Information on this page is for Australian residents
Course not available to international students
Duration: 
2 years full time or longer for part time
Location: 
Footscray Park
Delivery mode: 
In person
Start date:
20 January 2025
Application due dates:
Direct applications are due on 12 January 2025 for our next intake which starts on 20 January 2025.
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Overview

Prepare for a career as a Clinical Psychologist with a Master of Applied Psychology (Clinical Psychology) at Victoria University.

The Master of Applied Psychology (Clinical Psychology) at VU provides an accredited pathway to clinical psychology endorsement with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) as a fully registered psychologist. During your study, you will:

  • learn advanced theory and psychological practice skills
  • engage in practical classes and fieldwork placements
  • complete a minor masters research thesis.

With a unique emphasis on both cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic therapeutic practice, this course will maximise your opportunities to apply a range of assessment, formulation and therapeutic techniques in clinical field placements at agencies across Melbourne and at the VU Psychology Clinic. For strong career outcomes, you will have opportunities to:

  • practise both face-to-face and using telehealth
  • facilitate group psychotherapy programs
  • apply for a placement at our Orygen outpost where you will gain experience in providing early-interventions for youth mental health.

Based on the scientist-practitioner model of advanced psychology training, this postgraduate psychology course combines practical classes and supervised practice to help you acquire and apply the following skills:

  • psychological and cognitive assessment, case formulation and diagnosis of a range of complex mental health, neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive issues
  • advanced ethical decision-making to provide person-centred and recovery-oriented psychological services across interprofessional practice settings
  • culturally sensitive practice to assist your work in diverse communities
  • evidence-based interventions, including cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic therapy, to support the wellbeing of young people, adults, older adults, groups and families.

The course adopts a lifespan framework, training graduates in a wide range of assessment and therapeutic techniques with children, young people, adults and older people, with a particular emphasis on both cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic perspectives. The approach embraces a reflexive and scientist-practitioner perspective, providing evidence-based interventions for enabling well-being and human flourishing.

Over three practicum units, you will participate in a range of fieldwork placements, including the opportunity to apply for a placement at our Orygen outpost specialising in youth mental health.

At VU Psychology Clinic you will provide psychological services under close supervision to a culturally diverse community seeking support for a range of mental health issues. 

At each placement, you will be supported under the direct supervision of experienced psychologists (with appropriate endorsement from the Psychology Board of Australia).

Our academic, clinic and supervision staff bring a wealth of real-world experience from the private and public mental health sectors, and all academic staff are active in research that advances the practice of psychology.

Instead of juggling multiple units at the same time, at VU you can focus on one unit at a time over a four-week ‘block’, usually with three 3-hour workshop-style classes per week.

In each class, you will apply your knowledge and skills to contemporary, problem-based scenarios, drawn from the mental health sector.

You will develop your skills as a critical thinker, and work in partnership with your classmates and your teacher, who will also be an experienced psychologist and researcher.

Due to limited places and a high volume of applications, it is important applicants apply early. If places are filled in the timely round, round two and three applications will not be considered, or applications may close early.

  • Round One (timely round) – Applications close Sunday 24 September 2023 (all applications submitted prior to Sunday 24 September 2023 will be considered as timely)
  • Round Two – Applications close Sunday 29 October 2023 (if places available)
  • Round Three – Applications close Sunday 26 November 2023 (if places available)

A reminder that applicants need to arrange two referee reports (one personal and one academic) via the Psychology Reference Portal.

Applicants also need to provide a resume/CV with their application and complete the supplementary form available as part of the application process.

See 'how to apply' below for more information.

Need some advice?

Request a call back from one of our experienced VUHQ course advisers to get your questions answered.

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Careers

The Master of Applied Psychology (Clinical Psychology) provides an accredited pathway to registration as a psychologist. After graduating, you can apply for two years of supervised practice in clinical psychology through the ‘registrar program’, after which you will become eligible to apply for endorsement in the area of Clinical Psychology with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA).

Graduates of the Master of Applied Psychology (Clinical Psychology) at VU go on to have rewarding careers that match their passions and interests in the following areas:

  • private, public and non-profit mental health services
  • hospitals and interprofessional settings
  • youth mental health and school settings
  • rehabilitation and disability services
  • policy, advocacy and program development
  • research and evaluation
  • child protection, forensic services and related areas.

Graduates qualify for registration as a psychologist in Victoria and membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

The program has been designed to meet the accreditation standards of the Australian Psychological Accreditation Council (APAC).

 

Australian Psychological Accreditation Council (APAC) Accredited Course logo

Our Master of Applied Psychology (Clinical Psychology) is accredited by the Australian Psychological Accreditation Council (APAC).

Course structure

To attain the Master of Applied Psychology (Clinical Psychology) students will be required to complete:

- 192 credit points of Core studies.

