Department of Psychology
Fourth Year FAQs
Questions and Answers about a 4th year in Psychology for Prospective Macquarie University students
Q. I am currently completing an Australian Psychology
Accreditation Council (APAC) undergraduate degree at another Australian University; can I apply for a fourth year at Macquarie?
Q. Are there any differences in the course content of the two 4th Year programs?
Q. Do my future options of becoming a registered psychologist differ if I complete the
Graduate Diploma of Advanced Psychology rather than Honours?
Q. What if my undergraduate results do not meet the entry criteria for either programs but I really want to become a registered psychologist in New South Wales?
Q. When applying for the Graduate Diploma
of
Advanced Psychology at Macquarie how do I know if my undergraduate degree from another University is APAC accredited?
Q. What are the entry requirements for Honours?
Q. Once accepted into a 4th year at Macquarie, do I have a choice about which units I enrol in?
Q. Can I complete a thesis/research topic of my own choosing?
Q. Can I enrol part time?
Q. Can I defer my place?
Q. If I am enrolled in a BA-Psychology or a BSc-Psychology and will be applying for Honours, can I apply to move into a BPsych(Hons)?
Q. What difference is there between the BA-Psy(Hons), the BSc-Psy(Hons), and the BPsych(Hons)?
A. Graduate Diploma of Advanced Psychology: Although preference will be given to Macquarie undergraduates, places are reserved for applicants who have completed their undergraduate degree at another university. Information about the entry requirements through UAC to the Graduate Diploma of Advanced Psychology can be found at: http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/courses/grad_dip_advanced_psych.htm
Honours: Applications from students who have completed their degree elsewhere will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (e.g. re-location to Sydney or a desire to work in an area not well supported at the student's home university) and such applications will only be successful where grades are high enough and there has been sufficient breadth of study of psychology.
Information about the entry requirements to Honours can be found at:
http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/courses/c_4year.htm#what
Q. Are there any differences in the course content of the two 4th Year programs?
A. Graduate Diploma of
Advanced Psychology: The main difference between the two programs is
how the Research Project or thesis (40 pages)
is supervised. Diploma students work on their Research Project in a group
of up to four students with a supervisor.
The group works together in the initial stage of data collection and during
later stages of the project e.g. data analysis and writing up, students work individually on their thesis. In addition to the thesis, there are
three compulsory units plus two electives. An Orientation Session
and a 'Meet Your Supervisor' lunch are held during the month
of February and students are requested to consider this when planning their
candidature.
Honours: Honours students work individually on their thesis (40 pages) in consultation with their supervisor. In addition to the thesis there are two compulsory units plus two electives. A Welcome and Information session is held in early December where students will meet their supervisors.
Q. Do my future options of becoming a registered psychologist differ if I complete the
Graduate Diploma of Advanced
Psychology rather than Honours?
A. Yes, future options or pathways to registration will differ in terms of which 4th year program you successfully complete.
1. Full Australian Psychological Society accreditation (http://www.psychology.org.au/) requires an APAC accredited 4th year plus a 5th and 6th year Masters degree or alternative pathway to registration.
2. To practice as a psychologist, you need an APAC accredited 4th year and then you have a choice of completing either a 2 year Masters Degree or a 2 year program which may be a combination of supervised placement and training modules to meet the competencies required for registration.
Both Honours and Graduate Diploma of Advanced Psychology graduates can pursue either of the above options.
To meet APAC accreditation requirements, the following Masters degrees are available at Macquarie:
Master of Clinical Psychology
http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/courses/c_mclin.htm
Master of Clinical Neuropsychology -
http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/courses/c_mclinn.htm
Master of Organisational Psychology
http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/courses/c_morgp.htm
Honours students are eligible to apply for all of the above Masters degrees, whereas high achieving Graduate Diploma of Advanced Psychology graduates are eligible to apply for the Masters of Organisational Psychology. Note however, that other Australian Universities admit high achieving Graduate Diploma of Advanced Psychology graduates into their Master degrees.
