Master of Professional Psychology

What you will study

To qualify for the award of Master of Professional Psychology, students must complete a total of 120 credit points across one year.

• Academic Integrity Module (0 credit points)
• Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents (15 credit points)
• Ethics and Skills for Professional Practice (15 credit points)
• Evidence-Based Practice in Professional Psychology (15 credit points)
• Foundation Skills in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (15 credit points)
• Psychological Assessment (15 credit points)
• Psychopathology Psy5ppy (15 credit points)
• Professional Psychology Practicum (30 credit points)

Entry requirements

Prerequisites

• An APAC-accredited four-year Bachelor's degree in Psychology with an Honours grade of at least a WAM of 70 or equivalent.

Selection criteria

• All applicants must complete and submit the Professional Experience Form
• Applicants may be required to attend an interview. Details will be provided by telephone or mail to applicants required to attend. Selection interview for short-listed applicants (in person or via videoconference) to assess potential suitability as a practising psychologist. Interviews may involve case studies, decision-making and analyses of hypothetical scenarios.
• Submit three referee reports with your application. At least one of these should be from an academic referee and one from a professional referee (i.e., you can submit two academic referee reports and one professional referee report or one academic referee report and two professional referee reports). References should be submitted to www.psychologyreference.com.au
• All applicants must complete and submit a Personal Statement

As you know, meeting minimum prerequisites does not guarantee a place offer. Entry into all La Trobe courses is based on competitive selection and limited places may be available.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Credit for previous study (advanced standing) is the recognition of prior study or learning that can be counted towards a qualification. This can reduce the number of subjects required to complete your course. The amount of credit received depends on the level and relevance of your previous study and the number of subjects completed.

The University will designate courses with only admission into Year 1 of the course. In these cases, there is limited credit. Please take a look at the list of limited-entry courses.

Outcomes

Learning outcomes

• Apply specialised practical skills with a critical understanding and mastery of the underpinning theory and evidence base to work as a professional psychologist
• Apply advanced knowledge and skills in psychology to engage with a wide range of clients and colleagues across different service settings
• Critically apply research skills in professional psychology to inform evidence-based practice
• Employ high standards of professional integrity by competently identifying and responding to ethical and legal issues in professional psychology practice
• Demonstrate a flexible and reflective approach to professional psychology practice, research and service development
• Justify and sensitively communicate outcomes of psychological assessments, professional decisions and research in psychology to specialist and non-specialist audiences
• Evaluate appropriate assessment and management strategies based on psychological research, clinical and community practice and relevant case studies

Career outcomes

After graduation, you'll be eligible to undertake a one-year internship. After you complete this supervised internship, you'll be eligible to register for complete registration as a general psychologist.

Registered psychology professionals can find employment in a variety of settings, including:

• General Psychologist
• Private Practice
• Public Sector

Fees and CSP

Estimated fees per year (2025): $34,400 (domestic full-fee paying place)

Estimated fees per year (2025): $16,992 (Commonwealth Supported Place)

All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a full-time study load of 120 credit points for one year.

A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:

• The number of units studied per term.
• The choice of major or specialisation.
• Choice of units.
• Credit from previous study or work experience.
• Eligibility for government-funded loans.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.

If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower. 

Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.

Your student contribution amount is:

• Calculated per unit you're enrolled in.
• Depending on the study areas they relate to.
• Reviewed and adjusted each year.

HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount. 

FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.