Admission Requirements

What are the minimum requirements for admission to the DCP/MSc?
Applicants must have completed an APAC accredited four year honours degree in Psychology from a University, gaining at least an upper second class (2.1) honours, or equivalent. The honours degree must include a major research project and thesis as an essential part of the degree. All qualifications obtained from a non-Australian University must be assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS). Applicants must submit two referee reports, at least one must be academic. Applicants must be proficient in English: Evidence of English language proficiency (IELTS) must be provided if the tertiary qualification was not completed in Australia or your qualifications were obtained from a university or other institution where the language of instruction was not English. Applicants must complete a selection interview.

Is my degree equivalent to the Australian honours degree in Psychology?
The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) provides information on accredited tertiary psychology courses in Australasia.
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is the national assessing authority in Australia for assessment of overseas academic qualifications in psychology. The APS will assess your psychology qualification for a fee of $AUD640.

What is an upper second class 2.1 honours degree?
At the University of Sydney, an upper second class honours is considered as 75% or above, overall for the fourth honours year. In some cases this may be equivalent to a GPA of 3 out of 4. However, for international qualifications this is not always comparable, therefore the Clinical Psychology Unit relies on the APS assessment of qualifications for equivalency to an Australian four year Bachelors degree with honours. The School also assesses the research content of overseas degrees for comparability and asks students to provide the degree name, thesis title and thesis abstract, including information on methods used and whether the project was theoretical or conducted with methods consistent with an Australian fourth year honours degree.

At the University of Sydney, honours is one academic year in duration and includes: Empirical Thesis (50%); Theoretical Thesis or Special Fields Coursework (30%); Coursework (30%) - Research Methods (15%) and Ethics and Professional Issues (5%).

Do I need to have my qualification assessed by the Australian Psychology Society (APS) for admission to the DCP/MSc?
All qualifications obtained from a non-Australian University must be assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) before an application may be submitted. This also applies to applicants with qualifications from New Zealand applying as local students. The APS will assess the level that the applicant's qualifications are equivalent to in Australia by considering them against local accredited psychology qualifications. Please note not only is it a requirement for admission to the DCP/MSc, the Psychology Board of Australia also requires non-Australian qualifications assessed by the APS for the purposes of registration. This means that if students with non-Australian qualifications were accepted into the DCP/MSc program, they would not be able to be provisionally registered with the Psychology Board of Australia, and therefore would not be permitted to commence Semester 1 of the DCP/MSc program. Students would therefore be unable to gain the supervised clinical internship experience provided within the DCP/MSc program and fail to meet requirements. Email: assessments@psychology.org.au.

What degrees are considered equivalent for admission to the DCP/MSc?
Check the APS website or APAC website for information on accredited courses in psychology.
At the University of Sydney, students study a full major in Psychology, including an Honours year, in any of the following programs:
Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) (BPsych), Bachelor of Science (Honours) (BSc), Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Bachelor of Commerce (Liberal Studies) (Honours) (BCommLibStud), Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) (BHlthSci), Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science (Honours) (BLAS Hons), GradDipSc(Psych)*Pass with Merit, in Psychology. * At the University of Sydney a Pass with Merit is considered as an overall mark of 75% or above for GradDipSc(Psych).

How do I provide evidence of an individually (or group) conducted research project and thesis?
All qualifications, in particular qualifications obtained from a non-Australian University, must include a major research project and thesis as an essential part of the degree. Upload evidence of an individually (or group) conducted research project and thesis, if not detailed on your academic transcript, particularly for non-Australian qualifications. Provide degree name, thesis title and thesis abstract. Including information on methods used and whether the project was theoretical or conducted with methods consistent with an Australian fourth year honours degree.

I completed a Post Graduate Diploma, as Honours was only offered to students who had already completed an undergraduate degree at that University, however, for all other purposes it is equivalent to the Honours stream.
Provide a letter from your honours coordinator stating that the Postgraduate Diploma is directly equivalent to the Honours program.

