Postgraduate Psychology
Not sure where you want to work after graduation? A rural placement with us lets you try out the wide variety of different options that exist within the field of Professional or Clinical Psychology. Going rural with us gives you a competitive edge on your CV. Explore some of NSW’s most beautiful communities while gaining interprofessional skills and networks, and a wide variety of clinical experience.
Completing a 10-week placement in Kempsey on the Mid North Coast was one of the best decisions I have made in my post graduate studies. By living and working there, I developed a better understanding of the unique experience of rural-living Australians. I spent half of my stay in the student accommodation in Port Macquarie with other allied health students, and the second half with a local family in a smaller coastal town, closer to placement. I had opportunity to work in the public mental health service with a diverse clinical population. Due to the smaller and more integrated service compared to our cities, I worked alongside several multidisciplinary teams, and thus was able to grasp how the service operates through the many layers of clinical care. I worked across acute care, case management, therapy, older persons, and inpatient. This unique experience allowed me to challenge and extend my clinical skills, all while exploring the beautiful countryside and coastline."
Annie Insley-Blaszk – Master of Clinical Psychology Student
Top reasons Master of Clinical Psychology and Master of Professional Psychology students choose rural:
- World-class learning facilities
- Greater patient access and small-group learning
- Interdisciplinary learning and exposure
- Subsidised student accommodation*
- Opportunities to engage with the local community and to study and socialise with students from a variety of health professions
*Students can access free accommodation in Moree or apply for subsidised accommodation at one of our other main locations. Read more about student accommodation in our Student Orientation Manual.
Placements Information
Throughout your program, Clinical Psychology students will complete 1000 placement hours and Professional Psychology students will complete 300 placement hours across multiple placements. You can complete a rural placement in a professional or clinical setting that best suits your program. During your rural placement you may have the opportunity to be involved in interprofessional activities that will strengthen your understanding of patient centred approaches to health care and build connections with other allied health students.
Competitive study advantage or learn from the best
Psychology services are in high demand right across NSW, with placement opportunities available in a wide range of areas across a broad range of locations. Supporting positive mental health in rural and regional communities is a national priority and provisional psychologists are well placed to contribute to this goal while gaining important clinical skills. Being placed outside a metropolitan area allows provisional psychologists to develop a breadth of experience and flexibility of practice that sets them in a strong position for graduate employability. For our provisional psychologists who come from a regional area, there is the valuable opportunity to spend time in their community while studying and develop professional networks that will allow them to work in their hometowns.
Funding support
You may be entitled to a scholarship or grant to assist your studies, such as Health Education and Training scholarships.
How to apply
Contact your placement coordinator to express interest in completing a rural placement. Once you have your rural placement, you must register with us via our placement portal to access community and accommodation support.
More information
Sonja Pohlman – Postgraduate Psychology Placement Coordinator
Email: Sonja.Pohlman@newcastle.edu.au
Phone: (02) 5055 3017
Zoom or face to face placement discussion: calendly.com/sonja-pohlman/15min
Location: W127 - University Callaghan Interactive Campus Map
CESE Professional Experience Unit
Email: CESE-PEU@newcastle.edu.au
Phone: (02) 4921 7302
Location: W357 – University Callaghan Interactive Campus Map
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.