Psychology courses

A psychologist is an expert in human behaviour. There are different types of psychologist, including clinical, educational, development, organisation and forensic.

When we use the term psychologist, we generally mean a clinical psychologist. They work with patients on a range of issues. These could include emotional difficulties, grief, learning issues, relationship problems and stress.

A clinical psychologist will work with their patients in various ways. They might help to find underlying conditions that are contributing to patient issues. They could work with them to develop management strategies. They may use techniques, like cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), to help patients understand how their thinking affects their mood.

One thing that a clinical psychologist can’t do is prescribe medication. If a patient needs medication, they may work with a general practitioner or a psychiatrist to manage this part of the treatment.

Like a psychologist, a counsellor will work with a patient to resolve issues they are facing. A counsellor will do this by applying a series of tools or strategies. However, a counsellor has a lot less professional training than a registered psychologist, and this tends to be reflected in the way they engage with patients.

Becoming a psychologist in Australia will take you at least 6 years. From 2022 onwards, you’ll need to complete 5 years of study that has been accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), followed by a 1-year internship.

First you’ll study a 3-year undergraduate degree, full or part-time. You don’t have to major in psychology but if you don’t, you’ll need to add a Graduate Diploma of Psychology to your undergraduate degree. Next, complete postgraduate study like a Master of Psychology or a doctoral degree (PhD) in any area of study.

Once you’ve completed studying, you’ll need to do a 1-year internship which can done at a full or part-time load.

Almost there! The final step is professional registration. This means one more exam—the National Psychology Exam.

Finally, apply for general registration as a psychologist from the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA).

With a degree in psychology, you could work in the behavioural science field, or beyond. Sectors that graduates commonly get into include:

• Counselling
• Social work
• Human resources
• Marketing
• Teaching

Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.

When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.

Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.

Please note that enquiries and applications for some courses are handled directly by the university. If this is the case, it will be indicated on the course listing page.  

For more information about enrolment, read our online self-service enrolling instructions. If you get stuck at any time, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.

Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study.

Chat with us to find out more.

There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.

• You can enrol without entry requirements 
  We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don’t meet the entry requirements for a degree, we’ll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
• You have total control over how you study
  Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We’ll introduce you to flexible study options you didn’t even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.
• You’ll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
  Once you enrol through us, you’ll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you’ll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.
• We’ll help you navigate the university world
  Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.