, with 1.5 line spacing;
  4. Two references supplied via Heads of Departments and Schools of Psychology Australia (HODSPA) Psychology Reference Portal.

Shortlisted applicants will be required to attend an interview (face-to-face or via teleconferencing).

All applicants musst meet the requirements outlined in CQUniversity's English Language Proficiency Requirements Policy and Procedure.

Assumed Knowledge
None. Pre-professional competencies in psychology are an eligibility requirement. 


Fees and Charges
Course Features

Awards and Accreditation

Interim Awards Not applicable
Exit Awards Not applicable
Accreditation
  • Professional Practice: Core
    Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)

    This course is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) until 31 December 2025 and is a pathway to General Registration as a Psychologist and to the Psychology Board of Australia Registrar Program for Area of Practice Endorsement in Clinical Psychology.

Residential School Requirements

No Residential School for this course.

Practicum/Work Placement

PSYC21007 - Students are required to undertake clinical work at the university based clinic.
PSYC22005 - Students are required to undertake an off-site placement.
PSYC22006 - Students are required to undertake an off-site placement.
PSYC21008 - Students are required to undertake clinical work at the university based clinic.

Previous and Current Enrolments

Year Number of Students
2024 21
2023 22
2022 23
2021 23
2020 22
Inherent Requirements
There are Inherent Requirements (IRs) that you need to be aware of, and fulfil, to achieve the core learning outcomes of the units and course. IRs are the essential capabilities, knowledge, behaviours and skills that are needed to complete a unit or course.

Please note that in some instances there may be similarities between course, entry and inherent requirements.

If you experience difficulties meeting these requirements, reasonable adjustments may be made upon contacting accessibility@cqu.edu.au. Adjustment must not compromise the academic integrity of the degree or course chosen at CQUniversity or the legal requirements of field education.

General Information

Examples are:

  • Complying with academic and non-academic policies and procedures such as CQUniversity’s StudentCharter, Student Misconduct Policy and Student Behavioural Misconduct Procedures, and Assessment Policy and Procedure  (Higher Education Coursework).
  • Treating personal information obtained as private and confidential.
  • Respecting an individual’s/group’s diversity by demonstrating sensitivity to religious, cultural and individual differences.
  • Demonstrating an ability to reflect on ethical dilemmas and issues and use an ethical decision making model to take responsibility to ethically resolve dilemmas.
  • When undertaking research, preparing an application for the university ethics committee to conduct a research study.
Ethical Behaviour

Examples are:

  • Complying with academic and non-academic policies and procedures such as CQUniversity’s StudentCharter, Student Misconduct Policy and Student Behavioural Misconduct Procedures, and Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
  • Treating personal information obtained as private and confidential.
  • Respecting an individual’s/group’s diversity by demonstrating sensitivity to religious, cultural and individual differences.
  • Demonstrating an ability to reflect on ethical dilemmas and issues and use an ethical decision making model to take responsibility to ethically resolve dilemmas.
  • When undertaking research, preparing an application for the university ethics committee to conduct a research study.
Behavioural Stability

Examples are:

  • Being reflective with personal behaviours appropriate for professional performance and being positive and receptive to processing constructive supervisor/lecturer feedback or criticism.
  • Interacting with people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures in a calm and composed manner in difficult to deal with situations.
  • Successfully processing your own emotions and behaviour when dealing with potentially emotionally labile people in a wide range of professional environments.
  • Maintaining behavioural stability through successfully distinguishing your own personal behaviours, experiences and emotions from those of others (e.g., colleagues, clients, research participants).
Legal Compliance

Examples are:

  • Complying with relevant child protection and safety legislation, mandatory reporting requirements and any other notifiable concern to your field placement supervisor.
  • Complying with the requirements for registration with AHPRA, including their fitness to practice requirements.
  • Complying with the policies and practices of organisations in which you may be placed or find employment.
  • Complying with health-related policies of practicum placement providers, which may include vaccination requirements.
  • Complying with university and workplace policy around the use of social media, online discussion forums, email and other electronic forms of communication.
  • When undertaking research, complying with the legal stipulations contained within an approved ethics application when conducting research with humans or animals.
Communication Skills (Verbal, Non-verbal, Written and Technology)

Examples are:

