Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology

- with third-year specialisation in Clinical Child, Adolescent & Family Psychology, Clinical Forensic Psychology or Advanced Health Psychology

Information for prospective students

1. Introduction
2. Professional Accreditation
3. DPsych (Clinical) Course Structure
   3.1 Thesis
   3.2 Coursework
   3.3 Practica
4. Admission And Enrolment Requirements
5. Fees
6. Scholarships
7. The Application Process

Please note: While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, it is possible that there will be some minor revisions in the next few months.

1. Introduction

The Doctor of Psychology (DPsych) in Clinical Psychology at Monash University is offered by the School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine and administered by the Monash Research Graduate School.

Clinical psychology applies the scientific knowledge, methods and principles of psychology to the understanding, assessment and treatment of adults and children with emotional and/or behavioural disorders. Clinical psychologists work in a variety of settings. Many are employed in general hospitals and psychiatric settings, where research forms a component of their activities.

The DPsych in Clinical Psychology is a three and a half year program which includes research, coursework and supervised practical experience. It prepares graduates to conduct research in applied areas of psychology and to work as clinical psychologists in a broad range of settings.

The DPsych program is committed to the scientist-practitioner model of training. While the main thrust of the teaching will take a cognitive-behavioural approach, students are introduced to a variety of other theoretical frameworks.

A feature of the Monash University DPsych in Clinical Psychology is that its training in clinical psychology is extended through specialisation, in the third year of training, in a choice of professional areas : Clinical Child, Adolescent and Family Psychology, Clinical Forensic Psychology, and Advanced Health Psychology , as outlined below:

Clinical Child, Adolescent and Family Psychology is concerned with the clinical assessment and treatment of infants, children, adolescents and their families in a variety of mental health, paediatric and community settings. An understanding of presenting issues and behaviours is formulated within a developmental theoretical framework in which the links between the child’s outward behaviour, patterns of inner experience, and the external environment (including family, school, community, society and culture) are explored and researched. Clinicians in this field contribute to discussions in the community on policy matters affecting children and families, and to the development of initiatives that promote the emotional and physical well-being of children and families.

Clinical Forensic Psychology is concerned with the behaviour of individuals within the legal system, including the behaviour of offenders, victims, witnesses, judges and juries, prisoners and prison staff. Careers in clinical forensic psychology include assessment and/or treatment of accused persons, prisoners, civil litigants, victims, and family members in custody disputes . Clinicians in this field can also act as expert witnesses in consultancy to statutory bodies and the legal profession on relevant areas of psychological knowledge.

Advanced Health Psychology involves the contribution of diverse areas of psychological practice and research to the promotion and maintenance of health, the prevention and treatment of illness, the identification of aetiological and diagnostic correlates of health, illness and related dysfunction, and to the analysis and improvement of health care systems and health policy formation. Students completing this specialisation will learn how to assess and change behaviour and lifestyle relating to common disorders such as obesity and headache/migraine, and the high mortality diseases such as heart disease and cancer. They will also learn about health promotion and the prevention of disease.

2. Professional Accreditation

The program has been accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) for the purposes of registration as a psychologist in Australia and membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). In addition, the DPsych in Clinical Psychology has been approved by the APS College of Clinical Psychologists as meeting their requirements for full College membership. Graduates who have completed the specialisation in Clinical Forensic Psychology in third year , as well as a doctoral thesis in the field of forensic psychology, are also eligible for membership of the APS College of Forensic Psychologists.

Candidates may apply for full registration as a psychologist in the state of Victoria upon completion of all coursework and placement requirements of the course, and submission of their research thesis to the University for marking. Further information about the requirements for registration as a psychologist in Victoria may be found on the Psychologists Registration Board of Victoria’s website: www.psychreg.vic.gov.au

3. DPsych (Clinical) Course Structure

The DPsych (Clinical) comprises three components:

• Thesis (70%);
• Coursework (20%);
• Practica (10%).

The first two years include training in general clinical psychology and must be taken on a full-time basis. The third year of the DPsych builds on the initial training by providing training in a choice of specialised areas (options may include Clinical Child, Adolescent and Family Psychology, Clinical Forensic Psychology, and Advanced Health Psychology); in the final six months of the program, students complete their theses and prepare to enter the workforce.