FOR CONTINUING STUDENTS ONLY - 2024 INTAKE

Year One

Year Two

FOR 2025 INTAKE ONWARDS

Year One

Year Two

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Appraise the contribution, demands and responsibilities psychologists uphold in the delivery of comprehensive collaborative care;  
  2. Critically analyse psychological problems from diverse perspectives and levels, incorporating cultural responsiveness, including with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities;  
  3. Formulate and evaluate evidence-based and effective intervention plans for clients with psychological difficulties across the lifespan;  
  4. Critically review evidence-based literature to identify and apply best practice guidelines for psychological assessment and intervention;  
  5. Exhibit advanced interpersonal and interprofessional communication skills to debate and elucidate complex ideas and to engage in a culturally responsive manner with diverse individuals and multiple stakeholders;  
  6. Investigate and execute a substantial research based project that contributes to the professional evidence base of clinical psychology;  
  7. Critically evaluate core ethical and professional conduct issues that practising psychologists are likely to encounter and exhibit high standards of social and ethical responsibility; and  
  8. Formulate diagnostic conceptualisations of severe, chronic and/or complex mental health presentations to determine the most appropriate interventions and manage both risk and client rights.  

What's a unit?

A unit or 'subject' is the actual class you'll attend in the process of completing a course.

Most courses have a mixture of compulsory 'core' units that you need to take and optional elective units that you can choose to take based on your area of interest, expertise or experience.

Credits

Each unit is worth a set amount of study credits based on the amount of time you study. Generally, 1 credit is equal to 1 hour of study per week.

Fees & scholarships

Fee type for this course: Full-fee

Fee type definitions

The amount you pay for your course depends on whether you’re offered a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) or a full fee-paying place.

Students who enrol in a:

In addition to your tuition fees, you may also be charged a Student Services & Amenities Fee (SSAF).

Scholarships & assistance

Apply for a scholarship to help with your study costs.

We can help with fee assistance and advice.

Admission & pathways

Inherent Requirements

'Inherent requirements' are the abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to meet the learning outcomes of a course. These should be met while preserving the academic integrity of the university’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes.

You need to be able to demonstrate that you hold, or can acquire, the inherent requirements for this degree.

We may be able to make reasonable adjustments to help you manage circumstances that impact your studies – provided these don't fundamentally change the academic integrity of the degree.

Read more about inherent requirements.

Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee you entry into this course. Some courses receive more applications than the number of places available. In this situation we will also assess your education, work and other relevant experience.

If you do not meet the minimum requirements you may be eligible for one of our special admission programs. We also encourage you to explore our study pathways to help you reach your goal.

Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency.

Entry requirements

Completion of Bachelor Honours degree (or equivalent) in Psychology (accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council, completed within the last 10 years, with a minimum average of at least 75 in fourth-year sequence).
OR
Completion of an Australian Graduate Diploma (or equivalent) in Psychology (accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council, completed within the last 10 years, with a minimum average of at least 75).

There are many ways you can start your education journey at VU. Pathways offer an easy transition between courses at different levels, so that you can start with a certificate and progress right through to postgraduate study.

Find out more about pathways and credits.

Use our credit calculator to find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

If you have completed study with another university or institution and believe you are eligible to receive credit for skills and past study, you can apply for advanced standing.

Applications for advanced standing can be made after a discussion with your course chair or academic adviser.

Additional information

Applicants will also be required to:
• Submit a completed VU supplementary information form.
• Provide two referee statements (one personal and one academic) submitted via Australian Psychology
• Postgraduate Reference System at https://www.psychologyreference.org/
• Attend an interview (short listed applicants only)
• Obtain a Working with Children Check prior to being placed in a work placement setting, in accordance with the accreditation requirements and the Department of Justice.

Students with an overseas qualification in psychology will need to provide certification from the Australian Psychology Society (APS) that their qualification/s are equivalent to an APAC-approved, 4-year sequence in psychology.

Credit Calculator

Find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

CALCULATE YOUR CREDIT

How to apply

Available start dates:
  • 20 January 2025

Before you apply

Before applying, you should consider whether you also want to apply for:

  • Special admission programs: Depending on your life circumstances you may be eligible for special consideration of your application.
  • Advanced standing: If you have significant experience or studies elsewhere you may be eligible for credit for some units of your course and not have to undertake them.

Find out more about applying for our courses.

Apply direct to VU

Direct applications are due on 12 January 2025 for our next intake which starts on 20 January 2025.

Apply direct to VU

Already a VU student?

If you are already a VU student, apply direct to VU using our Admissions centre to transfer into this course. Remember it’s best to be accepted into your new course before withdrawing from your current one.

After you apply

  • It’s important to check for emails from us (which may go to your spam/junk folder).
  • Complete any requests for information by the given dates, otherwise your application may not be considered

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Get help

At Victoria University, we aim to display accurate and complete course information online. However, we are unable to guarantee that every course change is currently displayed. You may contact the University directly on +61 3 9919 6100 to confirm the most up-to-date course fees, pathways and credit transfer, recognition of prior learning, admission and enrolment procedures, examinations and services available to our students.