Master of Clinical Psychology - Melbourne (Bundoora)

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Overview

You'll learn practical skills and knowledge essential for a career in professional clinical psychology. The curriculum covers areas such as cognitive behavioural therapy, child and adolescent mental health, psychopathology, counselling skills, psychological assessment and treatment, and advanced psychotherapy process skills. You'll also explore the ethical and professional issues associated with … For more content click the Read more button below. During your clinical placement practicum, you'll perform clinic intake assessments and conduct case work with clients including face-to-face assessment and intervention with adults and children. During your program you'll be required to work on a research project. Working collaboratively with your research supervisor, you'll address a research question relevant to the field of clinical psychology and produce a research report. As a graduate, you'll be equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge to work with adults and children in a range of clinical settings (such as community health centres, schools, hospitals, prisons, applied research facilities, and private practice).

You'll also explore the ethical and professional issues associated with work in this field, and develop skills in writing professional-standard assessment reports suitable for a range of referral agencies or contexts.

During your clinical placement practicum, you'll perform clinic intake assessments and conduct case work with clients including face-to-face assessment and intervention with adults and children.

During your program you'll be required to work on a research project. Working collaboratively with your research supervisor, you'll address a research question relevant to the field of clinical psychology and produce a research report.

As a graduate, you'll be equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge to work with adults and children in a range of clinical settings (such as community health centres, schools, hospitals, prisons, applied research facilities, and private practice).

Portfolio

Office of the Provost

School

Course coordinator

Chris Pepping

Location(s)

Melbourne (Bundoora)

CRICOS code

006277M

Course instance contact

Chris Pepping

Course duration (full time)

2 years

Study level

Postgraduate

AQF level

Level 9 - Masters Degree

Available only as an exit award

Study options

Domestic

International onshore

Completion requirements

To qualify for the award of Master of Clinical Psychology students must complete 240 credit points consisting of:240 core credit-points.

Course structure
240 credit points

Level one120 credit points

Core120 credit points

Level two120 credit points

Course intended learning outcomes

On successful completion you will be able to:

Apply integrated practical skills in clinical psychology with a critical understanding and mastery of the underpinning theory and evidence-base

Engage in clinical psychology placements and practical experience that includes a wide range of clients, types of professional practice, multi-disciplinary teams and service delivery systems

Develop new understandings and concepts in clinical psychology, integrating research skills into clinical practice

Exemplify high standards of professional integrity by identifying and discussing the ethical basis of professional practice, legal, and practical issues likely to be encountered in clinical psychology practice

Demonstrate a flexible and reflective approach to clinical 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

Course features

Work based learning (placement) requirements

Compulsory placements (Work Based Learning)
During this course, you will participate in one or more supervised Work Based Learning (WBL) placements designed to allow you to practice newly acquired skills, behaviours and knowledge while integrating theory with practice. The placements will immerse you in professional work culture, enabling you to develop and further enhance your skills. WBL provides you with the opportunity to gain valuable industry experience at one or more of our local, interstate or international industry partners or agencies. WBL placements will generally be arranged by the College based Placements Operation Team or Experiential Learning Team at La Trobe University. The number of hours undertaken can vary considerably, depending on the requirements of the course. Students may incur additional costs and it may be necessary to travel or relocate to complete a specific placement. Please refer to the individual subject entries for more information.

Career outcomes

This degree will provide you with the training required to apply for general registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and to commence specialist registrar training towards clinical psychologist endorsement with the PsyBA. Clinical psychologists are equipped to work with children, adolescents and adults in a range of clinical settings including schools, hospitals, prisons, consulting firms, market research companies, academic and applied research facilities, and private practice.

Professional recognition

The Master of Clinical Psychology is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). Graduates of the Master of Clinical Psychology may be eligible to apply for registration with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) as a psychologist. Specialist endorsement as a clinical psychologist with the PsyBA is subject to additional registrar requirements beyond completion of the degree. Please contact the relevant professional body for details. Graduates of the Master of Clinical Psychology may apply for membership with the Australian Psychological Society (APS), the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, and the Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA). Membership may be subject to additional requirements beyond completion of the degree. Please contact the relevant professional bodies for details.

Core participation requirements

Behavioural and relational skills

Core requirement

Students must be able to manage their own responses and behaviour to work effectively in a range of learning environments with diverse people and tasks. This includes the capacity to be receptive and respond appropriately to constructive feedback. Students should also be able to work with others in a team or group environment and make and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals in order to complete tasks or for professional practice.

See also Student behaviours policy for more information.

Course-specific requirement

Psychology is a profession governed by specific regulatory and ethical standards and requirements set out by the Psychology Board of Australia in order to ensure healthcare is delivered in an accountable, professional, and safe manner. Provisional psychologists are registered with the Psychology Board of Australia and must be both accountable and responsible for ensuring ethical and professional behaviour in all contexts.

