Master of Applied Positive Psychology

What you will study

The Master of Applied Positive Psychology course comprises 100 credit points, involving the completion of six subjects and one 25 credit points capstone subject. Unless otherwise indicated, each subject is worth 12.5 credit points.

Compulsory subjects

Students must complete all compulsory subjects:

• Principles of Positive Psychology
• Applications of Positive Psychology
• Systems-Informed Approaches to Change
• Positive Psychology and Organisations
• Critical Review of Wellbeing Science
• Wellbeing Design, Delivery and Evaluation

Capstone 

The Capstone in Positive Psychology may only be undertaken after satisfactory completion of 50 points (and in the final semester of study).

• Capstone in Positive Psychology (25 credit points)

Entry requirements

To be considered fr entry into this course, you must have one of the following:

• A bachelor's honours degree or equivalent in a cognate area.
• A three-year undergraduate qualification in a directly related discipline and at least two years of documented relevant work experience.
• A three-year undergraduate qualification and at least 50 credit points or equivalent of graduate study in a cognate area.

Disciplines directly related to this course include (but may not be limited to) business, economics, education, management, medicine, political science, public health, psychology and sociology.

Work history relevant to this course may include consultant, entrepreneur, teacher, health, HR or law professional roles.

English language requirements

All applicants to the University of Melbourne must satisfy the English language requirements. This may be achieved in several ways, including recognised previous studies taught and assessed entirely in English or an approved English language test.

If you are from a non-English speaking background, the required standard of English for this degree is one of the following English proficiency test scores:

• IELTS (Academic) – 7.0 overall, with written 7.0 and no band less than 6.0
• TOEFL – 94+, with writing 27; speaking 18; reading 13; listening 13
• Pearson – 72+, with a written communicative skill of 75 and no other communicative skill below 60
• Cambridge – 185+, with no less than 185 in writing and no less than 169 in each other skill

Recognition of Prior Learning

Prior studies may be credited towards your degree and potentially reduce the duration of your course. This is known as Advanced Standing (also known as credit or recognition of prior learning). Contact the university for more details.

You may be eligible for up to 25 credit points of advanced standing if you complete the following qualifications at the University of Melbourne from 2022 onwards:

• Professional Certificate in Positive Psychology
• Professional Certificate in Positive Education

Outcomes

Learning outcomes

This course will prepare you to:

• Understand the conceptual and theoretical foundations of positive psychology.
• Synthesise different wellbeing frameworks from various disciplines.
• Develop strategies for individuals, groups and systems to enhance optimal functioning and promote health.
• Identify common positive interventions used in a wide range of contexts such as education, workplaces and community settings.
• Critically reflect on your own professional strengths and weaknesses.
• Take a professional and ethical approach to the practice of positive psychology.
• Understand the important factors involved in sustained behaviour change.

Career outcomes

You will learn how to create and evaluate positive and meaningful change and promote optimal organisational leadership. Through your enhanced ability to improve positive leadership in workplaces, you could be ideally set for promotion into a role that leverages this skill.

Positive interventions are being brought into schools, workplaces and communities to help people feel good, function better and be more productive, this central focus of the course can benefit you in a wide range of careers and fields.

Fees and FEE-HELP

Indicative first-year and total course fee in 2026: $48,992 (domestic full-fee paying place)

Unless otherwise noted, the indicative total course fee shown above assumes a study load of 1 EFTSL (equivalent full-time student load) commencing semester one of the listed year, except for courses with a duration of less than 1 EFTSL.

Fees are subject to annual review by the University, with any new rates effective from the beginning of each calendar year.

A student’s fee may vary depending on:

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

You may also need to pay the student services and amenities fee.

FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students.