PSYC22003 - Thesis I

General Information

Unit Synopsis

Thesis I (PSYC22003) is the first of two research units that form the cornerstone of the research component of the Master of Clinical Psychology. In this unit you will work under supervision to develop and submit a research proposal, Gantt chart and ethics application, which must be passed in order to progress to Thesis II (PSYC22004) in Term 2. These tasks will prepare you for data collection, analysis and interpretation and is linked to Thesis II (PSYC22004), thereby developing the research skills necessary for working as a Clinical Psychologist.

Details

Level Postgraduate
Unit Level 9
Credit Points 12
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.25
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the unit.

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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 3 - 2024

There are no availabilities for this unit on or after Term 3 - 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).

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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Research Proposal 0%
2. Research Assignment 0%

This is a pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2023 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 30% response rate.

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.

Source: Unit Coordinator self-reflection.
Feedback
Consider a schedule for non-compulsory Zoom sessions covering relevant topics related to the Unit.
Recommendation
Develop a topic schedule for the 2023 running of this Unit.
Action Taken
A discussion was held with the student cohort at the start of the term and they did not want a schedule of topics as they all have quite differing needs and schedules for their research. Also, they were all undertaking a unit on Research Methods where this content is provided.
Source: Unit Coordinator self-reflection.
Feedback
Consider effective communication channels between research supervisors and the Unit Coordinator regarding student progress and support
Recommendation
Develop a short email or Qualtrics survey to send to supervisors to get feedback on student progress at two-time points throughout the term. This will allow for active feedback and dialogue between research supervisors and the Unit Coordinator. This process can identify any required support whilst providing an opportunity for feedback to improve the research experience for students.
Action Taken
This was recommended by a previous Unit Coordinator, however no survey was developed. All students who attended the non-compulsory tutorial sessions reported satisfactory progress and for students who did not attend, their supervisor was contacted individually to check on student progress.
Source: Course Update proposal implemented at the start of 2023.
Feedback
The Master of Clinical Psychology course that this unit is offered in has been updated and this unit has been replaced in the course. Therefore, it is recommended that this unit be terminated.
Recommendation
Commence a Terminate Unit Proposal for this unit.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Apply advanced knowledge and skills to plan a research project that is applicable to clinical psychology
  2. Investigate methods to inform, formulate and test a research question, including methods of data collection appropriate to clinical psychology
  3. Apply critical analysis and rigorous scientific inquiry to relevant literature in preparation of an ethics application and research proposal
  4. Communicate research 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 and in particular, Clinical Psychology guidelines and competencies of Knowledge of the Discipline and Research and Evaluation. In addition, the Learning Outcomes are linked with the CG17 Master of Clinical Psychology course Learning Outcome: "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 4
1 - Research Proposal • • • •
2 - Research Assignment • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Professional Level
• Advanced Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Knowledge • • •
2 - Communication • •
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills • • •
4 - Research • • • •
5 - Self-management • • •
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Professional Level
• Advanced Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Research Proposal • • • • •
2 - Research Assignment • • • •