About the School of Psychology
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"Psychology is a diverse discipline in its own right and, because of its focus on people and behaviour, at some level it has a role to play in almost all careers and occupations." - Associate Professor Max Sully, Dean, School of Psychology |
We asked our Dean and his team of academics to share their thoughts about our commitment to making a difference in the field of psychology.
Please tell us about...
- The most important thing for your staff to value:
"Staff value a high standard of commitment to the disciplines of psychology and counselling and to excellence in academic and professional learning."
- The one thing students should graduate from the school with:
"A belief and understanding of scientific empiricism: just because you think it is true, doesn’t make it true. Students should understand that each person has a unique way of being in the world, and if it is blocked it will be lost and the world will not benefit from it."
- How students have combined Psychology with other disciplines to create a unique degree:
"Psychology and Law is a common combo, and some students have combined Psychology and Veterinary Science to better understand human and animal interactions."
- The career opportunities available to Psychology graduates:
"The world is their oyster. As students of human cognition and behaviour, they have humanity as their subject. Graduates can go on to seek registration as professional psychologists after appropriate practical training or complete further postgraduate training to become specialists in areas such as clinical or organisational psychology."
- How Counselling students get valuable experience within the community:
"Students completing a placement at Caladenia Counselling, our in-house counselling facility, work with clients for up to 20 weeks. We offer a low cost counselling service to people who come to meet a counsellor at Murdoch as well as to people in rural and remote areas who can access counselling via our telecounselling facility. Students in our Masters program are also involved in developing and running programs and even in policy development and review, so they make an important contribution to the wider community."
- How our Counselling staff contribute to the community:
"The members of our counselling staff are involved in working with community organisations as board members, supervisors, consultants and in other roles. These organisations include Justice, Alzheimer’s and cancer services. They also hold positions within professional bodies and represent the course at Murdoch as well as the profession of counselling within the network of community organisations and services."
- How our postgrad Clinical Psychology courses provide practical training:
"Students learn how to build a relationship with a client, and how to assess the factors that contribute to a person’s distress. They learn how to evaluate intervention to provide optimal care. They receive closely supervised training at our modern Psychology Clinic to gain hands-on experience working with real clients. All of the supervisors are experienced and currently practicing clinical psychologists."
- How do Organisational Psychology students get hands-on experience within the community?
"We offer a series of placements with Mission Australia, Centrelink, corrective services, Hollywood and Parkerville. These placements help students to get an appreciation of the complexity and rewards of organisations in action."
- What career opportunities are available to Clinical Psychology graduates?
"A degree in Clinical Psychology can lead to work as a clinical psychologist for the health department and all other government services. In teaching our students, we work closely with the WA Department of Health, corrective services, disability services, private and not-for-profit providers including private hospitals, which provide services in a variety of areas."
- The accreditations graduates receive after completing their degree:
"All of our Psychology courses are accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council and contribute towards towards eligibility for professional registration in psychology. The MA Counselling is accredited by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA). Students who complete the MA can apply for membership of one of the member associations of PACFA, and apply for listing on the PACFA Register. The Masters Applied Psychology (Clinical) degree is accredited by the Australian Psychology Society and allows graduates to register as a clinical psychologist in WA and nationally."