My tertiary qualification is from New Zealand do I need to have my qualifcation assessed by the APS?
Yes. All applicants whose qualifications are from a non-Australian University must have their qualifications assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS). The cost of the assessment is currently $AUD640. Applicants must have their qualifications assessed before applying for the DCP/MSc. Please note that an assessment involves 6-8 weeks processing time. You must submit your APS assessment letter with your application, otherwise your application will be considered incomplete. Please note that all DCP/MSc students are required to be provisionally (or fully if applicable) registered with the Psychology Board of Australia in order to commence candidature and clinical internships in the first week of semester. It is a requirement of the Psychology Board of Australia that all students with qualifications from a non-Australian University must have had their qualifications assessed by the APS in order to be eligible for provisional registration. Therefore if your qualification has not been assessed by the APS you will not be eligible for provisional registration and therefore not able to commence clinical observation in first semester.

My tertiary qualification and Psychologist's Registration is from New Zealand do I need to have my qualifcation assessed by the APS?
It is a requirement for admission to the DCP/MSc program at the University of Sydney, that all non-Australian qualifications, including qualifications from New Zealand, are assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS).
It is also a requirement of the Psychology Board of Australia that all non-Australian qualifications, including qualifications from New Zealand, are assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS). Students must be eligible for provisional or full registration with the Psychology Board of Australia in order to commence the DCP/MSc program and supervised clinical internships. The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is the national assessing authority in Australia for assessment of overseas academic qualifications in psychology. For a fee of $AUD 640, the APS determines the level at which an applicant’s qualifications are equivalent to an Australian program of study that has been accredited by the Society. The APS assessment processing time is approximately six to eight weeks. The APS assessment must be completed before applying for the DCP/MSc program. As the APS assessment is required for admission to the DCP/MSc program and for provisional or full registration with the Psychology Board of Australia any applications submitted without evidence of the APS assessment will not be considered.
One exception, is if an applicant is registered in New Zealand and holds a current practising certificate, an APS assessment is not needed, as long as the applicant applies for registration via the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act.
However, if an applicant is not registered in New Zealand, or is registered in New Zealand and holds a current practising certificate but choose to not apply under the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act, then the applicant needs to apply as an overseas applicant and get an APS assessment of qualifications as the first step: http://www.psychreg.health.nsw.gov.au/hprb/psych_web/pdf/FR_090205.pdf. The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) sets the standards for accreditation of Australasian psychology programs. APAC is a body that assesses and approves the minimum qualifications from recognised Schools of Psychology for the purposes of eligibility for registration as a psychologist in Australia and for membership of the Australian Psychological Society. APAC does not conduct assessments, however, you may wish to view their list of Australian accredited qualifications.

I am currently completing my Psychology Honours at the Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP), which accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). Am I eligible for admission to the DCP/MSc at the University of Sydney?
The admission requirements for the DCP/MSc are the completion of an APAC accredited four year honours degree in Psychology from a University, gaining at least an upper second class (2.1) honours, or equivalent. The honours degree must include a major research project and thesis as an essential part of the degree.
Whilst the Psychology Honours degree at the Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP) is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), the Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP) is not considered to be classified as a university. The University of Sydney Faculty of Science resolutions explicitly state that the prerequisite for admission to the DCP/MSc is an Honours degree from a University. Therefore College qualifications do not meet our requirements for admission. You may refer to the resolution of the University of Sydney Senate and Academic Board as set out in the 2010 Faculty of Science Handbook, Page 305 Section 1.0 Admission.

I have a Graduate Diploma in Science (Psychology) from the University of Sydney. Can I apply for the DCP/MSc?
The qualification required for admission to the DCP/MSc is an Honours degree in psychology with a result of 2:1 or better or any other equivalent award. Therefore GDP students will be eligible to apply if their grades are sufficiently high to be deemed equivalent to a 2:1 honours degree. For example, they will need to have a "Pass with Merit". At the University of Sydney the Graduate Diploma Pass with Merit is awarded to students who receive a total mark of 75/100 or greater. It is important to note that there are limited places available, and students will not only be competing on the basis of academic merit, but their personal suitability will also be taken into account.

I graduated several years ago from the University of Sydney with a Graduate Diploma in Science (Psychology) Pass with Merit with an overall result of 75. Can I apply for the DCP/MSc?
The Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney introduced new regulations for the award of Pass with Merit in the last year it was offered. A Pass with Merit awarded in 2007/2008 was for an overall mark of 80% or above. In previous years a Pass with Merit was awarded for an overall mark of 75% and above.

