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Course Overview
The Master in Clinical Psychology course is designed for four year graduates who have completed an accredited four year course in psychology and who wish to complete an accredited Master in Clinical Psychology course at the year 5 - 6 level. You will be eligible for the purpose of registering as a psychologist in Australia. In the course, you will undertake 96 units of credit (12 units each 6 units of credit per unit reflecting taught and practical components; 2 units each 12 units of credit per unit reflecting the thesis requirement) to satisfy the requirements of the award. You will be engaged in a postgraduate level of training through a variety of learning modalities including classroom instruction, engagement in practical skills training, and research training. As part of your training, you will acquire knowledge, practice and research skills reflecting advanced training in clinical psychology. Additional specialist training in select areas may be offered. Specialist areas offered will be through material embedded in coursework, practical placements and thesis research topics. Additional opportunities for specialist training may also be possible through linking in with staff research in areas of clinical psychology, including assessment- and treatment-related research.
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.
| 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 - 2026
Indicative Year - 2025
Indicative Year - 2024
Indicative Year - 2023
Indicative Year - 2022
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Admission Codes
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Domestic Students Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes |
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International Students CRICOS Codes |
Not Applicable |
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.
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Domestic Availability
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Term 1 - 2027
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Term 1 - 2026
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Term 1 - 2025
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Term 1 - 2024
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Term 1 - 2023
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Term 1 - 2022
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Term 1 - 2021
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Term 1 - 2020
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Term 1 - 2015
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Term 1 - 2014
International Availability
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Term 1 - 2027
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Term 1 - 2026
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Term 1 - 2025
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Term 1 - 2024
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Term 1 - 2023
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Term 1 - 2022
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Term 1 - 2021
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Term 1 - 2020
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Term 1 - 2015
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Term 1 - 2014
Applicants must hold a four-year, or three-year plus a fourth year, Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)-accredited sequence in Psychology within the last 10 years, with an upper second class Honours (2A) or equivalent overall mark and be eligible for registration with the Psychology Board of Australia as a conditional/provisional psychologist. Currently registered psychologists who can demonstrate current compliance with Registration Board Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements, seeking to gain a professional postgraduate qualification are eligible to apply.
To be considered for admission, applicants are required to supply:
1. 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 entry and including qualities that make you a suitable applicant for clinical psychology training – 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;
Entry is competitive with limited places available, shortlisted applicants must attend an interview (face-to-face or via teleconferencing) by a panel comprising at least two members of academic staff of the Discipline of Psychology, both of whom have qualifications equivalent to those required for general registration as a psychologist.
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Awards and Accreditation
| Interim Awards | Not applicable |
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| Exit Awards | Not applicable |
| Accreditation |
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Residential School Requirements
| Compulsory Residential School | |
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| Click here to view all Residential Schools | |
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 placements |
| PSYC22006 - Students are required to undertake an off-site placements |
| PSYC21008 - Students are required to undertake clinical work at the university based clinic |
Previous and Current Enrolments
| Year | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 |
| 2024 | 20 |
| 2023 | 22 |
| 2022 | 23 |
| 2021 | 23 |
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.
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.
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.
- Treating all individuals including staff, students, and others with respect.
- 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 if required.
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, respectful, and composed manner in all 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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Vaccination requirements may apply for some placement sites (e.g., Queensland Health). 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 in addition to attending classes (for full-time students)
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.
- 1. Appraise and critique psychological theories, psychological literature and models of practice for their applicability to contemporary profesional practice.
- 2. Utilise the APS code of ethics and ethical guidelines to resolve complex ethical dilemmas using appropriate decision making models.
- 3. Apply professional levels of knowledge to the selection, implementation and interpretation of a range of psychological assessment measures.
- 4. Skillfully select, implement and evaluate a range of intervention models that are appropriate to both cultural differences and developmental stages.
- 5. Demonstrate the capacity to formulate, research and successfully complete a discipline based research project.
- 6. Utilise professional level communication skills across both oral and written formats to convey, appraise and interpret information.
| Course Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Qualifications Framework Descriptors | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 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 | ||||||
- Complete the core structure
| Number of units: 14 | Total credit points: 96 |
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Students must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia for the entire duration of their academic 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 | ||
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| 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 | ||
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| 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 | ||
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| Students must complete the following compulsory units: | ||
| PSYC22001 | Research Methods in Clinical Psychology | |
| PSYC22003 | Thesis I | |
| PSYC22005 | Clinical Practice 3 | |
| Year 2 - Term 2 | ||
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| Students must complete the following compulsory units: | ||
| PSYC22002 | Health Psychology and Rehabilitation | |
| PSYC22004 | Clinical Psychology Engagement and Evaluation Project | |
| PSYC22006 | Clinical Practice 4 | |
Applications for the Term 1, 2025 intake will open on the 1st September 2024, and close on the 31st October 2024.
Interviews are expected to take place in late November. Application outcomes are released in December and January.
Computing Requirements
It is a requirement of enrolment in this course that students have access to the CQUniversity website. Students will 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
Four units in the Master of Clinical Psychology course: Clinical Practice 1, Clinical Practice 2, Clinical Practice 3 and Clinical Practice 4, are attached to placements.
For placement activities, there is the overall requirement of 1000 placement hours that includes 400 hours of client face to face contact and a minimum of 100 hours of direct supervision. A minimum of four placements is required, including two terms of internship and two terms of externships.
Each placement typically lasts for about 12 to 16 weeks, usually over 3 days per week. In the first year of the course, internal placements (for Clinical Practice 1 and 2) take place at the Psychology Wellness Centre, on Rockhampton North CQUniversity campus. Internal placements commence in March and go through October.
In the second year, external placements (for Clinical Practice 3 and 4) commence in February to ensure completion of placements by the end of Term 2.