University of Newcastle
Master of Professional Psychology
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
Develop core counselling skills and competencies appropriate for an early career psychologist.
Course overview
The Master of Professional Psychology is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council and, together with a subsequent year of supervised practice, is a pathway to becoming a registered, practising Psychologist in Australia. Having completed your four years of psychology undergraduate studies, this one-year Master's level program will provide you with applied professional practice knowledge, skills and experience in areas such as assessment, interventions, counselling skills, practice management and professional ethics. The program includes two professional placements. Upon completion of the program, you are eligible to acquire and undertake a one-year internship as required and managed by the Psychology Board of Australia.
This program is designed for those interested in a career as a registered psychologist. Develop core counselling skills and competencies appropriate for an early career psychologist. Graduates are ready to commence their internship as part of the 5+1 pathway to general psychology registration.
You will:
- Enhance your counselling skills,
- Learn to use relevant principles and methods to assess, develop a case formulation and utilise best practices with people with a range of psychological presentations,
- Consider social and cultural diversity, current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards and codes of ethical practice.
After completing this one-year full-time program, you will be eligible to commence an additional internship year under the supervision of a registered psychologist. Graduates who complete the extra year and pass the National Psychology Exam can register as generally registered psychologists with the Psychology Board of Australia.
CSP Subsidised Fees Available
This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.
Key facts
From $2,124 (CSP)
What you will study
The Master of Professional Psychology program requires the completion of 80 units, which includes 60 units of coursework and 20 units of placement.
Core courses
Complete the following core courses to fulfil the requirements of this program.
- Research Development
- Professional and Ethical Practice
- Counselling and Psychological Intervention
- Psychological Practice: Adult Psychopathology
- Psychological Practice: Children and Families
- Assessment in Psychological Practice
- Psychological Practica 1
- Psychological Practica 2
Entry requirements
Applicants require all of the following to be considered for a place in the program:
- Successful completion of a four-year or three-year plus a fourth year Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited sequence in psychology qualification, which has been completed with a second-class Honours (2B) or above or an overall GPA of 5.0 or above (7-point scale) in the 4th year component of a non-honours program or equivalent postgraduate qualifications with an accredited sequence in psychology.
- Eligibility for provisional registration with the Psychology Registration Board of Australia.
- Successful completion of an application portfolio, including at least two references.
- Successful completion of an interview.
English language requirements
All applicants must demonstrate that they meet the following English proficiency requirements:
- IELTS Overall Minimum: 7
- IELTS Sub-Test Minimum: 7
Contact the university for more information.
Recognition of Prior Learning
The University of Newcastle wants to help you fast-track your degree. Recognising your prior studies is just one way they can do that. If your application is successful, you can reduce the number of courses you need to study, saving you time and money. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrated successful (prior or concurrent) achievement of Pre-Professional Competencies.
- Applied evidence-based and scientific methods to professional practice across the lifespan in empirically valid ways.
- Employed professional communication skills with a range of socially and culturally diverse clients.
- Performed appropriate standardised psychological testing as part of a broader assessment to assess and interpret aspects of functioning.
- Identified psychological disorders using a recognised taxonomy.
- Conducted professional interviews and assessments and synthesised information from multiple sources, including risk assessment, to conceptualise the presenting issues to determine the most appropriate interventions.
- Monitored outcomes and modifications based on evolving case formulation, including health and health concerns, family and support networks and organisational, cultural or community contexts, with care given to appropriate interventions for the client within their wider context.
- Interpreted and communicated findings in oral and written formats, including formal psychological reports.
- Implemented appropriate, empirically supported interventions at an advanced level and monitored clients' progress and intervention outcomes.
- Demonstrated respect for the skills and contributions of other professionals.
- Worked effectively with a range of professional and support staff in the workplace and communicated and collaborated effectively within the bounds of ethical and legal requirements.
- Operated within the boundaries of their professional competence, consulted with peers or other relevant sources where appropriate and referred to other relevant practitioners where appropriate.
- Rigorously applied professional practice policies and procedures, including those related to referral management and record-keeping, across a range of workplace settings and with recognition of different organisational cultures and practices.
- Engaged in self-reflective professional practice, taking account of the impact of their own values and beliefs and taking appropriate actions as a result.
- Evaluated the effectiveness of their professional practice, identifying areas for improvement and implementing changes where needed.
- Critically evaluated contemporary scientific literature to inform practice.
- Investigated a substantive individual research question relevant to the discipline of psychology.
Career outcomes
Following graduation, you will be able to complete an additional internship year under the supervision of a registered psychologist. After this internship and passing the National Psychology Exam, you are eligible for registration with the Psychology Board of Australia. You can go on to work as a generally registered psychologist.
Other career prospects may include:
- Behavioural Support Practitioner
- Counsellor
- Community and Mental Health
- Rehabilitation Consultant and Disability Services
Fees and CSP
Estimated annual fee in 2025: $16,992 (Commonwealth Supported Places)
Indicative annual fee in 2025: $34,240 (domestic full-fee paying place)
A student’s annual fee may vary per:
- The number of courses studied.
- Choice of programs.
- 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 some 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 course 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.
