Master of Professional Psychology
Course information for - 2026 entry
Domestic
- Domestic
- International
- Domestic
- International
Offered at 1 locations
- Melbourne
- Melbourne
- Duration
- 1 year full-time or equivalent part-time
- Fees (first year)*
- Start dates
-
Semester 1 intake: Beginning February 2026
Applications open August 2025
Midyear (Semester 2) intake: Not available
Overview
The Master of Professional Psychology (MProfPsych) is a fifth-year program in psychology, open to graduates of an APAC accredited fourth-year (or equivalent) psychology program.
The MProfPsych program is designed to provide graduates in psychology with an additional year of education in the professional practice of psychology. This year prepares graduates for a final year of supervised practice prior to general registration as a psychologist.
The MProfPsych program provides students with an opportunity to learn and demonstrate their knowledge and skills in the 8 core capabilities and attributes as required to practice psychology. This program includes a simulated practicum unit as well as an external placement which enables students to translate their theoretical knowledge to professional and simulated environments to enhance their skill development.
This program offers students the ‘5 + 1’ pathway to registration as a psychologist through this supervised practice pathway.
Professional experience
Students complete a 300-hour external placement in a clinical setting.
Work placement
Students complete their practicum placement of campus at a partner external organisation. ACU has a dedicated MProfPsych Placement Coordinator who assists students to secure a suitable placement with one of our industry partners. During their placement, students gain experience in assessment, diagnosis, and therapy under close individual and group supervision conducted by experienced Board approved supervisors. Practicum options include schools, disability services, prisons, not-for-profit and private practice settings.
Professional recognition
This course is currently accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)
Please note that a minimum six-year sequence of education and training in psychology is required for an individual to become eligible for general registration as a psychologist in Australia.
Careers
Graduates will be well prepared to work with individuals and groups across the lifespan in a variety of settings.
our graduates have pursued psychology careers in:
- disability settings
- forensic settings
- hospital settings
- community settings
- private settings
- educational settings
Some of our graduates have gone on to further study leading to area of practice endorsement via completion of a 2-year master's degree or the bridging pathway.
Course details
Course structure
To complete the Master of Professional Psychology, a student must complete 80 credit points (cp).
Course map
Graduate statement
AQF framework
Additional course information
Please note that Inherent Requirements, i.e. the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to completed this course that need to be met by all students, have been developed for this course. For further information please visit the Inherent Requirements for Psychology courses webpage.
Students are required to obtain provisional registration as a psychologist prior to commencing the course, and to have completed a Working with Children check and appropriate police checks before they are able complete practicum units.
Entry requirements
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
International applicants need to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed the following prerequisites:
a.
- a Bachelor degree with Honours in an accredited Psychology course with a minimum of Honours IIB completed in the last 10 years;
- OR
- a Bachelor degree with accredited 4th-year equivalent major study in Psychology (with performance deemed of the same level as Honours IIB) completed in the last 10 years;
and
b. demonstrated suitability to undertake the course as evidenced by satisfactory:
- academic referee report;
- professional referee report; and
- for short-listed candidates, interview with the selection committee.
and
c. be eligible for provisional registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia.
Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2026 Admission.
Applicants with higher education study
You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements and subject prerequisites for your chosen course.
If you have completed at least two units of AQF-recognised study at bachelor level or above, we’ll assign you with a new selection rank that reflects your study level, duration, and grade point average.
If your prior study or relevant work experience has provided you with knowledge, skills or experience aligned with the learning outcomes of units in your new course, you may be eligible to gain credit for study or have your prior learning recognised. This means you may be able to complete your ACU course in a shorter timeframe.
You can use our credit search tool to see what you might be eligible for. For more information about credit and recognition of prior learning at ACU, follow the link below.
English language requirements
Applicants require an academic IELTS minimum overall score of 7.0 (with a minimum score of 7.0 in all bands), or an equivalent acceptable test score as outlined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy (see English Language Proficiency).
Inherent requirement
There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.
Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you
Pathways
Further study
Graduates may be eligible to progress to other psychology higher degree programs. ACU also offers the Master of Clinical Psychology (Post Registration) | ACU Online courses. This degree is a 6th year of training leading to an area of practice endorsement in clinical psychology, and for which registered psychologists who have completed an APAC accredited master's degree are eligible to apply. MProfPsych graduates will be eligible to apply for this degree once they complete their 6th year internship, the National Psychology Exam, and register as general psychologists.
Fees
Course costs
*This is an indicative first-year fee based on the tuition fee rates for a full-time student, using unit enrolment data from domestic students who studied the course in the previous year.
A student’s annual fee will vary depending on factors including:
- Number of units studied per year
- Choice of major or specialisation
- Elective units
The University reviews fees annually.
You can view current course costs and domestic tuition fee rates by unit.
A 10% rebate on fees will be offered to domestic ACU graduates (from any faculty) enrolling in full fee-paying postgraduate studies in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Conditions apply.
Payment options
You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support. Students enrolled in this course may be eligible to receive Youth Allowance (student), or Austudy and/or the Pensioner Education Supplement
Scholarships
You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.
Staff Profile
Dr Elizabeth Pizarro-Campagna
Lecturer, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Dr Elizabeth Pizarro-Campagna is a psychology lecturer and course co-ordinator in the School of Behavioural and Health Sciences based at the Melbourne campus. She coordinates the Master of Professional Psychology program, provides research and clinical supervision to students completing the Master of Clinical Psychology and the Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology programs, and provides research supervision to psychology honours, masters and PhD students.
Dr Pizarro-Campagna has worked as a psychologist since 2006, and has dual endorsements in clinical, and educational and developmental psychology. In 2019 she completed her PhD at ACU, in collaboration with Orygen’s Helping Young People Early (HYPE) research team, on the socioemotional functioning of young people with borderline personality disorder. She is a mid-career research and is a member of the Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre's Psychology Mechanisms and Innovations program. She has research interests and collaborations with a focus on understanding psychological and transdiagnostic factors, such as social cognition and emotion regulation, that are associated with mental health and functional outcomes in typically developing adolescents and clinical populations (borderline personality disorder, chronic pain). More recently, her research has expanded to explore the education of psychologists, including factors that contribute to success and retention in the profession (e.g., burnout, supervision, and mental health) and the use of technologies such as large language model (LLM) chatbots, AI, and virtual reality in preparing psychologists for clinical practice.