Off-Campus Learning Guide 2004
Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Master of Psychology (Health)

Course code: 3502 + Department of Psychology, Caulfield campus + Full-fee- paying course: 2004 fees TBA (Australian residents); Not available to international students

Aims

On completion of the course, students will have:

• developed skills in consultation with individuals, organisations, and community groups about psychosocial development and adaptation,
• developed an understanding of the biopsychosocial bases of health and illness
• developed skills in the design and implementation of psychosocial programs to promote and maintain health, prevent and treat illness, and rehabilitate persons with disability,
• gained advanced knowledge of sociocultural factors associated with health and illness, organisational structures and the function of health care systems
• gained advanced knowledge of the different models of health care, of issues associated with chronic health problems, of important elements in the patient - practitioner relationship, and of factors in the process of adjustment to loss,
• developed skills in the psychological treatments relevant to health and illness (eg pain management, addiction)
• formulated, carried out and reported independent research
• applied research principles, methods and findings to professional practice
• developed skills in evaluation, selection, administration and interpretation of a range of psychometric tests
• understood and applied the APS Code of Professional Conduct to research and practice.

Professional recognition

The program has been granted conditional accreditation by the Australian Psychological Society and students are eligible for associate membership of the APS College of Health Psychologists. Students are able to apply for registration as a psychologist at the completion of the program.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a minimum of a second class honours degree in psychology or equivalent from an APS-accredited program. Students should therefore be eligible for associate membership of the APS. Suitability to the role of a professional working in the public arena will be assessed by referees' reports and, if necessary, by interview. Students must be registered as a probationary psychologist at the beginning of the course to qualify for legal registration as a psychologist in the State of Victoria at the completion of the program.

Special requirements

The off-campus learning mode will require access to a personal computer (preferably a Pentium 111) with a minimum memory of 32KB RAM and a CD-ROM drive to complete assignments and conduct analyses necessary to a research report at masters level. Students must also have access to the internet and email.

Attendance

Attendance at residential schools is compulsory throughout the four years of the program. There will be one five-day compulsory residential school per semester. The first of three supervised placements (42 days each) will begin in year two and will continue through the remainder of the program. Work towards the research report will also commence in year two and continue until the completion of the course.

Course structure

The course is offered over four years part-time.

Major studies

The following units will be offered:

• MHP5011 Introduction to health psychology
• MHP5051 Clinical health psychology
• MHP5032 Health promotion
• MHP5052 Counselling and professional practice 1
• MHP5082 Counselling and professional practice 2
• MHP5072 Psychological assessment
• MHP5102 Placement 1
• MHP5081 Multivariate statistics
• MHP5093 Research thesis
• MHP5112 Placement 2
• MHP5122 Placement 3

Only one of the following units:

• MHP5062 Advanced health promotion
• MHP5071 Advanced clinical health psychology

Assessment

Assessment consists of coursework, a research report and supervised placements. A pass in all components is required for satisfactory completion of the course.

Advanced standing for previous study

There will be scope for students who have completed coursework and/supervised placements of equivalent standing to those in the program to be granted an exemption for the relevant component(s) of up to 50 per cent of the coursework units. Appropriate methods of assessment of equivalence of prior study will be applied either through a viva, written examination, submission of referees' reports and/or presentation of written work. Credit will not be given for previous research.

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