Alternatively, to become registered as a Psychologist the following pathways are
also available at Macquarie:-
Postgraduate Diploma of Professional Psychology -
http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/courses/courses.htm
Note that this does not currently lead to full membership of the APS.
There are other pathways to registration, including supervised placement, and you can check out the
Psychology Board of Australia's
website
http://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/index.php for the latest changes to
pathways to
registration, effective as from July 2010.
Q. What if my undergraduate results do not meet the entry criteria for either programs but I really want to become a registered psychologist in New South Wales?
A. 1. Reconsider your career opportunities in the helping professions (eg counselling) that do not require registration as a psychologist.
2. Search the web for other Australian Universities where you may have met the 4th year entry criteria.
Q. When applying for the Graduate Diploma
of
Advanced Psychology at Macquarie how do I know if my undergraduate degree from another University is APAC accredited?
A. You will need to ensure that your degree is
accredited by checking the appropriate page on
the APAC website:
http://www.apac.psychology.org.au/
(search for courses by State). If your degree is not listed on this website you will need to check with the University where your degree was conferred.
Q. What are the entry requirements for Honours?
Please refer to 'Honours Entry Requirements'.
Q. If my GPA is borderline in terms of the entry criteria for the
Graduate Diploma of Advanced
Psychology; would relevant work experience help my application?
A. The entry criteria to the Graduate Diploma of
Advanced Psychology is primarily based on academic merit, and all
applications are ranked accordingly and there is a quota in place. If you
have relevant work experience in a psychology related field you may list it
on the UAC application form. There is also provision for work experience and
exceptional circumstances on the Personal Supplementary Information Form
which you complete as part of the application process.
Q. Once accepted into a 4th year at Macquarie, do I have a choice about which units I enrol in?
A. In terms of APAC guidelines, there are some units that are compulsory.
All other elective units may not be offered each year and quotas may apply
depending on the availability of resources.
Q. Can I complete a thesis/research topic of my own choosing?
A. Research topics tend to loosely fall into the current research areas of the available supervisory staff. However the process differs for Honours and the
Graduate Diploma of Advanced
Psychology as follows:-
For Honours, you are asked to list three different areas/topics on your supplementary form. You may consult a list of research projects at: http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/courses/list_research_projects.htm which have been nominated by the staff as potential areas for Honours projects. Considerable effort will be made to accommodate your preferences.
For the Graduate Diploma
of
Advanced Psychology you may consult a list of research areas and staff at
http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/research.php . Prior to the commencement of first semester you will be
forwarded a descriptive list of the available research
topics and asked to complete a preference form listing your five
preferences. An effort will be made to accommodate your choices,
however students are encouraged to consider the process of research as being
the primary and significant goal of the Research Project.
Q. Can I enrol part time?
A. Honours: part-time study is available only to applicants who can provide satisfactory reasons. Check details at:
http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/courses/c_4year.htm#what
Graduate Diploma of
Advanced Psychology: Yes. The course can be undertaken part time over 18 months or 2 years.
Q. Can I defer my place?
A. Honours: Yes, for one year only. It is necessary to
complete an application the following year, even though your place is
reserved for you.
Graduate Diploma of
Advanced Psychology: It is not possible to defer your place but you may re-apply the following year.
Q. If I am enrolled in a BA-Psychology or a BSc-Psychology and will be applying for Honours, can I apply to move into a BPsych(Hons)?
A. Yes. At the end of third year, if you are in the BA-Psychology you can apply for a place in the BA-Psychology (Hons) or you can apply for a place in the BPsych(Hons). Similarly, if you are in the BSc-Psychology you can apply for a place in the BSc-Psychology (Hons) or you can apply for a place in the BPsych(Hons). You may checkout the criteria at:
http://www.psy.mq.edu.au/courses/c_4year.htm#what
Q. What difference is there between the BA-Psy(Hons), the BSc-Psy(Hons), and the BPsych(Hons)?
A. There is no difference in prestige between the three Honours degrees. All three are fully accredited with the Australian Psychology
Accreditation Council. Applications for entry to the Honours (fourth) year in psychology are considered equally, whatever your degree of enrolment. The fourth-year course is the same one for all.