Who should attend

The Foundations of Psychedelic Therapies short course is designed for anyone, anywhere in the world with an undergraduate degree (or equivalent), who is curious about or professionally interested in the field of psychedelic therapies. Delivered fully online, this accredited course offers a flexible and accessible way to explore the theoretical foundations of psychedelic-assisted therapy, guided by leading educators, researchers, and practitioners.

Whether you're a mental health professional seeking to expand your expertise, or simply someone passionate about understanding this transformative area of study, this course provides a valuable opportunity to deepen your knowledge. It also represents a potential stepping stone towards future postgraduate study, including the planned Graduate Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies (subject to formal approvals and eligibility) and/or your postgraduate degree (subject to institution approval).

What you will learn

Students will learn about the therapeutic methods and evidence from clinical psychedelic research, explore case studies with experienced PAT practitioners, and hear first-hand experiences of PAT from clinical trial participants. Students will be introduced to the stages of PAT, approaches to screening and safety monitoring, ethical practice, and key considerations at the intersection of pharmacology, altered states of consciousness, and mental illness. Students will learn about psychedelic and psychedelic-like compounds, models of care, patient groups, and therapist training, and explore controversies and debates in the field. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, and reflective activities, students will develop a broad understanding of the rapidly developing clinical psychedelic field.

Program structure

This exciting new course is developed and delivered by the nation-leading Clinical Psychedelic Lab within the Dept of Psychiatry at Monash University. It features flexible, engaging, and convenient delivery with a mixture of live and asynchronous options, depending on student preference. No prior familiarity with psychedelic science or therapies is required, and yet even those working in the field will have the opportunity to gain fresh insights and learn from leading educators, covering both well-established and emerging areas of PAT. This short course is for people with any interest in clinical psychedelics, including those wanting to pursue a path in psychedelic therapies. This course does not train people in how to deliver psychedelic treatments, and is aimed at a wide range of students.

Location: Online

Duration:

12 weeks

Key Dates:

• Teaching period: 28 Jul – 24 Oct, 2025
• Semester break: 22 Sep – 28 Sep, 2025

Delivery Mode: Flexible learning options. All live sessions are recorded and can be viewed asynchronous.

Eligibility:

Available to any interested person, located anywhere, globally, who has successfully completed an undergraduate degree.Please note: This can be taken as a standalone short course (available to non-Monash students based anywhere globally), or micro-credentialled to a Monash postgraduate degree (6 credit points), subject to approval from your Course Director.

Teaching Sessions

These 90min sessions will be delivered by leading national and international educators, researchers and experienced practitioners. All sessions will be recorded and uploaded to Moodle. There is no minimum attendance requirement, however attendance is strongly encouraged!

• Tuesdays at 9:30 – 11:00AM AEST
• Thursdays at 7:00 – 8:30PM AEST

The majority of these sessions will be seminars (60min talk + Q&A – note that four of these live sessions across the semester will be tutorials). Please note that sessions may not take the full amount of time allocated, we have allowed extra time for Q&A. Also note that most sessions will be live with a few exceptions due to time zone constraints. The sessions that can’t be delivered live will be pre-recorded and released during the teaching session window.

Time Commitment

• Approximately 6hr/week (note this will vary between students, depending on the extent to which students engage in the additional reading, viewing and listening materials.)
• A maximum of 3hr/week is allocated to teaching sessions (these can be viewed live or asynchronously.)
• An estimate of 3hr/week is allocated to personal reading and viewing materials, and completing assessment tasks.

Assessment Tasks

1. Educational Resource [Recorded presentation] Duration: 10-12minutes
Weight: 40%
Due: Week 6 - Sunday 7th September at 11:55PM

2. Critical Analysis Word count: 3,000 words
Weight: 60%
Due: Week 12 - Sunday 26th October at 11:55PM

You may also be interested in the following short course: Psychedelic Science: Fundamentals to Frontiers.

For more information about our research and education offerings, please visit monash.edu/psychedelic-education or write to psychedelic-edu-PG@monash.edu

Please note: On its own, this short course does not comprise sufficient training for learners to work as psychedelic therapists, but may contribute to such training.

Testimonials

Hear from students of our companion short course: Psychedelic Science: Fundamentals to Frontiers...

“This course provides an outstanding introduction to the subject of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. The informality and opportunity to have direct interaction with many of the leaders in the field is rather unique amongst university offerings. Worth the price of entry!”
– Psychedelic Science Student, 2025

“What an incredible opportunity to be able to study this course! I cannot recommend this course enough for people who would like both the historical overview and current research and practice insight into PAT. I have loved every single week!”
– Psychedelic Science Student, 2025

What are the key dates?

• Teaching period: 28 Jul – 24 Oct, 2025
• Semester break: 22 Sep – 28 Sep, 2025

What is the duration of the short course?

There are 12 weeks of teaching sessions, with a week's break at the end of week 8 (22 Sep – 28 Sep). The teaching period includes a combination of live sessions and flexible asynchronous learning. All live sessions will be recorded and uploaded to Moodle for those who cannot attend.

Are there any prerequisites?

There are no prerequisites for this short course. No prior knowledge is required. This short course is designed for both newcomers and experienced professionals. You may also be interested in our other short course – Psychedelic Science: Fundamentals to Frontiers. These two short courses (6 credit points each) are prerequisites for the Graduate Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies (24 credit points)

Is the short course available online?

Yes, the course is entirely online and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. There are no in-person sessions.

Is the short course available to international students?

Yes, the short course is available to international students. Any person who has completed an undergraduate degree can apply, regardless of their country of residence.

Will I receive a certificate upon completion?

Yes, participants will receive an official Certificate of Completion. Please note: there is no clinical training component to this short course, the content is educational only.

Does this short course qualify me to deliver Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy?

This course provides foundational educational knowledge. It does not provide clinical training to prepare students to deliver psychedelic-assisted therapy. However, it may contribute to such training (for example, this would count as 6-points credit towards a planned Graduate Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies [24-points credit in total] at Monash University, should this award course be delivered). While there are no training standards or accreditation for clinicians to work in PAT trials or clinics standards as yet, the planned Graduate Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies aims to become a gold-standard in PAT training in Australia. Please note that currently in Australia, mental health professionals (with the exception of TGA-authorised psychiatrists) can only deliver PAT in the context of clinical trials, or under the supervision of a TGA-authorised psychiatrist in a clinical treatment setting.

What is the cost of the short course?

The course fee is $3,500.00 AUD (please check updated currency conversion rates if you are not based in Australia).

What kind of assignments will be included?

Assignments include interactive discussion forum posts, case analyses, and a critical literature review on a topic of interest to the student.

Will I get feedback on my assignments?

Yes, instructors will provide written feedback on the second and third assignment (case analysis and critical review) to help you understand your strengths and build on areas of weakness.

Is there an exam in this short course?

No, there is no exam.

Are there CSPs (Commonwealth Supported Places) for this Short Course?

No, the short courses do not qualify for CSP. CSP is allocated to university courses (e.g., a bachelor or masters degree), not units or short courses.

Are scholarships available for this course?

While we don’t offer scholarships as yet, we do offer payment plans (three instalments.)

We understand the importance of financial considerations, and we strive to keep our short course fees as accessible as possible.

How do I apply?

If you have completed an undergraduate degree, you can register here!