Master of Psychology (Clinical)

Course overview

The Master of Psychology (Clinical) prepares you for professional practice as a registered psychologist. Make a profound impact on patients’ lives by diagnosing and treating mental health conditions, and set yourself up for further training in a specialised area, which can lead to area of practice endorsement.

You have worked hard to get to this point. Ready to gain general registration as a psychologist and reach your full potential?

For those seeking general registration as a psychologist, the Master of Psychology (Clinical) is where you might finish your study journey. Upon graduation, you will have the skills, experience and qualifications needed to apply to the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) for general registration. With this in mind, the course is designed to prepare you for the transition from student to professional psychologist. It’s also accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), making it a degree that’s sought-after by employers across the industry.

The course also provides a pathway to further training in order to gain area of practice endorsement with the PsyBA. An endorsement demonstrates a registered psychologist’s high-level knowledge and qualifications in a specialised area, such as clinical psychology or neuropsychology, and can open the door to more advanced roles.

Our clinical psychology teaching team was awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence award, and our award-winning teaching strategies and learning resources include simulation and competency-based assessment approaches.

Draw on everything you’ve learned in your studies, and add layers of new knowledge to become an expert in your field.

Some of the key areas you will study include:

• advanced clinical assessment
• psychological intervention
• the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions
• advanced clinical research methods
• biological and neuropsychological perspectives on disorder
• issues in professional psychology.

The course exposes you to the many different aspects of clinical psychology, beyond just professional practice. Graduate as a confident, well-rounded psychology professional with training in research, teaching and supervision, program development and evaluation, public policy, and mental health promotion. Tying all of these study areas together is a common thread of evidence-based practice. To create a degree that’s truly evidence-led, we’ve designed the course in consultation with industry partners, ensuring the latest theoretical principles, established knowledge and industry research is embedded within the curriculum.

The extensive practical experience you will gain throughout the course will make your transition into life as a professional psychologist even smoother. Practical learning opportunities allow you to apply your knowledge and skills with real patients in real clinics – invaluable preparation for the challenges of your future career. As a student in our clinical training program, you can work alongside established professionals through some of our key partnerships which are in public and primary mental health through our key partnerships (in particular Barwon Health). These experiences help to prepare you for what lies ahead, they help you to build your professional identity and create networks that support your career development.

Entry into the Master of Psychology (Clinical) is competitive. That’s because Deakin is ranked in the top 1% worldwide for psychology^, and leads all Victorian universities for education experience~, learning resources and support services#. If you want to join a high-achieving group of students with a shared passion for exploring the human mind and helping others, the Master of Psychology (Clinical) is the course to take your career forward.