Caution
Copyright © Monash University 1996
ISBN 1037-0919
Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
The Department of Psychology (Caulfield/Peninsula section) offers a coursework program, with strands in occupational psychology and sport psychology. This program is of two years duration, full-time, and may also be undertaken part-time. It is provisionally accredited by the Australian Psychological Society as a qualification, and fifth and sixth years are designed to satisfy the requirements of the Victorian Psychologists' Registration Board for specialist registration as an organisational psychologist (through the occupational strand) or a sport psychologist (through the sport strand).
The normal entry standard is an honours degree or graduate diploma, recognised as a fourth year by the Australian Psychological Society. Pass graduates with a strong academic record in a psychology major and at least five years of professional experience may be admitted but may be required to complete up to two subjects in the Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology as preparation for some subjects in the masters program.
The program comprises a common core and specialist strands in occupational or sport psychology.
+ APY5020 Group and organisational dynamics
+ APY5030 Design, management and evaluation of professional interventions
+ APY5040 Advanced research design
+ APY5050 Generalist practicum
+ APY5120 Advanced occupational psychology
+ APY5130 Advanced organisational psychology
+ APY5140 Specialist practicum
+ APY5150 Minor thesis (occupational psychology)
or
+ APY5220 Sport performance enhancement
+ APY5230 Sport psychology assessment and counselling
+ APY5240 Specialist practicum
+ APY5250 Minor thesis (sport psychology)
(1) Only students who fail a component or components of the program (`component' defined as a subject, a professional practicum, or the minor thesis) will be liable for exclusion.
(2) No student will be considered for exclusion solely on the basis of results achieved in the first semester of the first year.
(3) Students who do not pass at least half of the components (subjects professional practica or minor thesis) which they take in any year of the program will be liable for exclusion.
(4) Students who have failed such components as will prevent their completing the program in the maximum time allowed will be liable for exclusion.
(5) A student who fails to complete the minor thesis satisfactorily at the first attempt shall be allowed to reenrol in that component only with the approval of the faculty board on the recommendation of the head of the department.
Students should note that completion of the MPsych is prima facie a qualification for membership of the Australian Psychological Society and registration as a psychologist in the State of Victoria. In addition, each of the three programs presently offered satisfies the academic training requirements for membership of the various boards of the APS (ie Board of Counselling Psychologists, Board of Educational and Developmental Psychologists, Board of Forensic Psychologists) and registration as a specialist psychologist in the State of Victoria. In general, a further two years of supervised practice is necessary for full membership of these boards and registration as a specialist psychologist.
For all of the various programs in the MPsych, the entry requirements are the same: four years approved study in psychology. Intending applicants should ensure that they possess such qualifications.
Inquiries regarding the specific programs in counselling psychology, child and educational psychology and forensic psychology should be addressed to the course coordinators.
This (two year part-time) course is designed for scientists and engineers employed in the polymer and related industries, who have graduated in science or engineering, or who have significant experience andtraining in a polymer-related industry for at least three years. It is particularly suitable for recent graduates seeking to improve their career opportunities.
+ provide an advanced treatment of a range of issues central to most fields of applied psychology and develop some basic professional skills;
+ satisfy the criteria laid down by the Australian Psychological Society for accreditation as a fourth year of study in psychology;
+ help students to explore various fields in applied psychology with special reference to further postgraduate training or professional employment.
+ APY4010 Psychology - advanced psychological assessment and classification
+ APY4020 Psychology - changing behaviour
+ APY4030 Psychology - multivariate data analysis
+ APY4040 Psychology - professional experience
+ APY4050 Psychology - professional experience
+ APY4060 Psychology - applied research project
Each of the subjects APY4010, APY4020 and APY4030 requires class attendance equivalent to six hours a week for one semester.
Each of the subjects APY4040 and APY4050 involves the equivalent of twenty days attendance in a psychology placement setting. Placements are arranged by the department. In addition, there are fortnightly seminars of two hours duration.
APY4060 requires the student to design and carry out an applied research project. Fortnightly seminars are held and each student is obliged to see his or her supervisor approximately once a week in order to facilitate the successful completion of the project.
