Tailor your psychology degree to your career goals
Undergraduate psychology degrees at Deakin offer a unique and rewarding experience. You'll be exposed to diverse areas of learning, including human behaviour, brain and behaviour, child and adolescent psychology, personality, cognitive psychology, psychopathology, research methods for psychology, and more. You can also tailor your degree to your career goals by focussing on specialisations such as child and family, forensic studies and organisational studies.
Psychology career outcomes
While some graduates will go on to become registered psychologists, many will work in complementary professions or in entirely different fields, from youth justice to marketing to policy.
Your pathway to psychologist registration
You must be a registered psychologist to practise and use the title 'psychologist'. Find out how our diverse study options can set you on the right path towards general registration as a psychologist.
Psychology course option pathways at Deakin
Your first step towards becoming a registered psychologist is to study an approved three-year undergraduate degree (or the undergraduate-equivalent Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science), plus an honours year/fourth year of study. A solid start in completing the minimum six years of full-time equivalent university study required. Courses include:
- Bachelor of Psychological Science
- Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) – embedded honours four-year course.
Other undergraduate psychology course options
If you would like to combine your psychology studies with another area, you can still complete an accredited psychology major (allowing you to be eligible for an honours year/fourth year of study) through the following courses.
Fourth-year psychology course options
If you complete an undergraduate degree in psychology, you can enrol in an approved 'fourth year' of study in psychology. Completion of a fourth year is required for provisional registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia. The fourth year combines coursework and an in-depth research project with an academic advisor. Courses include:
- Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) – this has an embedded honours year
- Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
- Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced)
Postgraduate psychology course options
Following your first four years of study, you can then opt to undertake one of our masters or doctorate degrees:
- Master of Psychology (Clinical)
- Master of Psychology (Organisational)
- Master of Professional Psychology*
- Doctor of Psychology (Clinical).
Our postgraduate degrees equip you with the specialist knowledge and skills for the professional practice of psychology, and the core competencies required by the Psychology Board of Australia to apply for general registration and practise as a psychologist.
Explore research degrees
You might find that your interest in psychology is research-based rather than clinical. In that case, consider a research PhD from Deakin. We have a strong research culture and a proud history of applying findings to clinical practice, education programs and policy. Our school is home to several research centres, each one working closely with numerous external organisations to translate research into action.
Educators want you to succeed and actively take part in helping you achieve your study goals. There is a focus on community and bringing people together, which I was really drawn to.
Fenella McCall
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)
Registration
Four years of academic study in psychology, recognised by the Psychology Board of Australia, is required to gain provisional registration as a psychologist. You can then apply for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia and for Associate Membership of the Australian Psychological Society.
To gain general registration, a masters degree or doctorate that includes a work placement is required. It’s at this stage you can specialise, following further supervision and training, in a particular area of psychology that appeals to your interests and career aspirations.
Footnotes
*This fifth-year, APAC-accredited psychology course prepares you for a final year of supervised practice that leads to general registration as a psychologist.
Contact us
If you have any questions about psychology courses or research, please contact us.