My psychology qualification was awarded more than ten years ago, am I eligible to apply for the DCP/MSc?
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) will assess your qualifications, however, notes that if your qualifications were awarded more than ten years ago, some universities may not accept your qualifications as sufficiently recent to enter an accredited postgraduate program in psychology. The APS therefore recommends before applying for an assessment to contact the University's course coordinator. At the University of Sydney, the Faculty of Science advises if a student was awarded their qualifications over ten years ago they are usually required to show evidence that they have been active in the field of study supported by work references and so on. Therefore such students would be eligible to apply but will need to provide more information when and as requested by Faculty.
Important considerations:

• The admission requirements for the DCP/MSc are the completion of an APAC accredited four year honours degree in Psychology, gaining at least an upper second class (2.1) Honours, or its equivalent. For admission to the DCP/MSc you need to determine and provide evidence that your qualifications are an APAC accredited four year equivalent.
• The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is the national assessing authority in Australia for the assessment of academic qualifications in psychology for entry into an APAC-accredited course in psychology at an Australian university. For a fee of $620, the APS assesses the level at which an applicant's qualifications are comparable to an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) sequence of study in psychology.
• All students must obtain provisional registration (or if applicable full registration) with the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA) in order to commence the DCP/MSc. You are advised to contact the APHRA and the Psychology Board of Australia to determine whether your qualifications and experience would make you eligible for registration. For admission to the DCP/MSc you must be eligible for registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Do I need to demonstrate English language proficiency?
You only need to demonstrate English language proficiency if you have NOT completed your tertiary qualification in Australia and your qualifications were obtained from a university or other institution where the language of instruction was NOT English. If your tertiary qualification was conducted in English it is not necessary to provide evidence of english language proficiency. If your tertiary studies were conducted in English but not in one of the following countries: Australia, USA, England or Canada; you will need to provide official documentation that your studies were conducted in English.

How do I demonstrate English language proficiency?
To demonstrate english language proficiency you must provide evidence of IELTS minimum overall score of 7, and a minimum score of 7 in each band. Please note for admission to the DCP/MSc only IELTS test scores are accepted.

I am International student, however, my university studies were conducted in English, do I need to provide an english language proficiency score?No, if qualifications were obtained from a university or other institution where the language of instruction was English, you do not need to provide evidence of english proficiency.

As an International student, do I need to take any English language tests?
Yes, if your degree was conducted in a language other than english, you are required to provide documentary evidence of satisfying english language requirements for admission. You are to provide evidence of an IELTS minimum overall score of 7, and a minimum score of 7 in each band. Please note DCP program requires a certain level of english proficiency and for admission to the DCP only the IELTS is accepted. Please contact the International Office for further enquiries regarding International applications, such as english language requirements and degree equivalency.

As an International student, can I use the TOEFL English language test for admission to the DCP?
No, the TOEFL +TWE is not accepted for admission to the DCP. Only IELTS test scores are accepted, and applicants must score a minimum of seven in each band to be eligible for admission.

Am I required to complete a course in Abnormal Psychology or complete my honours research in a clinical area?
No, Students applying are not required to have completed an empirical research project in the area of Abnormal or Clinical Psychology or Clinical Neuropsychology. The selection process aims to identify students with a demonstrated interest in abnormal or clinical psychology or clinical neuropsychology, an awareness of clinical issues, and relevant experience. This can be demonstrated in a number of ways, for example relevant work experience or a relevant empirical project. Note also that clinical relevance can apply in many areas of Psychology, eg. cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, individual differences, human learning, neuroscience, social psychology.

Do I need to have had some relevant clinical work experience in order to apply for the DCP/MSc?
Work experience is desirable but not an essential admission requirement. However, applicants are encouraged to have gained some previous relevant work experience which may be an advantage for interview. The benefit of work experience is that it is likely to enhance the understanding of clinical issues and allow a prospective student to determine whether they would like to pursue working with a clinical population. Should an applicant be invited to interview, they will be advantaged if able to draw upon previous work experiences, particularly in regard to answering questions that specifically assess understanding of clinical issues and potential difficulties of work in clinical contexts. Click here to view examples of relevant work experience: clinically oriented volunteer work, research involving contact with a clinical population or paid work as a Psychologist. Please note this is not a prescribed list of work experience, however, provides examples of work experience obtained from successful DCP & DCN student applicants. The amount of experience required is not strictly prescribed in hours etc.

What evidence do I need to provide for conference presentations?
Provide the authors (year) title of presentation, conference, date and place.

