Degree overview

Practice as a Clinical Psychologist

Our program is a professional qualification for those who wish to practice as a Clinical Psychologist. We offer expert supervision in our Psychology clinic and local health care and community settings. Our course will give you the skills to work in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of a wide range of psychological disorders across the lifespan.

Career opportunities

Following graduation, you will be able to apply to Ahpra to obtain general registration.

Then you can complete an additional registrar program under the supervision of a registered psychologist with an endorsed area of practice in clinical psychology. Then you may apply to Ahpra to become registered with an area of endorsement in clinical psychology and become a Clinical Psychologist.

Our program will prepare you to professionally practice as a clinical psychologist in clinical and community settings. As well as provide a broad range of psychological services to long-term patients to treat mild to complex mental health conditions.

Career prospects may include:

  • Registered Psychologist
  • Clinical Psychology Registrar
  • Clinical Psychologist
Icon of a group of people

96% employed within four months of graduating.

(Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021-2023, Postgraduate Psychology)

Master of Clinical Psychology

UAC Code , Program Code 40187

Duration (FT)(PT)
Next start date

CRICOS Code , Program Code 40187

Indicative fee1
Duration (FT)(PT)
Next start date
Select your study options
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Admission info

Duration (FT)(PT)

Next start date

Important: Our academic calendar is changing in 2026, with Semester 1 commencing on 27 January. Find out more.

UAC Code

Program Code 40187

This criteria is based on a domestic student attending campus. Please select your criteria to personalise your study options and your circumstances.

This program may be eligible for subsidised tuition through Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP).

Application closing dates
Find out when applications close for available intakes

Apply via UAC

Indicative fee1

Duration (FT)(PT)

Next start date

Important: Our academic calendar is changing in 2026, with Semester 1 commencing on 27 January. Find out more.

English proficiency requirements IELTS overall minimum -
IELTS section minimum -

CRICOS Code

Program Code 40187

This criteria is based on a international student attending campus. Please select your criteria to personalise your study options and your circumstances.

Apply now

View program handbook

Master of Clinical Psychology and Master of Professional Psychology Webinar

5th August, 2025 at 5pm AEST

Join Dr Tanya Hanstock and Dr Sally Hunt to learn all about the Master of Clinical Psychology and Master of Professional Psychology at the University of Newcastle, including a Q&A with the Program Convenors.

Register now

What you will study

Our program offers courses that will enable you to gain comprehensive knowledge in:

  • Professional and ethical practice
  • Counselling and clinical interventions
  • Clinical neuropsychology
  • Clinical psychology of adults, children, and people with complex presentations.

2025 Program Handbook

The courses shown above are a guide, and don't reflect the exact year-by-year structure of the program, you should always refer to the program handbook for details of the complete program structure, course requirements and availability.

View program handbook

My Degree Planner

Use our degree planner to see what your study journey through the Master of Clinical Psychology might look like.

Prospective student planner Current student planner

Student experience

Student experience

With expert supervision in our Psychology clinic and local health care and community settings, the course will give you the skills to work in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of a wide range of psychological disorders. Hear from Dr Tanya Hanstock, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology

Where can a Master of Clinical Psychology take you? 2:00

Our program is a professional qualification for those who wish to practice as a Clinical Psychologist.

How to apply

How to apply

Apply as a domestic student

2026 applications are now open.

The application deadline is 11:59pm AEST 30th September 2025. No late applications will be accepted.

Before you get started

To ensure a smooth application process, please complete the following steps before applying:

  1. Review the Program Handbook.
  2. Review the Admission Requirements.
  3. Review the Program fees and costs.
  4. Decide on your preferred commencement date.

Note: Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the University of Newcastle’s English Language Proficiency requirements.


You are a domestic student if you are:

  • An Australian or New Zealand citizen (including dual citizens)
  • A permanent resident of Australia
  • A holder of a permanent Australian visa.

Application instructions

2026 applications are now open.

If you are an Australian Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident, hold an Australian Permanent Humanitarian Visa, or a New Zealand Citizen please follow the steps outlined below.

Please ensure that your application and ALL supporting documentation is provided to The University of Newcastle by 11:59pm AEST 30th September 2025. No late applications will be accepted.

Before following the application instructions, please review our inherent requirements for the Master of Clinical Psychology and the Master of Professional Psychology Programs.

There are eight domains of inherent requirements in the Master of Clinical Psychology and the Master of Professional Psychology:

  1. Ethical Behaviour
  2. Behavioural Stability
  3. Legal
  4. Communication
  5. Cognition
  6. Relational skills
  7. Reflective skills
  8. Sustainable Performance

You can find all information on our inherent requirements here.

Application timeline

2025 applications are now open.

All domestic applicants will be required to apply via the University of Newcastle’s Postgraduate Application Portal. You will be required to supply the following documentation:

- 100 points of identification.

- For Australian Permanent Residents, a copy of your passport linked to your visa.

