6.1 Entry requirements
6.1.1 Entry to the Program of Study requires completion within the last 10 years of:
(i) an APAC‐Accredited AQF Level 8 (or higher) Program of Study in which the candidate achieved at least an upper second class honours (H2A) or equivalent overall mark, or (ii) a qualification obtained in an Overseas Country which has been assessed as substantially
comparable to (i) by an assessing authority recognised by APAC.
6.1.2 Entry to the Program of Study requires each candidate to pass an assessment interview and/or other assessment processes designed to determine the candidate’s suitability for the professional education and training required by the Program.
6.2 Purpose and learning outcomes
6.2.1 The stated purposes of the Program of Study are to:
(i) build on the knowledge and skills acquired in previous studies;
(ii) undertake a program of independent study that produces significant and original research outcomes culminating in a thesis;
(iii) undertake advanced training at the Doctoral level, including the acquisition of substantial knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to the field of work or learning;
(iv) undertake advanced level education and training in the professional practice of psychology, including an area of specialised practice which prepares graduates for entry to a PsyBA Area of Practice Endorsement Registrar Program, and
(v) undertake advanced training in the interpretation of published empirical data and its application to the professional practice of psychology.
6.2.2 The stated learning outcomes of the Program of Study include:
(i) a requirement to achieve advanced knowledge, ability to apply ethical principles and to practice psychology ethically in professional contexts;
(ii) a requirement to achieve advanced knowledge and skills in advanced research practice;
(iii) a requirement to achieve advanced knowledge in psychological testing, including the theoretical and empirical bases underpinning the construction, implementation, and interpretation of some of the more widely used cognitive and personality assessments, and skills in the ethical use of psychological tests;
(iv) a requirement to reach competence in each of the competencies listed in the Appendix C, and
(v) a requirement to reach mastery in each of the competencies listed in one of the endorsed areas in the APAC Standards for Programs of Study Supporting the Development of an Area of Practice Endorsement.
6.3 Minimum credit point quanta4
6.3.1 The Program of Study leads to an AQF Level 10 Doctoral qualification and requires completion of a total of no less than 192 APAC Credit Points (240 ECTS) even when undertaken in any accelerated mode.
6.3.2 No less than 192 APAC Credit Points (240 ECTS) of the Program of Study must be dedicated to advanced education and training in psychology.
6.3.3 No less than 96 APAC Credit Points (120 ECTS) of the Program of Study must be allocated to research and research methods including designing, executing and reporting on a scientific psychology research project at the frontier of work or learning and which produces significant and original research outcomes.
6.4 Credit and advanced standing
6.4.1 The Education Provider permits the granting of credit /advanced standing equivalent to no more than 96 APAC Credit Points (120 ECTS) on the basis of successfully completed psychology units which:
(i) are assessed as closely comparable to those for which credit is being sought;
(ii) were completed in an APAC‐Accredited AQF Level 9 Program of Study within the last 10 years, and
(iii) were not components of a research project or research‐based thesis.
6.4.2 Advanced Standing or credit can only be granted for placement where the supervised practice which occurred in that placement:
(i) occurred within an APAC‐Accredited Program completed within the last two years, and (ii) was of a comparable nature (including any specialised practice) to the placement for which
credit is sought.
6.4.3 The total amount of Advanced Standing or credit for placement granted to any student of the Program is never more than 33% of the total practical placement required by the Program.
6.5 Required elements
6.5.1 The Program of Study incorporates all of the guiding principles and the standards of the current version of the National Practice Standards for the Mental Health Workforce (Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing).
6.5.2 The Program of Study includes advanced (Doctoral level) training in research methods.
6.5.3 The Program of Study includes substantial advanced training in ethics and ethical psychological practice, including the application to practice of the code of ethics currently adopted by the PsyBA and the current version of the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.
6.5.4 The Program of Study includes advanced knowledge in psychological assessment and testing and advanced skills training in the ethical use of psychological tests.
6.5.5 The Program of Study includes a Doctoral‐level research project which:
(i) aims to result in an original contribution to the discipline of psychology;
4 NB The APAC minimum credit point requirements set out in 6.3 may not be sufficient for a Program to achieve eligibility for Research Training Scheme funding.
(ii) requires at least one Research Supervisor who is a member of staff of the Education Provider;
(iii) requires each student, under supervision, to address his or her own research question, conduct his or her own extensive empirical literature review, design the study including selecting appropriate methodology, collect and analyse the data to test the research question(s), interpret the data, and write up the report, and
(iv) requires submission of a written research report, either in APA format or formatted as a manuscript or manuscripts suitable for submission to relevant international peer reviewed journals.
6.5.6 The Program of Study requires that each candidate is advised, on admission, that should he/she be deemed unsuitable for registration by the PsyBA, he/she will not be permitted to progress to any components of the course which involve the provision of psychological services to Clients.
6.5.7 The Program of Study requires each student to pass an assessment of suitability for professional education and training before permitting him/her to enrol in the Program.
6.5.8 The Program of Study requires each student to:
(i) obtain provisional or general registration with the PsyBA before being permitted to progress to any components of the Program which involve the student in the provision of
psychological services to the public, and
(ii) maintain registration with the PsyBA for the remainder of his/her enrolment in the Program.
6.5.9 The Program of Study includes coverage of all content required to support achievement of each of the competencies in Appendix C.
6.5.10 The Program of Study includes a range of coursework and pratica based on recent literature concerning the education and training of psychologists published in well regarded international journals.
6.5.11 The Program of Study shows evidence of careful integration of coursework and practical placement experiences to maximise acquisition and development of competence.
