Master of Professional Psychology

What can you do with your degree?

Following the successful completion of the Master of Professional Psychology, students are required to complete a sixth year of self-sourced supervised practice to meet the requirements for registration as a general psychologist.

The required number of hours for the Sixth Year is a minimum of 1500 hours, as follows:

1360 hours of placement
80 hours of supervision
60 hours of professional development

Registered psychologist

You’ll apply your psychological skills to assessment, treatment planning and interventions with a diverse array of client groups. Registered psychologists are employed in health settings, educational environments, legal organisations, and private practice.

Professional accreditation

Bond University’s Master of Professional Psychology is accredited with conditions by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as the equivalent of Year 5 on the pathway to becoming a registered psychologist in Australia.

After completing the program, graduates will need to self-source and undertake a one-year internship of supervised practice. You will then be eligible for:

General registration as a psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA);
Associate Membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

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Program learning outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes provide a broad and measurable set of standards that incorporate a range of knowledge, skills and abilities that will be achieved on completion of the program. These outcomes will help you determine whether this program aligns with your professional pathway, career and learning goals.

View Master of Professional Psychology learning outcomes
- Demonstrate successful (prior or concurrent) achievement of basic knowledge and skills in the professional practice of psychology and the independent conduct and evaluation of scientific research.
- Apply evidence-based and scientific methods to professional practice across the lifespan in empirically valid and culturally responsive ways.
- Employ professional communication skills, in a culturally responsive manner, with a range of socially and culturally diverse clients.
- Perform appropriate standardised psychological testing, as part of broader assessment, to assess and interpret aspects of functioning.
- Identify psychological disorders using a recognised taxonomy.
- Conduct professional interviews and assessments and synthesise information from multiple sources, including assessment of risk, to formulate a conceptualisation of the presenting issues to determine the most appropriate interventions, including management of risk.
- Monitor outcomes and modifications based on evolving case formulation, including health and health concerns, family and support networks, and organisational, cultural or community contexts, with care given to the appropriateness of interventions for the client within their wider context.
- Interpret and communicate findings in oral and written formats, including formal psychological reports, using culturally appropriate language.
- Implement appropriate, empirically supported interventions, and monitor clients’ progress and intervention outcomes.
- Demonstrate respect for the skills and contribution of other professionals.
- Work effectively with a range of professional and support staff in the workplace and communicate and collaborate effectively, within the bounds of ethical and legal requirements.
- Operate within the boundaries of their professional competence, consult with peers or other relevant sources where appropriate, and refer on to relevant other practitioners where appropriate.
- Rigorously apply professional practice policies and procedures, including as they relate to referral management and record-keeping, across a range of workplace settings and with recognition of different organisational cultures and practices.
- Engage in self-reflective professional practice, taking account of the impact of their own values and beliefs, and taking appropriate actions as a result.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of their professional practice, identifying areas for improvement and implementing changes where needed.
- Critically evaluate contemporary scientific literature to inform practice.
- Investigate a substantive individual research question relevant to the discipline of psychology.
- Demonstrate an understanding and application of cultural responsiveness, including with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
- Demonstrate an understanding and application of the principles of inter-professional learning and practice.

Further study

Upon graduation, you could progress to Bond’s Master of Psychology (Clinical) which is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as the equivalent of the final two years – Years 5 and 6 - on the pathway to becoming a registered psychologist in Australia. Graduates considering this option must achieve a GPA of 75% at the completion of the Master of Professional Psychology to be eligible to apply.

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