Becoming a registered psychologist in Australia takes a minimum of six years, but there are a few different options to get you there.
When people say “I’m a psychologist”, it means they’ve completed a minimum of six years study and work experience, and are registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA). Just like doctors, nurses and lawyers, it’s a legal requirement to register before you can practise as a psychologist.
A six-year investment may seem like a lot, and while it does take serious dedication and commitment to becoming a psychologist, the reward is in your future career. From helping society’s most vulnerable to working with people to unlock success, registered psychologists could enjoy a wide range of roles spanning fields such as mental health, sport, education, business, human resources, forensics and community services.
So how do you become a psychologist?
1. Complete your undergraduate degree
All psychologists must successfully complete an accredited three-year Psychology major that’s recognised by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). You’ll gain a foundation in psychological theory and scientific knowledge, as well as learn the technical research skills you need for postgraduate study.
Already completed an undergraduate degree in another area of study? Don’t stress, with recognition of prior learning, you can complete an accredited Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in as little as three semesters full-time, or part-time equivalent.
2. Complete an accredited fourth year of study
After your undergraduate degree, all budding psychologists who are aiming for registration need to complete a fourth year of study. There are two options for your fourth year: completing an accredited Honours degree in Psychology, or an accredited Graduate Diploma in Psychology, both of which are one year in length. At Murdoch, you can either study a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology or a Bachelor of Science Honours in Psychology.
If you are interested in developing your research skills as well as becoming a practising psychologist, Honours is a good option. To be eligible for this course, aim to achieve at least a distinction average throughout your undergraduate psychology units.
Our Graduate Diploma in Psychology provides you with an alternative option to an Honours year. Aim to achieve at least a credit average in your undergraduate psychology units to give yourself the best chance. You’ll study units preparing you for training in professional practice, while completing a research project with a group of other students, which will strengthen your ability to work in a team and collaborate with future colleagues.
Upon successful completion of an Honours qualification or a Graduate Diploma in Psychology, you will be eligible to apply for an APAC accredited Masters program to continue your training and progress toward becoming a fully registered psychologist.
3. Choose your registration pathway
Provisional registration is necessary for completing your training, and allows you to undertake further study and work experience under the supervision of a registered psychologist. At Murdoch, you will have the option of completing your postgraduate studies part-time.General registration (5+1 pathway)
You can use the 5+1 pathway to gain general registration as a psychologist. General registration means that you can work as a registered psychologist, but would need to undertake further training or study to specialise in any particular area of psychology.
The 5+1 pathway gives you the best of both worlds – postgraduate level training at university, and on-the-job training in an internship. After completing your fourth-year program, you need to complete one further year of study, meaning you’ll study for 5 years before moving into a one-year supervised internship. If this sounds ideal to you, explore our Master of Applied Psychology (Professional), where you’ll complete coursework, practical placements and research training to support your professional practice.
Registration with Area of Practice Endorsement
If you would like to become a registered psychologist with endorsement in a specific area of psychology, choose one of the following pathways. 'Endorsement’ means you have advanced qualifications and supervised practice experience in a particular area. There are nine areas of endorsement in Australia: clinical neuropsychology, clinical psychology, community psychology, counselling psychology, educational and developmental psychology, forensic psychology, health psychology, organisational psychology, and sport and exercise psychology. Find out more here.
Masters in an area of endorsement
Murdoch offers expert training in clinical psychology, so if this is the area you’d like to work in, explore our Master of Applied Psychology (Clinical). This is a two-year course that combines coursework, clinical placements and clinical research components. You’ll graduate as a registered psychologist ready to start a registrar program of supervised practice in clinical psychology, to gain an area practice endorsement in clinical psychology.
Professional Doctorate
If you love research, and are interested in clinical psychology as your area of endorsement, this is the path for you. Our Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) has all the components of the Master of Applied Psychology (Clinical) with added placements and a research project translating knowledge into practice. The course will take you 3.5 years to complete, but the additional placements within the course mean less time on your registrar program of supervised clinical practice after you graduate.