Do I need to have a research topic or research supervisor in order to apply for the DCP/MSc?
No. The requirement to submit a research proposal with details of research project and supervisor are only required when enrolling in a research degree. At the time of application you do not need to submit a research proposal, have a research topic or research supervisor, as students initially enrol in the Doctor of Clinical Psychology, a coursework degree. Students do not enrol in the Master of Science research degree until second year.

It is not until enrolled in the program, in the first few weeks of Semester 1 in Year 1, students will be asked to nominate preferences for the general areas in which they are potentially interested in conducting their research. Students will then be provided with the names of relevant academic staff in the School of Psychology who they should approach to discuss/negotiate potential supervision arrangements.

At the end of Semester 1 Year 1 students will submit a one-page preliminary research proposal naming the staff member who has agreed to supervise the research, and the general area and methodology of the intended project. This brief submission is used to identify potential problems related to the feasibility/appropriateness of intended research as early as possible. These proposals will be reviewed by the Director of Clinical Research and individual feedback provided to students and their supervisors.

What is relevant work experience?
Relevant voluntary or non-voluntary work experience is broadly defined as: Paid working experience as a Psychologist/Counsellor, Voluntary experience with a specific clinical group, Research experience working as a Psychologist or Research Assistant (provided that the work is with a clinical group involving face to face interaction). The amount of experience required is not strictly prescribed in terms of hours. The aim of work experience is to enhance the understanding of clinical issues and allow a prospective student to determine whether they would like to pursue working with a clinical population. The work experience link provides examples of work experience obtained from successful DCP/MSc student applicants. Please note this is not a prescribed list of work experience.

I have worked as a receptionist to a Psychologist/Psychiatrist can count this as relevant clinical work experience?
No. Receptionist, Shop Assistant, baby sitting or similar work is not considered relevant work experience.

Can I complete honours in another non-Psychology School but on a psychological topic?
The DCP/MSc admission requirements are the completion of an APAC accredited four year honours degree in Psychology from a University, gaining at least an upper second class (2.1) honours, or equivalent. The honours degree must include a major research project and thesis as an essential part of the degree. Honours must be completed in psychology in particular for registration purposes with AHPRA's Psychology Board of Australia, as students must have a four year accredited sequence in psychology in order to obtain provisional registration, and provisional registration is required to commence the DCP/MSc program and undertake supervised clinical placements. If you aim to apply for DCP/MSc to to train as a clinical psychologist, it would be recommended to apply for honours in the School of Psychology as it is an accredited program.

Students do not necessarily need to complete an empirical research project in the area of abnormal or clinical Psychology but need to be able demonstrate an interest in abnormal or clinical psychology, an awareness of clinical issues, and experience related to the area by way of a relevant empirical project. Clinical relevance can be discussed on the basis of projects in may areas of Psychology, for example cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, individual differences, human learning, neuroscience, social psychology. However, the key issue is eligibility for registration by the completion of an APAC accredited four year sequence of study in psychology.

APS assessed my qualifications to be equivalent to five years of study in Australia, how do I become a Psychologist, apply for the DCP/MSc?
The University of Sydney offers the postgraduate clinical training program, the Doctor of Clinical Psychology/Master of Science (DCP/MSc). The course is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as a 5th, 6th and 7th year of training. A two year postgraduate Master of Clinical Psychology (5th and 6th year of training) is not offered at the University of Sydney.

The admission requirements for the DCP/MSc are the completion of an APAC accredited four year honours degree in Psychology from a University, gaining at least an upper second class (2.1) honours, or equivalent, including a major research project and thesis as an essential part of the degree.

Credit from other postgraduate clinical psychology training is granted only to applicants who are currently enrolled in clinical graduate study at another University. The University of Sydney Resolutions allow that credit may be received for no more than 48 credit points (equivalent to less than one year of the course) towards the requirements of the DCP/MSc. The completed graduate study must have been undertaken within the previous three years and must be considered by the Dean to be equivalent to the units of study prescribed for the DCP/MSc. Requests for credit are only considered once the student is successful in obtaining a place on the course. if you have already taken out a Masters degree you will not be able to receive credit for this degree towards the DCP/MSc. As it is not possible to count your completed studies towards two degrees.

The University of Sydney does not offer a 4 + 2 or 5 + 1 internship program. You may wish to contact the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Psychology Board of Australia who may have a list of board approved supervisors, or the Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA) or Australian Psychological Society (APS), though you may need to be a member of both these organisations in order to access information.