If you’re working towards becoming a registered psychologist and have already completed an accredited three-year undergraduate psychology degree or equivalent, this course provides you with an alternative option to an honours year to satisfy the educational requirements needed to register and work as a provisional psychologist.

If you're in your last semester of your undergraduate psychology degree, you can apply for an early conditional offer based on your results to date. You will need a GPA of at least 2.0 in all psychology units.

Students in the Graduate Diploma in Psychology must complete coursework at an advanced level as well as a group-based research project written up as an individual thesis.

On completion of this course, you can apply for a masters program in Psychology like the Master of Applied Psychology (Professional) or Master of Applied Psychology (Clinical).

4 reasons to study a Graduate Diploma in Psychology at Murdoch

• Complete a research project in an area of psychology that is of interest to you. You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of a particular topic, and develop high-level writing skills by preparing an individual thesis.
• Study on your own terms – we offer flexible study arrangements allowing you to study full-time or part-time.
• Take advantage of our scholarships such as the Murdoch University Academic Excellence Award.
• Start your first step to become a registered psychologist throughout the coursework units, which are specifically designed to enhance practical skills and theoretical knowledge necessary for psychologists.

Develop your skills

Build essential skills and knowledge to meet your career or study goals. Topics you’ll cover include:

• analytics and problem solving
• research and information sourcing
• critical thinking, judgment and decision making
• the appreciation of mental health issues and how this impacts at an individual, family and community level
• interpersonal, oral and written communication.

After obtaining the Graduate Diploma in Psychology degree, you can explore working in diverse areas both in public and private sectors because the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the Graduate Diploma in Psychology are highly versatile and applicable to many fields. You can be involved in policymaking, police and correction services, counselling services, market and consumer research, career guidance, and more. Graduate Careers Australia outlines some areas you might work in after graduating with a Psychology degree.

Professional recognition

This course is fully accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), and is recognised by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and the Western Australian Psychologists’ Registration Board.

As a graduate, you will have satisfied the minimum educational requirements for provisional registration to work as a psychologist in Australia (provided that your undergraduate degree is from an accredited psychology program), and will also be eligible to apply for entry into relevant Master courses in applied psychology.