Skip to Content

Department of Psychology

Fourth Year

Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology  APAC


Please note that this program will not be taking new students and will be discontinued at the end of 2012. New Students please refer to the Graduate Diploma of Advanced Psychology page for more information.

 

Course code: PD-PSY            Program Structure Code: PSYC05P

This course is recognised by the Psychology Board of Australia (http://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/) and has accreditation from the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as constituting a fourth year in psychology to prepare graduates to register as provisional psychologists. Graduates of Macquarie University’s Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology are equipped with advanced level skills in research design, methodology and analysis, and with practice-oriented theoretical skills, and generic interpersonal competencies to allow them to gain employment in a variety of psychological or psychology-related professions.

Admission and Quota

Applications will be considered from those who hold a three-year APAC accredited undergraduate degree conferred within the past ten years. In addition, applicants are required to have attained a credit average or above over all Psychology units. A quota is in place and applications will be ranked. Preference will be given to Macquarie University applicants, however a number of places will be reserved for applicants from other Universities on a competitive basis.

Relevant work experience may be taken into account for students who are very close to meeting the academic criteria.

Length of Candidature

1 year full-time; or either 18 months or 2 years part-time

Attendance

Units are offered in the day time, or late afternoon and early evening. Students are required to attend classes. The program is not available by external study.

Commencement

1st half year only. Please note that an Orientation Session and a 'Meet Your Supervisor' lunch,  plus various optional workshops are run early in the month of February and applicants are requested to consider this when planning their candidature.

Tuition Fees

Eligible domestic students may access the Government's loan scheme FEE-HELP. Please note that Australian permanent residents are not eligible for FEE-HELP unless they have a humanitarian visa. In 2011 the fees will be: 32 postgraduate credit points at $612.00 per credit point, a total of $19,584 for the entire program.  Details about Government assistance via the Higher Education Loan Program (FEE-HELP) are available from www.goingtouni.gov.au  Applications for FEE-HELP are available on eStudent during the enrolment process.

[Back to top]

Program of Study

The course requires the completion of a Research Project, two compulsory units and two elective units, making a total of 32 credit points. All units are taught within one semester except for the Research Project which is a full-year unit. Part-time students typically complete the Research Project and the Research and Design unit in their first year of study, and the remaining units in their second year. It is possible for students to arrange their program so that they complete in 18 months or two years.

Compulsory Units

Elective Units (all units are 4 cps and students choose two elective units, only one of which can be a Developmental Psychology unit).

Note that not all elective units will be offered each year.  Unit availability depends on staff commitments and student numbers.  Although every effort is made to accommodate student preferences for choice of units, note that flexibility is paramount due to enrolment numbers, unit quotas, and constrained resources.  If an elective unit has reached its quota, students are required to enrol in an alternative unit.  

Elective Units:

        OR

 

 

Back to top]

Progression to Masters-level Programs

Many fifth- and sixth-year programs require an Honours degree as a prerequisite. However some fifth-and sixth-year programs accept the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology as equivalent to an Honours degree as an entry requirement. To assist in such selection, grades and final percentage marks of each unit are awarded to students, so they may be cited when seeking entry to higher-level courses.

At Macquarie University, the Master of Organisational Psychology accepts applications from Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology graduates. The Master of Clinical Psychology and the Master of Clinical Neuropsychology typically require applicants to have completed an Honours degree.

The Psychology Registration Programs (PSYREGO - http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/courses/applied.htm) also accept applications from Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology graduates.

 

Timetable

Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology Draft Timetable 2011 (68kb pdf)

 

Enquiries

Dr Trevor Case (Academic Convenor)
telephone: (02) 9850 7736
email: trevor.case@mq.edu.au  

Kaye Separovic (Administrative Officer)
telephone: (02) 9850 8895 fax: (02) 9850 4089
email: kaye.separovic@mq.edu.au  Room C3A 512

[Back to top]