4586 Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Neuropsychology)

Students will have to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements for a doctoral degree at Monash University. 

Full documentary evidence in support of English Language Proficiency (ELP) must be submitted with applications for admission and scholarship. Monash University reserves the right to seek further documentary evidence of ELP.

The program has been accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and on completion students qualify for general registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australian as well as membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

In order to gain endorsement as a clinical neuropsychologist, 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)
• 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 Progress 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 neuropsychology 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 neuropsychology 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

This course requires students to undertake off-campus clinical placements, which are organised by our dedicated Clinical Neuropsychology Placement Coordinator who works with students to ensure their training needs are met both within and across placements. Students are required to gain extensive supervised assessment, treatment and professional experience with a range of problems across varying age ranges. Thus, placements (introductory, intermediate and advanced) are available in a variety of settings within the health, rehabilitation, paediatric, psychiatric and forensic domains. Students' responsibilities in their placements increase as they proceed through the training so that by the final advanced placement, they should be able to independently carry out assessments and generate, implement and evaluate management plans.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Neuropsychology) is a graduate research degree offered by the School of Psychological Sciences. Enrolment involves the independent investigation of a research problem relevant to clinical neuropsychology as well as coursework and clinical placements. It is expected that the research undertaken will make a significant contribution to the knowledge and understanding of the field of clinical neuropsychology. Doctoral students are supported by a minimum of two supervisors throughout their enrolment.

Clinical neuropsychology is a field which applies an understanding of the neural basis of cognition, emotion and behaviour to the assessment and treatment of adults and children with conditions affecting the brain. Clinical neuropsychologists are employed in acute hospitals, rehabilitation centres, aged care programs, forensic settings, psychiatric settings, and paediatric facilities. Private practitioners undertake a range of work including medico-legal assessments.

The degree prepares graduates, using the scientist-practitioner model, to conduct research in neuropsychology and to work as clinical neuropsychologists in a broad range of settings.