The faculty offers a Graduate Diploma in Educational Psychology, which is a specialist graduate course in psychology for students who hold a first degree and a major sequence in psychology. The graduate diploma may be undertaken either by full-time or by part-time study and must be completed in not less than one and not more than four years from the date of admission to candidature. Most classes are held in the late afternoon. The course for the diploma is a theoretical and practical introduction to the professional practice of psychology in education. Some training is given in professional skills (for example, counselling, psychological assessment, research, remedial techniques) but this is not its main orientation.
The content of the graduate diploma has been accredited by the Australian Psychological Society as providing a fourth year of study in psychology and completion of the graduate diploma is prima facie a qualification for associate membership, provided that in addition to other requirements at least five of the six subjects are from relevant areas of psychology. When enrolling, students should seek advice about whether their proposed course meets the society's requirements.
Students are advised that an APS-accredited fifth and sixth-year program of study is available within the Master of Psychology degrees.
Selection and enrolment
Selection is based on previous academic merit in degree studies, including a major sequence in psychology as approved by the Australian Psychological Society, and personal suitability for professional training.
Applicants for admission to this course should complete the appropriate application form which is available from the inquiry office, School of Graduate Studies.
Course outline
The course for the Graduate Diploma in Educational Psychology consists of a postgraduate program for students who hold a first degree with a major sequence in psychology approved by the Australian Psychological Society. It provides an introduction to the professional practice of psychology.
The course aims to establish a foundation of knowledge in areas such as counselling, psychological testing, and behaviour modification. The emphasis is theoretical rather than practical, and in order to develop the practical skills necessary to function as a psychologist, a period of supervised practice or further study in psychology (eg the MPsych offered in this faculty) should be undertaken following completion of the graduate diploma.
In addition, the course provides advanced training in the design, execution and analysis of research and each student completes an empirical research project.
To qualify for the graduate diploma a student must complete six subjects, including GED0150 (Professional issues in psychology), GED0151 and GED0152 (Empirical research in psychology parts I and II), and GED0153 (Psychological assessment). Of the remaining two subjects, one must be of a psychological nature, although it need not require a major sequence in psychology as a prerequisite. The other, however, may be chosen from any of those subjects available within the Bachelor of Educational Studies course. Information about these subjects can be obtained through course advisers. Students are required to complete GED0150 in their first semester.
The subjects to be offered in the faculty in 1995 for which a major sequence in psychology is a prerequisite are as follows:
* GED0150 Professional issues in psychology
* GED0151 Empirical research in psychology part I
* GED0152 Empirical research in psychology part II
* GED0153 Psychological assessment
* GED0155 Behaviour change strategies
* GED0156 Introduction to counselling and health psychology
Students must obtain approval for their course of study from Dr N C Nettleton or Associate Professor G N Molloy.