Studying psychology FAQs

The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) sets the standards for accreditation of Australian psychology programs.

The easiest and quickest way to find out if your course is APAC-accredited is to search the accredited course listings on the APAC website.

If you are still unsure, APAC recommends that you first contact the APAC liaison officer at your university to obtain some clarity. If you are still unable to ascertain the status of your degree then contact APAC directly. 

Yes, there are APAC-accredited psychology courses that can be completed by distance education which can be found on the APAC website. Courses are listed by state, and those that have the option of distance education are indicated by a * next to the course name.

Yes. You may join the APS as an Affiliate.

Alternatively, if you hold full, unconditional and current registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia, you can apply for the grade of Associate Member.

To access discounted rates through Aon you need to hold the grade of Associate Member or above.

Psychology is taught in a range of settings across Australia. Visit the APAC website for a listing of more than 600 accredited courses across 41 higher education providers in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Psychologists throughout Australia are required to complete a minimum of six years of education and training before being eligible for general registration to practice as a psychologist.

General registration can be achieved via a number of pathways, each of which requires completion of an APAC accredited three-year undergraduate degree plus an accredited fourth (honours or equivalent) year.

A fourth year qualification can be followed by a number of study and training options which are listed under Step 3 in our training pathways diagram. These options include:

• an accredited postgraduate Masters, Masters/PhD or Doctoral degree
• an accredited and approved 5th year such as Graduate Diploma/Masters in professional psychology plus one year of PsyBA-approved supervised experience (i.e., 5+1 internship pathway), or
• a two-year PsyBA approved internship program (i.e., 4+2 internship pathway).

View the training pathways diagram for more information.

The minimum training requirement to become a registered psychologist in Australia is 6 years full-time equivalent. View the training pathways diagram.

What you will notice in the pathways diagram is that all students must first complete a three-year APAC accredited bachelor degree, followed by a further fourth year in an Honours (or equivalent) program before moving to the 5^th and 6^th year level training.  If you have already completed an undergraduate degree, you may be eligible to reduce step one from 3 years to 1-2 years by completing a Graduate Diploma in Psychology (3 years full-time equivalent). You can identify these courses on the APAC website.

Your previous study will only reduce the time required to complete Step 1 of the training pathway. Once you have completed Step 1 you can move on to Step 2 of the training sequence.

The Psychology Board of Australia recognises nine specialist fields of psychology, called areas of practice endorsement. In order to be eligible for an area of practice endorsement, a registered psychologist must undertake a PsyBA registrar program following the completion of an APAC-accredited Masters or Doctorate program in the area of interest. A registrar program consists of:

• MPsych graduates: two years of supervised practice (full-time equivalent) plus 80 hours of professional development
• MPsych/PhD graduates: one and a half years of supervised practice (full-time equivalent) plus 60 hours of professional development
• DPsych graduates: one year (full-time equivalent) of supervised practice plus 40 hours of professional development.

The nine areas of practice endorsement are:

• Clinical neuropsychology
• Clinical psychology
• Community psychology
• Counselling psychology
• Educational and developmental psychology
• Forensic psychology
• Health psychology
• Organisational psychology
• Sport and exercise psychology.

The APS National Office has developed a Student HQ to help students, and prospective students, understand the various study pathways and career options available in the psychology profession. This resource is based on the training pathways recognised in Australia.

Student HQ has information about study and career pathways, registration requirements, and psychologists’ stories which provide examples of career opportunities in psychology.

While the APS is unable to provide specific advice regarding psychology career options, or recommend particular higher education insititutions or psychology courses, you may find the following information useful:

• The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredits Australasian psychology courses leading to registration with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). You can search for APAC accredited psychology courses in each state of Australia on the APAC website.
• All psychologists practising in Australia must be registered with the PsyBA, which operates under the umbrella of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). You can find information about registration and internship requirements, area of practice endorsement, and a searchable database of registered psychologists and supervisors on the PsyBA website. 

Students have a choice about the accredited and approved degree they can undertake to complete Step 1 of the training pathway in psychology (view the study pathways diagram) It is important that you complete a course that is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council, referred to as APAC, otherwise you may not progress to Step 2 on the training pathway. 

This means that you have many options for the degree you need to complete such as a Bachelor of Psychology, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and others, as long as they appear on the APAC website as being accredited. 

Therefore, the prerequisite subjects you need to complete during your senior years will depend upon your choice of degree. Please consult with your state tertiary course manual and speak to your school careers advisor for more specific information about subject decisions. 

Studies in psychology open up a world of opportunity. As well as a thorough understanding of human behaviour, and the factors that shape it, undergraduate psychology students will graduate with a set of skills and attributes that are highly regarded by employers and will give them the edge in a range of careers.

These graduate attributes can be applied in many settings, according to an individual's interests and strengths. Many graduates of psychology find employment or continue their studies in fields such as community services, business, education and health services.

Students who have successfully completed their fourth year have up to 10 years to apply for entry into a postgraduate degree unless they hold general registration as a psychologist.  The Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) provisional registration standard applies to all students enrolled in professional masters and doctorate degrees.  This standard requires all postgraduate professional students to hold provisional registration.

