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Course Overview
If you are looking to build on the skills you've developed at the undergraduate level, the Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) is an APAC-accredited course that deepens your understanding of human behaviour while preparing you for a successful career as a registered psychologist. Want to explore exciting new areas of psychology and take a big step towards general registration as a psychologist? For students on the path to becoming a registered psychologist, who also want to learn from leaders in the field and build professional networks, the Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) ticks all the right boxes. It's accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), which means you can apply for provisional registration as a psychologist as soon as you complete the course and meet the requirements of the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). It is also a pathway towards further postgraduate study, which you will need for general registration. Plus, postgraduate psychology at Deakin has reputation for teaching quality and is ranked number 1 in Victoria for student satisfaction*, so you can be confident you are joining a program that empowers you to be your best. The course can be studied on campus or online, giving you the flexibility to achieve your goals on your schedule. Throughout the course, you will build new skills that allow you to provide better advice, interventions and treatments to clients. Discover a range of advanced psychological assessment methods and gain a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to formulate psychological opinion in casework. One of the units, Applied Counselling Skills (Advanced), gives you the opportunity to learn about these applied techniques and how they could be used with clients in mental health settings. Acknowledging that research is an important tool of the modern psychologist, the course includes a number of research components that enhance your industry readiness. The research and analysis skills you learn will be incredibly valuable throughout your entire career. They will also prove crucial should you continue your studies at master or doctoral levels.
Eligibility
Career & Study Pathways
Quality & Recognition
Course Content
Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin
0 credit point compulsory unit completed in first study period.
Principles of Psychological Assessment
Core coursework unit covering issues in psychological assessment.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Core coursework unit covering research methods.
Research Project A
Thesis component in Trimester 1, including thesis literature review draft and thesis proposal presentation (both hurdle assessments).
Applied Counselling Skills (Advanced)
Core unit covering applied counselling techniques and how they could be used with clients in mental health settings.
Psychology Research Methods (Advanced)
Core coursework unit covering advanced research methods.
Research Project B
Thesis component in Trimester 2, including thesis poster and final thesis (5500-6000 words; 4 credit points; 100%).
Research Project A (Karolinska Exchange)
For Karolinska Institute exchange students only.
Research Project B (Karolinska Exchange)
For Karolinska Institute exchange students only.
Common Questions
Yes, the Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). This means you can apply for provisional registration as a psychologist as soon as you complete the course and meet the requirements of the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). It is also a recognised fourth year (honours equivalent) pathway to further APAC-accredited postgraduate courses required for general registration.
The Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) is a recognised fourth year (honours equivalent) pathway to the following APAC-accredited courses that lead to general registration as a psychologist: Master of Psychology (Organisational) – the only organisational psychology course in Victoria; Master of Psychology (Clinical); Master of Professional Psychology; and Doctor of Psychology (Clinical).
Yes, the course can be studied on campus or online, giving you the flexibility to achieve your goals on your schedule. It can be completed full-time or part-time. There is a Trimester 1 (March) intake available full-time or part-time at Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), and online, and a Trimester 2 (July) part-time only intake at the same locations. Please note that online study is available to Domestic students only, with limited places available.
To be considered for admission, you need to have completed a bachelor degree with an APAC accredited three-year major sequence in psychology, or a foundation Level 1 APAC accredited psychology course or equivalent (such as a Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science), with a minimum of a mid-credit (65%) in a level-three psychology research methods unit and a minimum average of 65% over all level-2 and level-3 psychology core units. Applicants are ranked on their marks in level-2 and level-3 HPS core units, and the minimum average required for entry in recent years has been at or above 72%.
The thesis component contributes 50% to the final grade and consists of four components: in Trimester 1 (Research Project A), a thesis literature review draft (1500-2000 words; 0% hurdle assessment) and a thesis proposal presentation (10-minute oral presentation; 0% hurdle assessment); and in Trimester 2 (Research Project B), a thesis poster (A0 research poster; 0% hurdle assessment) and the final thesis (5500-6000 words; 4 credit points; 100%). The thesis is a write-up of an individual research project based on an original piece of empirical research, using a range of types of data and data-collection methodologies.
Application
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Step 01
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Step 02
Submit Documents
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Step 03
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Receive your offer letter and confirm your enrolment. Welcome to the course!
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