Students wishing to complete the DPsych in 3.5 years can take the final 18-months on a full-time basis; those who opt to complete the final 18-months on a half-time basis will need a total of five years to complete the program. Some paid clinical work may be available to students in their third year as part of their clinical internship arrangement.

Coursework is conducted over two 13-week semesters in each of the first three years of the course. The three supervised practica (total of 126 days) commence in the second half of the first year of the course, and the internship (92 days) is completed in the third year. While much of the teaching will take place at Monash University’s Clayton campus and the Monash Medical Centre (Clayton) campus, students should be prepared for some travel to other teaching and practicum venues.

As with PhD study, the DPsych (Clinical) program is based on a 52-week year with 4 weeks of annual leave. The first year of the program commences in the first week of February.

Full-time candidates should be aware that the regulations restrict employment to no more than 15 hours of paid work on average in any one week. However, an average maximum of 6 hours only of the employment may be undertaken during normal 9 am - 5 pm Monday to Friday working hours.

3.1 Thesis

The thesis is expected to provide a significant contribution to knowledge and/or practice in the field of clinical psychology and to demonstrate the capacity of the student to carry out independent research. Word length is approximately 60,000 to 70,000 words. Though the length of the thesis is shorter than the normal PhD thesis, the quality of the research should be of PhD level. Examination of the thesis is undertaken in the same manner as for the PhD thesis with marking by two external examiners. Students will be required to report regularly on their research progress.

While the precise schedule may vary according to the nature of the research, in general students will be expected to adhere to the following schedule:

• brief description of the research proposal and supervisory arrangements to be in place prior to admission to the program in February, 2007;
• outline of preliminary research proposal to be submitted at the end of Year 1, Semester 1
• oral presentation of proposed research project by the end of Year 1, Semester 2;
• first draft of literature review to be submitted at the beginning of Year 2, Semester 1;
• final research proposal to be accepted and ethics committee approval gained by the beginning of Year 2, Semester 2;
• data collection to be completed by the beginning of Year 3, Semester 2;
• analyses to be completed by the end of Year 3, Semester 2;
• thesis to be completed by the end of Year 4, Semester 1.

3.2 Coursework

Coursework objectives will be assessed through seminar presentations, case presentations, written assignments and examinations . The Monash University system of grades is used for most units, with participation in seminars and practical sessions taken into consideration in the assessment process. In addition to the core coursework units, students will be expected to attend workshops and relevant special seminars from time to time as well as monthly case conferences.

An outline of the course structure, listing units completed in each semester of the course, may be found at http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/courses/2116.html

3.3 Practica

Students are required to gain supervised assessment, treatment and professional experience with a range of problems across varying age ranges. Thus, practica are available with clients of varied age groups in settings within the psychiatric, forensic and health domains. Students' responsibilities in their practica increase as they proceed through the training so that by the final practicum, they should be able to independently carry out assessments and generate, implement and evaluate management plans. At the commencement of each practicum a contract is developed between the student, University and practicum supervisor which identifies the tasks to be undertaken by the student. At completion of the practicum, these form the basis of the assessment reports, with performance assessed as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

In the first two years of the course, three practica totalling 1000 hours (126 days) are completed. For each practicum, students usually have approximately six hours per week of client contact. The remainder of their time is spent in observation, allied professional activities (e.g., ward rounds, case conferences), supervisory sessions and writing reports and case notes. Students are required to keep detailed log books of all these activities. The typical schedule for the three practica is:

Year 1, Mid July - Mid December Introductory practicum (32 days)
Year 2, Mid January - End of May Intermediate practicum (47 days)
Year 2, Mid July - Mid December Advanced practicum (47 days)

All students complete the Introductory or Intermediate Practicum in the University clinic – the Clinical Psychology Centre.

In the third year of the course students complete a 92 day internship in one of the specialisation areas.

4. Admission and Enrolment Requirements

Applicants for the DPsych (Clinical) must have completed an APAC approved four-year undergraduate sequence in psychology or equivalent (International applicants must have their qualifications assessed by the Australian Psychological Society – see http://www.psychology.org.au/membership/qualifications/). You will need a final fourth year mark equivalent to H1 (High Distinction) or H2A (Distinction) to be eligible. An interview and referee reports are also used to assess students’ suitability to the role of a professional working in the public arena.

Enrolment into the DPsych in February 2009, is contingent upon the applicant submitting a brief research proposal and arrangements being made for supervision of the research project. Academic staff will not liaise with potential students about research until they are provisionally accepted into the course due to the large number of enquiries they receive.