6.5.12 Program of Study requires each student to successfully complete a total of no less than 1500 hours of logged supervised Client Contact and Client‐related Activities which are integrated into the Program’s practica and skills training components.
6.5.13 The Program of Study requires supervised practical placement experiences:
(i) which require each student to obtain provisional (or general) registration with the PsyBA before any placement can commence;
(ii) which include at least two placements external to the Education Provider’s facilities;
(iii) which include logged hours of supervised practice with real Clients;
(iv) for which the maximum amount of credit that can be given is no more than 33% of the total practical placement required by the Program of Study;
(v) during which each student has an identified Principal Supervisor who provides close
supervision of the student, and is responsible for the student’s practice and behaviour while on placement;
(vi) during each of which the student has an identified Principal Supervisor who is required to:
maintain general registration with the PsyBA; maintain qualifications and experience appropriate to the supervision of the student’s practice at the relevant placement setting, and maintain the required supervisor recognition status with the PsyBA;
(vii) in which every placement experience provided as part of the Program of Study includes a mandatory placement learning contract between the Education Provider and the
organisation in which the placement occurs, containing learning outcomes and other details of the nature of the practice to be undertaken including the amount and nature of
supervision to be provided;
(viii) each of which requires a review of the student’s performance and of the supervisor’s compliance with the contract at the midpoint and at the end;
(ix) on conclusion of which a report setting out the student’s performance marks on a series of competency assessments derived from the list of competencies in Appendix C and the competencies in the APAC Standards for Programs of Study Supporting the Development of an Area of Practice Endorsement is always produced and held on file by the Education Provider;
(x) for which entries are made into the student’s log book and such entries are always signed by the Principal Supervisor as true and correct entries, and
6.5.14 The Program of Study requires each student to keep a single log book of practica:
(i) comprising of three sections: (1) a Record of Practice, (2) a Record of Professional
Development and (3) a Record of Supervision the structure of which conforms to the PsyBA Weekly Record of Professional Practice for Provisional Psychologists PPLB‐10 proforma;
(ii) in which the Record of Practice includes daily details of the nature and hours of all practice at placement and during other practica undertaken (internal and external to the Education Provider’s facilities), signed by the student at least weekly, and sighted and signed by the Principal Supervisor on at least a weekly basis (or fortnightly when part‐time), and which clearly specifies the nature of all Client related work undertaken.
(iii) in which the Record of Professional Development includes a record of any professional development activities undertaken which are additional to the requirements of the Program of Study showing the date, duration, format and a description of the activity as well as the name and profile of the presenter;
(iv) in which the Record of Supervision includes an entry showing the date, nature and duration of every supervision session, clearly differentiating group from individual supervision, and in which the signed notation of the supervisor states that the entry is an accurate
representation of the practica undertaken and which clearly shows in a readable form the supervisor’s name accompanying each signature;
(v) a copy of which is retained by the Education Provider for 10 years after the date of graduation of the student and which is provided on request for inspection by APAC or the PsyBA, and
(vi) that is required to be checked at completion of the Program of Study, confirmed by the signature of the/a Principal Supervisor on the log book itself.
6.5.15 The Program of Study requires that all reports and case notes written by the student which arise from practica undertaken with real Clients must bear the signature of the Principal Supervisor.
6.5.16 The Program of Study requires that each supervisor undertaking the supervision of students who are involved in any practica involving real Clients:
(i) must maintain general registration with the PsyBA;
(ii) must maintain qualifications and experience appropriate to the supervision of the student’s practice, and
(iii) must maintain the required supervisor recognition status with the PsyBA;
(iv) must supply to the coordinator of the Program an up‐to‐date curriculum vitae including details of her/his qualifications, registration status and relevant experience and these documents are made available to APAC or the PsyBA on request;
(v) must ensure that the minimum rate of supervision provided is never less than 1 hour of supervision for every 17.5 hours of psychological practice (where the supervision hour is not counted as one of the 17.5 hours), and
(vi) must directly observe the student practising with Clients.
6.5.17 The Program of Study requires that no more than 33% of the supervision provided for Client‐
related practica is group supervision.
6.5.18 The Program of Study meets all of the specialised area of practice Standards relevant to one of the areas of endorsement set down in the APAC Standards for Programs of Study Supporting the Development of an Area of Practice Endorsement (a separate document).
6.6 Assessment
6.6.1 The Program of Study requires the examination of a Doctoral‐level research report or thesis adhering to APA format (or manuscripts suitable for submission to relevant international peer reviewed journals) including an extensive review of the relevant scientific empirical literature.
6.6.2 The Program of Study requires that the research report or thesis must be assessed by at least two examiners external to the Education Provider and who hold Doctoral qualifications.
6.6.3 The Program of Study does not permit the research report or thesis to be examined by any Research Supervisor of the student or any collaborator who participated in the research project being reported.
6.6.4 The Program of Study requires the successful completion of a range of formative and of summative assessments, including each of:
(i) written examinations;
(ii) viva voce examinations, and
(iii) observed structured clinical examinations (OSCEs),
designed to assess achievement, to a satisfactory level of mastery, each of the competencies set out in Appendix C and in one of the endorsed areas in the APAC Standards for Programs of Study Supporting the Development of an Area of Practice Endorsement.
6.6.5 The Program of Study requires that the assessment of each competence includes the formal recording of a mark reflecting the assessed level of mastery and professionalism achieved, and that these marks are stored for at least 10 years in case of audit.
6.6.6 The Program of Study requires the successful completion of each and every competency, unit, component and requirement, including all assessment tasks, before any student is permitted to graduate from the Program of Study.
6.6.7 The Program of Study requires every student to achieve no less than 50% on each every assessment of competence undertaken as part of the Program of Study.