  • Verbally communicating your professional psychology practice knowledge and skills with accuracy, appropriateness and effectiveness in a wide variety of contexts.
  • Using language that is appropriate to the context of the individual, group or workplace.
  • Framing and leading discussion with clients and/or research participants to collect information and provide instruction.
  • Appropriately discussing a client’s progress with other professionals.
  • Using appropriate facial expressions; eye contact, being mindful of personal space boundaries, and a range of body movements and gestures.
  • Recognising and interpreting non-verbal cues that indicate a change in the emotional state of a client.
  • Competently and appropriately producing written assessment work in a logical, coherent manner, and with correct grammar, punctuation and correct referencing to the required academic standards.
  • Expressing complex and detailed information and knowledge into a logical and legible report, in a timely manner that meets professional standards and clearly communicates the intended message.
  • Accurately conveying and documenting information in a written form that meets legal and professional requirements.
  • Preparing a document based on a body of research conducted under the supervision of an academic staff member.
Cognitive Abilities (Knowledge and Cognitive Skills, Literacy and Numeracy)

Examples are:

  • Conceptualising and using appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items.
  • Completing academic learning activities and assessment tasks, and performing professional skills within reasonable set time-frames.
  • Successfully conducting an independent research project that incorporates the cognitive knowledge and skills gained from the course and is appropriate for a psychology graduate.
  • Paraphrasing, summarising and referencing in accordance with appropriate academic conventions associated with the referencing format used by the School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences (e.g., American Psychological Association [APA]).
  • Producing contextually appropriate text which meets professional and legal requirements.
  • Reading and accurately interpreting information related to clients and/or research participants, as well as convey a spoken message accurately and effectively in a professional setting.
  • Demonstrating competency in applying accurate mathematical knowledge and skills to score and interpret psychological test data.
  • Applying research methodologies in a variety of research contexts.
  • Conducting and interpreting statistical analysis using software such as SPSS, Nvivo, or R.
Sensory Abilities (Visual, Auditory, Tactile)

Examples are:

  • Conducting verbal interviews with clients and keeping written case notes as part of practicum placement activities.
  • Administering psychometric tests to demonstrate specific competencies required in clinical practice.

Relational Skills

Examples are:

  • Rapidly building rapport with people from diverse backgrounds, as well as with colleagues and/or research participants and/or clients in the professional context.
  • Maintaining positive working relationships when under stressful circumstances.
  • Building and maintaining positive relationships with teaching staff, administrative staff and clinical supervisors.
  • Maintaining confidentiality in all contexts.
Reflective Skills

Examples are:

  • Reflecting critically on topics taught during the course.
  • Identifying when your practice may be negatively affected by personal experience and/or reactions, outside one's scope of expertise, and be able to reflect and learn from this experience.
  • Reflecting on situations that may be difficult and sensitive.
  • Identifying, reflecting and learning from successful situations as well as opportunities for improvement.
Sustainable Performance

Examples are:

  • Maintaining the appropriate level of commitment to coursework tasks and actively participating in activities related to the course, including group work.
  • Being able and available to attend in-person practicum placement activities as specified in Unit Profiles and Placement Agreement forms.
  • Undertaking practical in-person or online assessment tasks with adequate, sustained levels of physical energy and concentration.
  • Remaining focused and performing consistently during tasks.
  • Demonstrating improvements in performance over the duration of clinical practicum placements.
  • Being aware of and managing your own workloads and personal commitments outside of the course to ensure sustainable performance of course requirements.
  • Being aware of and managing your own stress and/or anxieties so that sustainable performance can be ensured within course requirements.
Strength and Mobility (Gross Motor Skills and Fine Motor Skills)

Examples are:

  • Ability to sit for a minimum one hour period to conduct interviews and assessments with clients.
  • Fine motor skills to manipulate psychometric assessment kit components.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Abilities

Examples are:

  • Competently using a desktop operating system (e.g., Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X).
  • Accessing a computer and having sufficient computer skills to engage in online learning, reading and responding as required to emails, and completing relevant assessments for the course.
  • Regularly accessing the Internet for research, and email for communication with peers and lecturers.
  • Using a variety of computer programs to analyse, manipulate and display scientific information applicable to your course of study including systems required by practicum placement sites.
Compulsory Requirements
Health Requirements

Vaccination requirements currently apply for provisional psychologists in Queensland. Proof of your vaccination status, or medical exemption certificate, must be submitted before practicum placement commencement. Students must be able to attend practicum work three days per week (for full-time students) in addition to attending classes.

COVID-19 Vaccination Advice

Effective 25 September 2023, updates have been made to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for Queensland Health sites and the Queensland Ambulance Service. While Queensland Health does not currently mandate evidence of COVID-19 vaccination, it's essential to recognise that other organisations may enforce their own vaccination specific criteria. This situation is similar across other states and territories, with the exception of Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, where COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory for all healthcare students.    