Provisional registration is granted to postgraduate students if their 4th year studies were completed within the last 10 years. Moreover, many higher education providers have their own rules about the time interval between completion of the fourth year and enrolment into further study. Please check with each university regarding their specific eligibility criteria.

Entry into higher degree programs in psychology is extremely competitive.

There are often hundreds of applicants for a very small number of places. However, not being accepted into a postgraduate program doesn’t mean that you have to give up on becoming a psychologist.

If you would like to continue to pursue higher degree programs, you might seek feedback from university staff about why you may not have been offered a place in the course you applied for, and whether there are things you can do to improve your chances of being selected if you reapply in the future. Some factors that selection committees will be assessing include:

• academic results (thesis and coursework)
• experience in psychology-related areas (this could be practice oriented, research-based, or professional development activities)
• personal qualities.

If your academic results were sufficient to gain entry but as a result of competition you were not successful in gaining a place there may be things that you can to increase your chances of entry at a later date. For example, you could work on increasing your experience in psychology-related areas (whether paid or voluntary) and identifying the personal qualities that may or may not be desirable in a higher degree candidate and establishing whether you have those characteristics and/or how to develop them.

You may like to consider some of the following activities:

• University information nights about postgraduate studies
• Interview skills workshops – these may be offered by universities through their student employment centres
• Network with psychologists, other psychology students, or psychology student associations – this can help you to connect and learn from students who may already be in these higher degree programs or staff that may be involved with these programs
• Think about what research you would like to undertake and converse with those who may conduct research in these areas.

If you have any specific higher degree program questions, the APS suggests directing them to the relevant university course coordinators.

Though you may not have gained entry into a higher degree program, there are other pathways you may not have considered, i.e., 4+2 or 5+1 internships. To read more about internships, please visit the PsyBA website.

Alternatively, you may like to consider a career in research and complete a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in psychology. Research in psychology is an exciting field that many graduates choose. Contact your university for more information about entry into a PhD program.

The Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) requires that all students enrolled in an APAC accredited postgraduate psychology course must register as a provisional psychologist. The PsyBA has published a helpful fact sheet that explains this requirement. This fact sheet also provides links to apply for provisional registration both online or by completing a hardcopy application form.

Tips for applying for provisional registration:

1. Your application for provisional registration cannot be completed until the PsyBA receives a confirmation that you are enrolled in the course.
2. With the online application process you have 60 days to supply all supporting documentation to the PsyBA, including proof of enrolment. The APS recommends that you apply no more than 60 days prior to your course start date. This could potentially avoid the hassle of having to withdraw your application only to reapply at a later date.  
3. Your original undergraduate transcript(s) must be sent directly from the university to the PsyBA. The APS recommends that you apply for provisional registration prior to requesting copies of your transcripts. This will assist the PsyBA to more easily match your transcript with your application. 

Qualified psychologists bring unique skills that are highly-valued across a wide range of workplace settings. Demand for psychologists continues to grow in private practice, consulting firms, market research companies, recruitment firms, academic and applied research settings, universities, schools, hospitals, police and emergency services, courts and prison systems, defence forces - the list goes on.

For more information, see:

• What does a psychologist do?
• Types of psychologists
• Stories of psychologists

No. The title 'psychologist' is protected by National Law. Only those individuals who have obtained general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia can use the title 'psychologist'. You can read more about the National Law on the Psychology Board of Australia website.

The APS can help students and graduates get their career started on the right foot by delivering insights from leaders in the profession, facilitating networking opportunities where valuable contacts can be made, and by providing access to practical resources to supplement academic education and the latest updates on key factors impacting on the profession.

By joining the APS you can make use of the expertise of psychologists already established in the fields that interest you. You will also be demonstrating your commitment to the discipline and profession of psychology, a step that will be highly regarded when you apply for postgraduate placements, internships, supervised placements and employment.

APS membership also provides exclusive benefits that can support you throughout study, internships and as you begin building a successful career, including:

• Networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities within a 27,000-strong community of APS members, including those in the local area in which you live
• An insider's view into the latest developments in the discipline and practice of psychology
• Accurate and timely updates on changes to education, training and registration requirements - all in one place
• Representation by a politically-active professional organisation that can help influence the future direction of psychology
• Insights from leaders across this diverse profession
• Access to practical resources to supplement your academic education
• Access to guidance and support during internships and paid employment.

For more information, see Student Subscriber benefits.

There are several ways for members to engage and participate with the APS, including:

• Networking events and conferences
• Involvement with Branches, Colleges and Interest Groups.

The APS is the leading organisation for psychologists in Australia, representing around 23,000 members, and is the largest of all non-medical professional organisations in Australia. The APS strongly advocates for the discipline and profession of psychology, supports high standards for the profession, promotes psychological knowledge to enhance community wellbeing, and is dedicated to providing benefits to support members’ professional lives. Read more about the APS.

In Australia the psychology profession is regulated by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). It was established in 2010 and is responsible for the registration of psychologists in Australia. The PsyBA operates under the umbrella of the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and is responsible for registering psychologists, developing standards and handling notifications. You can read more about the functions of the PsyBA on their website.