- Evidence of your English Language Proficiency equivalent to an IELTS overall result of 7.0 with no subtest below 7.0. Most applicants who have completed their undergraduate study within Australia will meet this requirement.

- Colour or certified copies of your official academic transcripts, published papers, awards, certificates and/or other documentation evidencing completed education. For applicants who have studied outside of Australia, you will be required to provide evidence that your qualifications have been assessed by the Australian Psychology Society (APS) as equivalent to the Australia Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) 4th Year Psychology Sequence.
Please note that this process can take time, so please ensure that you apply to have this assessed prior to our application closing date, 30th September 2025.

- A detailed Curriculum Vitae

- The email address linked to your Psychology Reference Portal.

Additionally, if you are offered admission to the Master of Clinical Psychology or the Master of Professional Psychology you will be required to apply for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) (unless you already are provisionally or fully registered). Please make sure that you are eligible for provisional registration, including satisfying Ahpra’s English Language Proficiency requirements.

All applicants must provide TWO referee reports. This could be either one Academic and one Professional reference, or two Professional References, depending on your circumstances.

Please note: It is your responsibility to ensure that your referees complete the report via the Psychology Reference Portal before the 30th September 11:59pm (AEST) deadline.

References submitted in 2024 are not available for review, and you will need to request new references to be considered for 2026 admission.

Complete the Master of Clinical Psychology and Master of Professional Psychology Admission Portfolio and submit your portfolio and supporting documents within this form.

The University of Newcastle welcomes and encourages Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to consider applying for entry into our postgraduate psychology programs.

Across our Master of Professional Psychology Program (MPP) and Master of Clinical Psychology Program (MCP) there are two CSP places in the MPP and four CSP places in the MCP which are given preferentially to our highest-ranking Indigenous applicants.

All applicants will be evaluated on their academic achievement, personal statement, curriculum vitae, referee reports, and performance on an interview to ensure that they have the preparedness to undertake the program.

To be considered for CSP places, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants are required to:

Please review the UON Establishing Status within the University policy and if you have any questions or would like more information about this pathway, please contact Dr Stacey McMullen (Stacey.McMullen@newcastle.edu.au).

For all other enquiries, please contact:

CSP places are being prioritised for those who identify and are officially recognised as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander as part of an exception of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 [s51], which is being applied to achieve equality.

Other things to consider

Admission to the degree is competitive. Applicants require all of the following in order to be considered for a place in the program:

  • Hold a four year, or three year plus a fourth year, Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited sequence in psychology, which has been completed with an upper second class Honours (2A) or above, or an overall GPA above 6.0 in the 4th year component of a non Honours program; or be a currently registered psychologist with the PsyBA who can demonstrate current compliance with Registration Board Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements; or have achieved an overall GPA of 6.0 or above (7-point scale) in an APAC accredited Master of Professional Psychology program or equivalent APAC accredited 5th year program of study; and
  • Eligibility for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia; and
  • Satisfying the School of Psychology of their suitability for the professional practice of clinical psychology. When evaluating suitability, the School will take into account previous relevant experience, reports of referees, units of study previously completed, and the outcome of a selection interview. Selection criteria will also be based on applicants demonstrating a clear understanding of Clinical Psychology and the areas in which a clinical psychologist might work. Desirable criteria include research experience additional to Honours and involvement with professional organisations (e.g Australian Psychological Society).

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

In addition to the above selection criteria - applicants with a minimum of one year full-time (or equivalent) work experience as a fully registered psychologist (with no conditions on their registration) may apply for RPL for up to 80 units. Applicants will need to provide evidence of achievement of Level 3 Professional Competencies in the course of an assessment of personal and professional suitability and evaluation of prior learning. Such evidence may include, but is not limited to: registration details, work history, log books and evidence of professional development in order to verify their work experience. All RPL applications will be individually assessed, by an assessment team that includes at least one clinical psychologist, in order to ensure that professional competencies have been met.

All Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the University’s English proficiency requirement. Further information regarding English language proficiency requirements can be found at the English Language Proficiency for Admission Policy here.

Internationally qualified applicants who did not complete their secondary education in English must demonstrate that they have the necessary English language skills for registration purposes. This requires:

  • a minimum score of 7 in each component of the IELTS academic module, OET or specified alternatives; and
  • test results to be obtained within two years prior to registration application.

The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) standards stipulate that students must spend at least 1000 hours in clinical placements to meet competencies required for general registration as a psychologist through the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) supported by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). This requirement will be met with four of the courses within the program being devoted to clinical placements.

In addition to meeting the University's overall requirements for academic progression, students must satisfactorily complete the following courses to progress in their program.

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Scholarships

Scholarships

If you are a current student, or planning to study with us, we encourage you to apply for all scholarships you meet the criteria for.

Scholarships are available for current, future and international students, Asylum seekers, Graduate research, abroad and exchange study and opportunities with external providers.

Browse our scholarships

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