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Graduate Diploma in Psychology

Graduate Attributes

University Postgraduate Calendar

The Graduate Diploma in Psychology has been designed for students who have an undergraduate degree that does not include Psychology or does not include Psychology beyond Level I. It requires one year of full-time study, or a maximum of two years of part-time study.

It includes all the level 2 and level 3 courses required by APAC (Australian Psychological Accreditation Council) to enable students to apply for Honours Psychology at any accredited university within Australia.

Pre-requisites

The pre-requisites for Graduate Diploma are an undergraduate degree and Psychology IA and Psychology IB from the University of Adelaide, or equivalent from another tertiary institution (within 10 years). The grade that was obtained will need to be considered satisfactory by the selection committee. Students who do not have the pre-requisite Psychology studies are able to attend an intensive summer course, Introductory Psychology.

Summer Course – Introductory Psychology

Students who do not have the equivalent of Psychology IA and Psychology IB are able to study this subject through an intensive course over the summer semester, which runs from early January to mid February. While not officially a part of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology, it will be available only to students intending to enrol in the program. This course is predominantly delivered by DVD and has two 2-hour on-campus tutorial sessions per week.

Pathway Toward Registration as a Psychologist

Psychology after the Graduate Diploma

Completion of the Graduate Diploma allows the student to apply for Honours Psychology at most Australian Universities. Students should be aware that entry into Honours Psychology is competitive, and selection is based on academic merit. Honours Psychology is the basic academic requirement for registration as a Psychologist.

Admission to the Graduate Diploma

Application forms and the 2009 Introductory Handbook will be available on this website in August .

International applications can be made through the International Office at The University of Adelaide

Applicants must have the equivalent of a recognised three-year degree, in any discipline, from a tertiary institution.

Fees

Both the Graduate Diploma in Psychology and the Summer Introductory Psychology course attract fees.

Domestic students: FeeHELP is available for Introductory Psychology and the Graduate Diploma in Psychology. Please contact the School for more information.

International students: Graduate Diploma - $14,000 per annum; Introductory Psychology - TBA

Career Pathways

According to the Commonwealth Government Job Search Website employment growth for Psychologists to 2011-12 is STRONG. The range of jobs available to psychologists is also becoming increasingly varied. Further information can be found at http://jobsearch.gov.au/joboutlook.

Psychologists are employed in both the public and private sectors, and work in a variety of settings. Clinical psychologists are involved in meeting the needs of children and adults with mental health problems such as depression and drug addiction, and play major roles in the diagnosis and rehabilitation of people with disabilities and acquired brain damage. In business and industry, psychologists are employed in personnel selection, human resource management, job design and skills training, and product marketing. In the legal system, psychol ogists have skills relevant to criminal investigation and a range of matters examined within the court system and correctional programs. In schools and universities, psychologists assess students with learning difficulties, develop programs for the management of behavioural problems and carry out research into many aspects of human and animal behaviour.

Completion of the Honours degree opens up a number of alternative career pathways.

• At present those with four years of university study in Psychology are, after an additional two years of approved, supervised practical experience, eligible to seek registration to practise as a Psychologist in South Australia.
  
  
• Application may be made for entry into various formal courses of professional preparation. A range of such courses are offered by various universities within Australia, but typically, as is the case within this School, they are of two years’ duration and lead by coursework to a Master of Psychology degree and eligibility to seek professional registration. Once again there is competition for the limited number of places available in such programs.
  
  
• Honours graduates may also seek to enrol for a higher degree (PhD or Master) by research. These typically require two years of study for a Master degree and three to four years for a PhD. A range of scholarships are available for pursuing this option, of which the most common is the Australian Postgraduate Award. A First Class Honours degree is required to obtain one of these scholarships. Opportunities may also exist for the most elite students to complete a combined Master/PhD degree.

In recent years the employment prospects for psychologists have been good in comparison to many other university graduates and projections of future employment prospects continue to be comparatively optimistic.