4585 Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology)

Monash Level D: IELTS (Academic): 7.0 overall (no band lower than 7.0); or Pearson Test of English (Academic):  score of 65 overall with no band lower than 65; or TOEFL Internet-based test: score 98 overall with minimum scores: Writing: 27, Listening: 24, Reading: 24 and Speaking: 23; or Equivalent approved English test.

Please note: as students need to be provisionally or generally registered as a psychologist on commencement of the course, you must also be able to meet the mandatory AHPRA English language skills registration standard

Graduates are eligible for general registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia, part of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). The course is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). In order to gain endorsement as a clinical psychologist, an additional minimum 18 months of approved, supervised, full-time equivalent practice with a board-approved supervisor is required. Further information is available on the Psychology Board of Australia website.

Conditions of enrolment

You will be required to complete:

• Monash Graduate Research Induction (online)
• Research Integrity (online)
• Respectful Research at Monash (online)
• Cultural Foundations: Building your knowledge of Australia's First Peoples (online)
• any faculty or program induction requirements.

In addition, students may be required to undertake occupational health and safety training. As a student of the university, you will be required to abide by all relevant statutes, regulations, policies and procedures. This includes maintaining satisfactory progress via regular milestone reviews in accordance with the Graduate Research Candidature Management policy and procedures, ensuring you are undertaking research of an appropriate quality and scale as required by your course. You should refer to the University's current statutes and the University Policy Bank for links to relevant policies, procedures and guidelines.

Special requirements

You must refer to the information available on the special requirements outlined below. It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct documentation.

Police checks

You must have a current Police check regarding your suitability to undertake placements. Refer to the faculty's Police checks webpage.

Working with Children checks

You must have a current Working with Children check regarding your suitability to undertake placements. Refer to the faculty's Working with Children checks webpage.

Health requirements

For the protection of other students, patients and themselves, doctoral students in clinical psychology should comply with certain precautionary procedures. This policy is in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council advice that educational institutions training students in health sciences should ensure that such students are protected as far as possible by vaccination against risks of infection. The faculty's own policy requires that all students accept responsibility for having a satisfactory immunisation status at the commencement of the course.

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

In keeping with a student's professional responsibilities, all doctoral students in clinical psychology must be provisionally registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and must keep the School of Psychological Sciences informed of any matters that would impact on that registration. Students may apply for general registration as a psychologist in Australia upon successful completion of the degree.

Practicum placements

Our dedicated clinical placement coordinator works with each student to ensure that their individual training needs are met both within and across placements. All of our students have their first placement at the Turner Clinics, with close supervision from one of our members of staff (board-accredited supervisors). Our placement coordinator then facilitates external placements with a diverse range of clinical populations in both public and private mental health care settings, who are partnered with Monash.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) is a professional doctorate program that integrates advanced practitioner training in clinical psychology with graduate research training to prepare you for work as a Clinical Psychologist and an academic leader in the field of clinical psychology. Our graduates use their knowledge of psychology and mental health for the assessment, diagnosis, formulation, treatment and prevention of psychological problems and mental illness across the lifespan in research and clinical settings.  

The course is founded on a commitment to excellence in clinical training and clinical research that can positively impact the brain and mental health of the community. During the program, you will conduct an independent, meaningful and novel investigation of a research problem relevant to clinical psychology under the guidance of experienced academics. You will learn from passionate clinical educators through coursework, and expert clinical supervisors across three clinical placements. You will become a scientist-practitioner with generalised and specialised clinical skills, that enables you to respond to complex mental health problems, that is culturally responsive, in order to help people thrive.

The course is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as a fifth and sixth year of study in Psychology. Graduates of the program are eligible for general registration as a Psychologist and entry to a registrar program toward Area of Practice Endorsement as a Clinical Psychologist.