Masters (Coursework)
Gain the knowledge, skills and accreditation required to work as a clinical psychologist in hospitals, community health and other clinical settings.
The Master of Psychology (Clinical) program began in 1971.
Gain the knowledge, skills and accreditation required to work as a clinical psychologist in hospitals, community health and other clinical settings.
The Master of Psychology (Clinical) program began in 1971. It focuses on adult, adolescent and child clinical psychology as well as neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation. In addition to coursework, you'll complete a research thesis, in the form of a scholarly journal article, on a topic relevant to clinical or abnormal psychology.
You'll develop a broad range of psychological expertise based on academic knowledge, research abilities and clinical skills. Upon completion of the program, you'll be equipped to diagnose, assess and treat people with psychological issues and disorders.
Study with the best
The UNSW School of Psychology is one of the best in Australia. We're ranked 24th in the world for psychology*, attracting award-winning staff and offering excellence and innovation in our teaching. The School of Psychology has strong links with professional practitioners in the areas of clinical, neuropsychological and forensic psychology.
Prepare for professional practice
You'll begin seeing clients in your first year of study. This program includes a professional practice component, where you'll complete a minimum of 1,000 supervised practicum hours within the UNSW Psychology Clinic
Learn from industry-leading educators
You come to university to learn from the experts - researchers who are leaders in their fields, striving to create new knowledge. The School of Psychology is well known for its research tradition. Many of our staff have international reputations in their respective fields and a number are Fellows of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences. Our staff attract several million dollars in external research funds per year. Our staff publications receive more citations than any other psychology department in Australia and we have one of the highest rates of PhD graduations in psychology of any Australian university. We earn more competitive research funding and publish more Tier 1 journal articles per academic than any other psychology school in Australia.
Access cutting-edge facilities
Our teaching facilities include world-leading behavioural neuroscience laboratories and cognitive testing laboratories running specialist software that will allow you to design/implement your own psychological research and analyse/interpret the data you collect. You'll also gain access to laboratories for the analysis of cognition and brain function, including electroencephalography (EEG), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and eye-tracking.
*QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021
The minimum academic eligibility requirement is completion of a four-year APAC-accredited sequence in psychology, including a major research thesis/project, with Honours Class 1 (85%), or international equivalent. Qualifications must have been completed within the last 10 years (exceptions may be possible in limited circumstances).
Psychology qualifications from overseas must include a major research thesis/project and must be assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) as equivalent to a four-year APAC-accredited sequence in psychology completed in Australia. Please note you must have your qualification assessed before you apply.
As the number of places available each year is limited, entry into this program is competitive. Selection is based on academic qualifications, two referee reports and performance at an interview. Only shortlisted applicants will be invited to participate in an interview - remote participation may be permitted in limited circumstances.
Applicants must:
All applicants, domestic and international, are encouraged to use AHPRA's Pathways diagram for all professions
For more information, please refer to our FAQs.
The minimum academic eligibility requirement is completion of a four-year APAC-accredited sequence in psychology, including a major research thesis/project, with Honours Class 1 (85%), or international equivalent. Qualifications must have been completed within the last 10 years (exceptions may be possible in limited circumstances).
Psychology qualifications from overseas must include a major research thesis/project and must be assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) as equivalent to a four-year APAC-accredited sequence in psychology completed in Australia. Please note you must have your qualification assessed before you apply.
As the number of places available each year is limited, entry into this program is competitive. Selection is based on academic qualifications, two referee reports and performance at an interview. Only shortlisted applicants will be invited to participate in an interview - remote participation may be permitted in limited circumstances.
Applicants must:
All applicants, domestic and international, are encouraged to use AHPRA's Pathways diagram for all professions, opens in a new window
For more information, please refer to our FAQs.
Clinical psychology is an ideal career path for people who enjoy working with and caring for others. At UNSW Science, our graduates demonstrate skills in assessment, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of problems at an individual and group level.
Clinical psychologists work in a range of settings including:
The number of available jobs is increasing - within the next five years, job openings are expected to increase by 30%, which means that each year, 7,600 new jobs will be generated
*Job Outlook
The program is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council
Graduates are also eligible for Associate Membership of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists. After completing a Psychology Board of Australia approved Clinical Psychology registrar program, graduates will be eligible to apply for APS College of Clinical Psychology Fellowship and endorsement as a Clinical Psychologist.
"I am extremely grateful to have studied the Master of Psychology (Clinical) degree at UNSW. The staff involved in the degree are some of the top academics and clinicians in the field. Learning from people of such high calibre meant that I felt well positioned to begin my journey as a practicing Psychologist once I had graduated. I also really enjoyed the small student to teacher ratio. Throughout the degree this meant that I was able to receive consistent individualised feedback on my work that allowed me to develop my professional identity as a clinician."
Luke Brock
Clinical Psychology Registrar
"Completing the Masters of Clinical Psychology at UNSW allowed me to gain the clinical training, experience and confidence to go out and practice as a psychologist in a wide range of clinical roles. I went on to work in public hospitals, private hospitals and private practice settings. I saw a range of different clients and worked with various health professionals which has shaped me to be the clinician I am today. I now also supervise early career psychologists and have opened up my own private practice. The Masters program was such a strong foundation for me to build everything else on, and I am very thankful for the opportunity to have had that training."
Natasha Herbert
Clinical Psychologist