Enrolment is probationary for the first year with firm admission to the program granted at the end of the first year if performance on all components is satisfactory. Students should note that satisfactory performance in all three components of the DPsych is necessary throughout the course, and that progression is always contingent upon satisfactory completion of previous requirements. In addition, an assessment of personal suitability to undertake or continue work as a trainee clinical psychologist is made prior to each practicum.

While students who choose or are required to leave the program may seek admission or transfer to other programs of study, the DPsych program does not offer a lower ranking qualification such as a Masters degree.

5. Fees

Australian Citizens/Permanent Residents/NZ Citizens

Fee-waived Research Training Scheme (RTS) places are normally available.

International Students

The annual fee for the DPsych is reviewed each year. International students should visit the Monash International web site for the current fee and other important information on studying in Australia.

Please note that for future years of your course, Monash University reserves the right to adjust annual tuition fees. However, the University undertakes that any adjustment will not exceed 6% per annum and will be applied on the 1st of January each year for that year.

In addition to the web address above, international students are advised to contact the following:

Monash International
Building 73
Monash University
Wellington Road
Clayton, Victoria 3800
Australia
Telephone: + 61 3 9627 4852
Fax: + 61 3 9905 8297

6. Scholarships

Only applicants with First class Honours (H1) degree or equivalent will be eligible to apply for scholarships. All applicants with an H1 or equivalent result in their fourth year psychology program should apply for scholarships. All applicants who are currently completing a psychology fourth year should also apply for a scholarship , even if they do not anticipate receiving an H1 result. Further information regarding scholarships is available on the web at: http://mrgs.monash.edu.au/scholarships/index.html#research

If you do not hold a First class Honours (H1) degree from an Australian or New Zealand university, please contact Rachael Unwin (Research Degrees Administrator) on +61 3 9905 1232 to discuss nomination for H1 equivalence.

Application forms are completed and submitted on-line.  Follow the links from the web site http://www.mrgs.monash.edu.au/scholarships/apply/

7. The Application Process

Applying for the DPsych (Clinical) program is a three phase process.

Phase 1: Preliminary Application

Domestic Applicants (Australian Citizens/Permanent Residents/NZ Citizens):

DPsych preliminary application forms and referee report forms are available to download from the web or can be obtained from:

The Postgraduate Studies Office
School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine
Building 17
Monash University
Clayton Campus
Victoria 3800
Telephone: (03) 9905 4359 or (03) 9905 1232
Email: dpsych.enquiries@med.monash.edu.au

The completed preliminary application form, along with

• original academic transcripts or certified copies of transcripts,
• evidence of Australian or New Zealand citizenship (copy of birth certificate, passport or Australian citizenship certificate) or residency status, and
• completed forms from three referees,

must be submitted to the Postgraduate Studies Office by the closing date for applications stated below.

International Applicants:

DPsych preliminary application forms and referee report forms are available to download from the web or can be obtained from:

The Postgraduate Studies Office
School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine
Building 17
Monash University
Clayton Campus
Victoria 3800
AUSTRALIA
Telephone: +61 3 9905 4359 or +61 3 9905 1232
Email: dpsych.enquiries@med.monash.edu.au

The completed preliminary application form, along with

• original academic transcripts or certified copies of transcripts,
• completed forms from three referees,
• evidence of an assessment of your psychology qualifications by the Australian Psychological Society – see http://www.psychology.org.au/membership/qualifications/ (NOTE assessments cost AU$575 and can take up to 8 weeks), and
• a letter from your university stating your overall grade and ranking within the final year of your undergraduate psychology program,

must be submitted to:

• the Postgraduate Studies Office (details above ) AND
• Monash International Admissions – documents@adm.monash.edu.au

by the closing date for applications stated below. Please note that international applications can often take longer to process by the International Admissions office, and we therefore recommend that you lodge your application form at least 3 weeks before the closing date.

Phase 2: Interview

Applicants who are short-listed on the basis of Phase 1 information will be required to attend an interview between 12th – 14th November, 2008.

Phase 3: Final Application

Applicants who are provisionally offered a place in the DPsych (Clinical) program will need to consolidate their thesis topic and formalise supervisory arrangements in order to submit their final application for submission to the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and Monash Research Graduate School.