Under these regulations and standards provisional psychologists must:

be able to manage personal responses, beliefs or preferences such that they can work with diverse groups, for example they must be able to work with clients of any gender, different sexual orientations, different religious and cultural backgrounds, and all psychological disorders.
engage in ethical behaviour in professional practice, in compliance with these codes, guidelines and policies, in order to facilitate safe, competent interactions and relationships for the people they engage with. This ensures the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the individual is not placed at risk.
display behavioural stability and manage their personal responses while working with emotionally and physically distressed individuals from diverse groups and backgrounds, and in diverse and changing environments. For example, provisional psychologists will be exposed to situations which are challenging and unpredictable and will be required to have the behavioural stability to manage these objectively and professionally. This includes being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback, managing their own emotional state in order to be able to develop and maintain an appropriate relationship with a diverse range of clients.
accurately reflect on their professional performance, in order to accept feedback on their professional practice and respond constructively, identifying when an issue is outside one's scope or expertise, or when one's practice may be affected by an impairment.
must also consistently possess and demonstrate relational skills in order to make and maintain strong therapeutic relationships with a wide range of clients in order to provide effective assessment and intervention. For example, provisional psychologists must sufficiently demonstrate an ability to make and maintain rapport with clients, engage in effective counselling skills, provide accurate empathy, and effectively manage difficulties arising in the therapeutic relationship.

Adjustments must not compromise the codes, guidelines and policies of the Psychology Board of Australia, result in unethical or unprofessional behaviour in both academic and healthcare settings, or compromise client care.

https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/
https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Standards-and-Guidelines/Registration-Standards.aspx
https://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Standards-and-Guidelines/Codes-Guidelines-Policies.aspx

Strength and mobility

Core requirement

Gross motor skills: Students should possess the strength, range of motion, coordination and mobility sufficient to manage their learning environment and ultimately, professional performance needs.

Fine motor skills: Students should possess the manual dexterity and fine motor skills sufficient to manage their learning environment and ultimately, professional performance needs.

Course-specific requirement

Provisional Psychologists must demonstrate sufficient physical capacity and endurance at a consistent and sustained level to undertake and complete common and repetitive tasks, such writing case notes and reports, engaging in client sessions for the duration, in a timely manner and over time in order to provide safe and effective care.

Adjustments must ensure that physical performance is consistent and sustained over a given period, and must not compromise the codes, guidelines and policies of the Psychology Board of Australia, or compromise client care.

Sensory (visual, auditory, tactile, olfaction)

Core requirement

Students should possess the ability to interact with visual, auditory or tactile inputs sufficiently to manage their learning environment and to meet professional performance needs.

Course-specific requirement

Provisional psychologists must demonstrate the capacity to recognise and interpret auditory and visual information, including, verbal, non-verbal and behavioural cues, in order to respond appropriately and timely to the dynamic needs of the clients they work with. They must be able to observe and understand auditory and visual cues for safe and effective observation of clients' symptoms and reactions as part of their assessment and treatment, including recognising and responding to non-verbal and auditory cues indicating a change in the emotional and mental state of a client. This capacity to interact with visual and auditory inputs is essential for provisional psychologists to be able to effectively and sensitively communicate with clients, build rapport, and demonstrate respect and empathy, thus permitting the development of trusting relationships required to work with clients during placements. Provisional psychologists must also be able to process auditory and visual information in classroom situations.

Adjustments for visual impairments must enable the recognition, interpretation and appropriate response to non-verbal cues as well as initiation of effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner.

Adjustments for auditory impairments must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy of verbal communication issues to ensure safety.

Adjustments must not compromise the codes, guidelines and policies of the Psychology Board of Australia, or compromise client care.

Cognition

Core requirement

Students must be able to locate, acquire, retain and apply knowledge as part of their learning and for assessment. They must have the ability to sustain their attention over a designated period, maintain their focus in a variety of learning environments and remember information long enough to complete tasks in a reasonable and safe timeframe.

Course-specific requirement

Provisional psychologists must demonstrate consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills to undertake safe and competent psychology practice. They must be able to acquire, remember and locate appropriate and relevant information, process information relevant to practice in a timely manner, and then integrate and implement this knowledge in practice, for example:

to develop and test hypotheses, develop treatment plans and then conduct individual sessions for clients based upon retained and newly acquired knowledge
to retain, apply and comply with legal and regulatory requirements regarding all aspects of practice and the requirement for provisional psychologist registration with the Australian Health Professional Registration Authority (AHPRA) that facilitate safe, competent interactions and relationships for the clients they engage with. This ensures the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the individual is not placed at risk.
Provisional psychologists must also consistently and effectively demonstrate and apply sufficient cognitive skills to undertake safe and competent psychology practice. For example, provisional psychologists must be able to:
- Attend and focus their attention for sustained periods of time and process information in order to respond effectively to critical changes in instructions, measurements or observable behavior.
- Maintain consistent and sustained level of attention and mental performance as needed to perform multiple tasks in an assigned period to provide safe and effective care.
- Elicit, understand and respond to sensitive and challenging information (both verbal and written) accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner; and provide timely clear feedback and reporting to clients and other professionals.
- Interpret and correctly apply numerical data, measurement and numerical criteria in the execution of psychology practice, such as accurately scoring and interpreting psychological test data in order to ensure safe client care.
- Read, decode, interpret and comprehend multiple sources of empirical and client information in a timely manner in order to ensure safe client care.

Adjustments for knowledge or cognitive impairments must not compromise or impede student's ability to demonstrate the minimum acceptable level of knowledge and cognitive skill required to practice safely and sufficiently, and must not compromise the codes, guidelines and policies of the Psychology Board of Australia, or client care.

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