Professional Psychology - D6008
Professional entry master's degree
The Master of Professional Psychology is a one year course designed to meet the requirements of the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for a generalist fifth year in psychology.
The course prepares selected psychology graduates in advanced psychotherapeutic skills required for general registration as a psychologist. It develops your professional capability to apply the theoretical, research, assessment and therapeutic skills involved in psychology. Following graduation, you will be eligible to undertake one year of supervised generalist practice – you will then progress to full registration as a psychologist.
You will develop expertise in applying counselling theories and practices through your understanding of a range of evidence-based psychotherapies. You will learn core skills and theoretical concepts underpinning the therapeutic process and extend your practical knowledge in counselling interventions as you develop therapeutic relationships with a range of client groups. You will acquire the skills to administer, score, interpret and report on a comprehensive range of psychological tests and assessments.
You will engage with the Australian Psychological Society (APS) code of ethics and explore ethical dilemmas to support your ethical practice in undertaking research, educational or professional roles in different workplaces.
You will be exposed to a range of techniques associated with promotion of wellbeing, symptom reduction and behavioural change. In addition, you will learn how to employ culturally sensitive interventions that have been shown to facilitate positive outcomes in a variety of contexts. You will learn how to utilise research in guiding your choice of therapeutic interventions and how to evaluate the outcomes of your intervention in practice.
You will complete 300 hours of supervised professional experience where you have the opportunity to learn about what is involved in practising as a psychologist and develop foundational skills for practice under supervision. This supervised professional experience will occur primarily through activities undertaken within coursework units and the outreach program of the faculty's clinic. Some off-campus professional experience activities may also be undertaken.
On completion of the course, graduates will have acquired the necessary skills to prepare for a final year of supervised practice in the field for general registration under the '5+1 internship model' for registration. Graduates of the program arrange a Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) approved 1-year internship in settings of their choice.
At a glance
Course Details
Location |
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| Note: | Multi-modal delivery is available for domestic students only. You'll engage in a combination of synchronous online and on campus classes. Full-time students will attend one compulsory 5-day intensive face-to-face workshop at the Clayton Campus, currently planned for July 2025. Part-time students will attend a 2-day intensive workshop in their first year and a 3-day intensive workshop in their second year. |
Duration |
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Start date |
Semester 1 (February) |
Qualification |
Master of Professional Psychology |
Entry Requirements
You need to satisfy the following entrance requirements to be considered for entry to this course.
Minimum Entry Requirements (Domestic students)
Qualifications
A fourth year of psychology study from any course accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), which may be a Graduate Diploma or Bachelor's honours degree, with at least a high credit (65%) average in fourth year psychology.
These qualifications must have been completed within the last 10 years of the commencement date of further studies.
Applicants with international qualifications will need to have their qualifications assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS).
In addition, applicants must provide evidence of demonstrated suitability for work as a professional psychologist determined by completion of a supplementary form and satisfactory referee reports (one academic and one professional), relevant voluntary or paid work experience, and an interview.
For detailed application information and to access the required forms visit the How to apply for a Psychology course page.
English requirements
Applicants must also meet the English language requirements.
University entrance requirements
Minimum entrance requirements for admission to Monash University Australia.
Extra Requirements
Mandatory provisional registration
1. Upon commencing the course and before commencing professional experience, you must submit proof of provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA).
2. This registration must be maintained throughout the course.
English language requirements
The Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) requires that any applicant, whether domestic or international, who has completed secondary or tertiary studies in a language other than English must supply IELTS, TEOFL or PTE test results that meet English language requirements for provisional registration as a psychologist before commencing the course.
Professional experience
1. You must successfully maintain and complete a practice log and competency journal as part of the course requirements. Both must be submitted to be eligible for course completion.
2. This course requires you to undertake off-campus professional experience activities.
3. Attendance is mandatory for the clinical component of each applicable unit. In the clinical setting you will have an opportunity to develop your practice under supervision.
4. Before participating in professional experience in any setting you must:
- submit proof of provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia
- meet specific security clearances that apply in the state/territory where the professional experience is being undertaken
- complete professional experience orientation provided by the faculty.
5. For advice on professional experience intervention, support and unsatisfactory progress refer to the Professional experience intervention and support procedure.
Professional experience expenses
You are responsible for all uniform, equipment, travel, accommodation and any other expenses incurred during professional experience and will be notified regarding purchase arrangements upon commencement.
Inherent requirements
To complete your degree, you will need to demonstrate that you have the abilities, knowledge, and skills to achieve specific core learning outcomes, these are called inherent requirements.
Find out more about inherent requirements for this course.
The course is structured in two parts: Part A. Applied academic studies in psychology and Part B. Professional experience in psychology.
Making the application
Future students
Course start date(s)
Semester 1 (February)
Application dates
Please submit your application during relevant application dates:
- Semester 1, 2025 intake:
15 July 2024 – 30 September 2024
How to apply
Please prepare the following supporting documentation before applying for this course.
If you receive an offer for this course, you will not be able to defer your offer to a future intake, due to the selection process and high demand.
Apply directly to Monash using course code D6008.
Self assess for credit eligibility
Check for study credit using the "Credit search" link on the Credit for prior study page
Fees
Fees are subject to change annually.
Full fee
Fees are per 48 credit points which represents a standard full-time course load for a year. The fees for 2025 are:
A$37,600
Fee assistance
As a full fee-paying student, you may be eligible to apply for the optional FEE-HELP to assist you to pay all or part of your tuition fees.
Fee information specific to this course
Domestic students in this course may apply for Austudy payments from Centrelink / the Department of Human Services. See the Austudy site for details.
*Additional eligibility criteria apply.
Scholarships
We offer over 360 types of scholarships, valued at up to $280,000. Some scholarships offer one-off payments while others continue for the length of your course. Learn more about Monash Scholarships.
Other costs and fees
For information on other study costs and fees, see other study costs.