The combined Doctor of Philosophy/Master of Psychology (Clinical) degree program has an emphasis on research training in clinical fields. The combined degree program requires a minimum of four full-time years to complete, and offers advanced training in research skills that are particularly relevant to clinical areas.

It is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as the fifth and sixth years of study leading to full membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and registration as a psychologist with the national Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). After completing a further 1.5 years of full-time equivalent supervised practice, graduates of the program are eligible to apply for endorsement as a Clinical Psychologist and for full membership of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists.

The program structure requires students to work on their research project during the entire candidature until submission, and the same research-related requirements as for the regular PhD degree (Program code 1400) will apply for the first two years of this program. University regulations and guidelines for good practice in postgraduate research supervision will apply to this program.

Students will concurrently undertake a compulsory coursework component, which is set out below. The coursework program focuses on training in the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of people with a range of psychological problems or disabilities, and the training stems from a strong theoretical and empirical background in experimental clinical psychology.

See UNSW Higher Degree Research Learning Outcomes.

Minimum Entry Requirements

Prior to submitting an application, it must be established if supervision is available within the School. An academic’s willingness and ability to supervise is not a guarantee of admission.

Applications must be approved by the School, the Faculty and the Graduate Research School, and an applicant for whom appropriate supervision or research infrastructure is not available cannot be admitted.

The minimum academic entrance requirement is completion of an accredited four-year, or three-year plus a fourth year, APAC-accredited sequence in psychology, including a major research thesis, completed within the last 10 years with Honours Class 1 (85%) or equivalent.

Psychology qualifications from overseas must include a major research thesis/project and must be assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) as comparable to a four-year APAC-accredited sequence of study in psychology completed in Australia.

Applicants should refer to both the School of Psychology’s How to Apply page, and Graduate Research School's website for more detail about the application procedure and requirements.

Registration as a Provisional Psychologist

Enrolled students must register as provisional psychologists prior to program commencement. Registration must be maintained for the duration of their enrolment.

Applicants should familiarise themselves with the relevant Registration Standards for the psychology profession. The requirements of these standards must be met before an application for registration as a provisional psychologist can be approved.

All applicants, domestic and international, are encouraged to use AHPRA’s Pathways diagram for all professions (under ‘Additional resources’) to guide their understanding of the Registration Standard: English Language Skills.