Security Requirements

Students will be required to obtain registration as a provisional psychologist with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Additional security checks are included in this registration. Students may be asked to undergo additional checks (working with children and criminal history check) to satisfy the requirements of external placement sites. 

Core Learning Outcomes
  • 1. Apply culturally-sensitive advanced knowledge of psychological theories of the aetiology, presentation, and progression of psychological disorders across the lifespan and relevant international taxonomies of classification of psychological disorders
  • 2. Apply advanced knowledge of psychological developmental and biopsychosocial models of health with consideration of culturally and linguistically diverse populations including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • 3. Conduct culturally responsive assessment of psychological disorders to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • 4. Implement culturally-responsive, evidence-based, clinical psychology interventions to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
  • 5. Plan, conduct, and report on research in clinical psychology.
  Course Learning Outcomes
Australian Qualifications Framework Descriptors 1 2 3 4 5
1. KNOWLEDGE Have a body of knowledge that includes the understanding of recent developments in a discipline and/or area of professional practice
2. KNOWLEDGE Have an understanding of research principles and methods applicable to a field of work and/or learning
3. SKILLS Have cognitive skills to demonstrate mastery of theoretical knowledge and to reflect critically on theory and professional practice or scholarship
4. SKILLS Have cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories and to apply established theories to different bodies of knowledge or practice
5. SKILLS Have cognitive, technical and creative skills to generate and evaluate complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level
6. SKILLS Have communication and technical research skills to justify and interpret theoretical propositions, methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions to specialist and non-specialist audiences
7. SKILLS Have technical and communication skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse and theorise about developments that contribute to professional practice or scholarship
8. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to use creativity and initiative to new situations in professional practice and/or for further learning
9. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to use high level personal autonomy and accountability
10 APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Be able to plan and execute a substantial research-based project, capstone experience and/or piece of scholarship.
APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Communicate, interact and collaborate with others effectively in culturally or linguistically diverse contexts in a culturally respectful manner
Course Structure

In order to complete this course, you must:

  1. Complete the core structure
Number of units: 14 Total credit points: 96

Students must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA) for the entire duration of this course. 

Please note that students are unable to study the units within Master of Clinical Psychology as single Non-Award units.

Year 1 - Term 1
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
PSYC21001 Assessment 1
PSYC21003 Therapy I: Theory, Research, Practice
PSYC21005 Psychopathology I
PSYC21007 Clinical Practice 1
Year 1 - Term 2
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
PSYC21002 Advanced Clinical Assessment
PSYC21004 Advanced Clinical Intervention
PSYC21006 Psychopathology II
PSYC21008 Clinical Practice 2
Year 2 - Term 1
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
PSYC22001 Research Methods in Clinical Psychology
PSYC22003 Thesis I
PSYC22005 Clinical Practice 3
Year 2 - Term 2
Students must complete the following compulsory units:
PSYC22002 Health Psychology and Rehabilitation
PSYC22004 Clinical Psychology Engagement and Evaluation Project
PSYC22006 Clinic Team IV
More Details

Applications for the Term 1, 2023 intake will open on 1 August 2022, and have an early closing date of 31 October 2022.

Application outcomes are not released until Early December, with Interviews expected to take place in Late November.

 

Computing Requirements

It is a requirement of enrolment in this course that students have access to the CQUniversity website. Students may be required to undertake various components of study in the course using email and the Internet.

It is strongly recommended that students have access to a broadband connection or higher to access online student resources that would include but not limited to, email, internet, video streaming, electronic assessment submission.


Work Integrated Learning


For placement activities, there is the overall requirement of 1000 placement hours that includes 400 hours of client face to face contact and 140 hours of direct supervision. A minimum of three placements, including one internship and two externships is required.


Four units in the Master of Clinical Psychology course: Clinic Team l, Clinic Team ll, Clinic Team III and Clinic Team IV, are attached to practical placements.


Each placement typically lasts for about 12 weeks, minimum 2 or 3 days per week. In the first year of the course, internal placements (for Clinic Team I and II) take place at the Psychology Wellness Centre, on Rockhampton North CQUniversity campus. Internal placements commence in March and go through to end of October. 


In the second year, external placements (for Clinic Team III and IV) commence in February, allowing early completion of the placement and possible early commencement of subsequent placements. In this way, students can then have more time to work on thesis course components towards the end of the second year of the Master’s course.