The typical class attendance time for full-time students is twelve hours a week and for part-time students varies between three and nine hours per week depending on the combination of subjects. Part-time students usually undertake APY4020, APY4030 and APY4040 in the first year, and APY4010, APY4050 and APY4060 in the second year.
Objectives On the completion of this subject students should have the ability to select appropriate psychological tests or procedures to achieve specified purposes; to use assessment procedures with a minimum of supervision from a fully qualified psychologist, to administer, score and interpret three major intelligence tests. Students will be able to select, administer and interpret two non-projective personality tests and will acquire basic interview skills.
Synopsis Testing and assessment theory and practice. The theoretical rationale of assessment procedures and tests. Reliability, validity and validation procedures. Critical review and evaluation of tests and of underlying assumptions. Development of skills for the administration, interpretation, and reporting of tests and test results. Intelligence, ability and achievement tests; personality tests; diagnostic and vocational assessment procedures. Behavioural assessment procedures: introduction to behavioural assessment theory and methods; relevance to clinical application. Classification systems: objectives and types of classification systems; psychometric, organisational and other factors affecting classification decisions. Organisational and individual decision making.
Assessment Written: 60% + Seminar participation: 40%
Objectives On the completion of this subject, students will understand the general issues in behaviour change at individual, group and organisational levels; develop basic change agent skills and increased self-awareness; experience group processes under supervision; learn to anlyse change processes critically and conceptually; and understand constraints under which a change agent operates, including ethical issues.
Synopsis Theories about changing behaviour: theory-building and criteria for good theory. Commonalities and differences in theoretical foundations; objectives and techniques of various approaches to attitude and behaviour change - especially those which are applied in psychotherapy, group work, organisation change and development, and community intervention and development programs. Review of research into the effectiveness of these approaches. Examination of values and ethical issues. Skills training: introduction to counselling, group dynamics; organisation development strategies and mechanisms; community interventions.
Assessment Essay: 40% + Seminar essay: 30% + Seminar presentation: 15% + Seminar participation: 15%
Objectives On the completion of this subject, students should have developed their understanding of the use of mulivariate analysis techniques in an applied context, and their skills in interpretation and comprehension of results.
Synopsis Multiple regression and correlation. Principal components of factor analysis. Multivariate analysis of variance. Discriminant analysis. Classification procedures.
Assessment Written (2000 words): 20% + Examinations (3 hours): 80%
Objectives By the completion of this subject, students will be acquainted with some of the professional roles played by applied psychologists, introduced to the use of concepts, knowlege, skills and techniques by applied psychologists in real-life settings, acquainted with the various ethical and legal issues encountered in applied work, and given some basic practical professional skills, such as a class 1 psychologist might use in the first few months.
Synopsis In the seminar program associated with the placements, the following topics are explored: the nature of the organisation; the nature of psychologists' roles in the organisation, eg primary objectives, organisational structure and climate boundaries, relationships with its external environment; analysis of the conceptual frameworks and methods used in the psychology unit; legal and ethical responsibilities.
Assessment Written (4000 words): 70% + Oral presentations: 30%
Objectives As for APY4040.
Synopsis The seminar topics are as for APY4040.
Assessment Written (4000 words): 70% + Oral presentations: 30%
Objectives By the completion of this subject, students should understand the processes of applied research, understand the options available in research design and analysis and how to select them, know the ethical and professional issues confronting applied researchers, be able to complete a successful application for ethical approval, and have implemented research decisions in a small piece of empirical applied research.
Synopsis Issues covered in the seminar program include how to identify a research area and a particular problem or question; ethical issues in research; use of library and other resources for research purposes; preparing and presenting research proposals. Specific methodological, research design and data analysis issues are discussed in individual consultations with the students' supervisor. Since the unit APY4030 (Multivariate data analysis) deals with research design and data analysis issues which are likely to be highly relevant to the applied research project, students are normally advised against enrolling in APY4060 until they are concurrently enrolled in or have completed APY4030.
Assessment Written (7800 words): 70% + Examinations (2 hours): 20% + Oral presentation: 10%