Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced)
2025 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2026 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) |
| Deakin course code | H650 |
| Course Credit Points | 8 |
| Course version | 2 |
| Faculty | |
| Course Information | For students who commenced from 2020 onwards |
| Campus | Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online |
| Duration | 1 year full-time or part-time equivalent |
| Course Map - enrolment planning tool | This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2026 Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| CRICOS code | 0101383 Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Waterfront (Geelong) |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8 |
| Supplementary Information | NOTE: Online is available to Domestic students only, limited places available. |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Pathways
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Research and research-related study
- Fees and charges
Course overview
If you are looking to build on the skills you’ve developed at the undergraduate level, the Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) is an APAC-accredited course that deepens your understanding of human behaviour while preparing you for a successful career as a registered psychologist.
Want to explore exciting new areas of psychology and take a big step towards general registration as a psychologist?
For students on the path to becoming a registered psychologist, who also want to learn from leaders in the field and build professional networks, the Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) ticks all the right boxes. It’s accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), which means you can apply for provisional registration as a psychologist as soon as you complete the course and meet the requirements of the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). It is also a pathway towards further postgraduate study, which you will need for general registration. Plus, postgraduate psychology at Deakin has reputation for teaching quality and is ranked number 1 in Victoria for student satisfaction*, so you can be confident you are joining a program that empowers you to be your best. The course can be studied on campus or online, giving you the flexibility to achieve your goals on your schedule.
Throughout the course, you will build new skills that allow you to provide better advice, interventions and treatments to clients. Discover a range of advanced psychological assessment methods and gain a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to formulate psychological opinion in casework. One of the units, Applied Counselling Skills (Advanced), gives you the opportunity to learn about these applied techniques and how they could be used with clients in mental health settings.
Acknowledging that research is an important tool of the modern psychologist, the course includes a number of research components that enhance your industry readiness. The research and analysis skills you learn will be incredibly valuable throughout your entire career. They will also prove crucial should you continue your studies at master or doctoral levels.
What are your options once you finish this course?
Once you meet the requirements of the Psychology Board of Australia, you can apply for provisional registration as a psychologist. If it’s general registration you’re seeking, your study journey continues. The Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) is a recognised fourth year (honours equivalent) pathway to the following APAC-accredited courses that lead to general registration as a psychologist:
- Master of Psychology (Organisational) – the only organisational psychology course in Victoria: offered on campus, full-time and part-time
- Master of Psychology (Clinical)
- Master of Professional Psychology
- Doctor of Psychology (Clinical).
If you are not interested in becoming a registered psychologist, you will graduate from this course with sought-after skills and experience that allow you to enter the workforce and thrive in a variety of areas including community welfare and case management, mental health rehabilitation and public health.
Learn more about psychology pathways and career outcomes
Indicative student workload
As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, practicals and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.
Professional recognition
This course is recognised for registration purposes by the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA) and is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). As a graduate, you will be eligible to apply for provisional registration as a psychologist and for entry to APAC accredited master or doctoral level training programs that lead to registration as a psychologist.
Career opportunities
This course is a pathway towards APAC-accredited master and doctoral-level courses that lead to registration as a psychologist. Areas of practice endorsement in psychology include:
- clinical psychology (available at Deakin)
- clinical neuropsychology
- organisational psychology (available at Deakin)
- sport and exercise psychology
- forensic psychology
- counselling psychology
- community psychology
Working as a generalist psychologist might involve:
- family therapy
- rehabilitation counselling
- psychological assessment
Not looking to become a registered psychologist? You will still have a broad and exciting range of career opportunities to explore when you graduate from this course. Your deep understanding of psychological assessment methods combined with your client-centred approach to practise will equip you for roles in:
- community welfare and case management
- human resources
- mental health rehabilitation
- public health
- youth support
- disability services
Participation requirements
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.
Mandatory student checks
There are no mandatory student checks required for this course.
Pathways
This course provides a pathway to higher degree by research courses and other postgraduate coursework programs.
Course Learning Outcomes
| Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities | Apply and integrate advanced theoretical, empirical, and practical knowledge in psychological assessment, counselling, and research methods to inform evidence-based reasoning, research design, and pre-professional psychological practice. |
| Communication | Demonstrate clear and effective written and oral communication skills to convey complex psychological knowledge and ideas tailored to diverse audiences including laypeople, professionals, and researchers. |
| Digital literacy | Apply advanced skills and ethical principles to select and use digital tools to collect, interpret, adapt, analyse, and communicate discipline-specific psychological information in the context of pre-professional psychology practice. |
| Critical thinking | Critically evaluate, integrate, and synthesise complex scientific evidence, and apply this knowledge to assessment, counselling, and case management to support evidence-based pre-professional psychology practice. |
| Problem solving | Use critical thinking, sceptical inquiry, and the scientific approach to collaboratively interpret, analyse and respond to problems in psychological research and practice including psychological assessment, counselling, and case management. |
| Self-management | Demonstrate professional reflexivity and self-management through critical reflection, self-care and purposeful learning, emphasising accountability for pre-professional development in psychology. |
| Teamwork | Work effectively and respectfully with others across diverse cultural, disciplinary, and professional contexts, in preparation for interprofessional psychological practice. |
| Global citizenship | Apply ethical principles and cultural responsiveness to work collaboratively and reflectively in diverse social, cultural, and global contexts relevant to psychology. |
Course rules
To complete the Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) you must pass 8 credit points. This includes:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
- 8 credit points of core units
- including 4 credit points of an independent research project.
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
Course structure
Core units
Trimester 1
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points) |
| HPS715 | Principles of Psychological Assessment |
| HPS742 | Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| HPY720 | Research Project A |
Trimester 2
| HPY710 | Applied Counselling Skills (Advanced) |
| HPY712 | Psychology Research Methods (Advanced) |
| HPY721 | Research Project B |
Part-time students wishing to deviate from the recommended structure should consult the course director.
Karolinska Institute exchange students must enrol in:
| HPY720X | Research Project A (Karolinska Exchange) |
| HPY721X | Research Project B (Karolinska Exchange) |
Coursework and Thesis
The Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) consists of 2 components: coursework and a thesis.
The coursework component (consisting of classes and seminars) contributes 50% to the final grade awarded. Part-time students must complete the coursework component in the first year of their course. As required by the accreditation guidelines of the Australian Psychological Society, the coursework covers:
- research methods;
- issues in psychological assessment; and
- Applied Counselling Skills (Advanced)
For further details of the coursework component, see the unit description for HPS715, HPS742, HPY710 and HPY712.
The thesis component (see HPY720 and HPY721) contributes 50% to the final grade of honours awarded. The thesis is a write-up of an individual research project based on an original piece of empirical research. A range of types of data (qualitative, quantitative, subjective, objective) and a range of data-collection settings and methodologies can be used as the basis of the thesis component. The Fourth Year Thesis consists of 4 components:
Research Project A in Trimester 1
1. Thesis literature review draft (1500-2000 words; 0% hurdle assessment)
2. Thesis proposal presentation (10-minute oral presentation; 0% hurdle assessment)
Research Project B in Trimester 2
3. Thesis poster (A0 research poster; 0% hurdle assessment)
4. Thesis (5500-6000 words; 4 credit points; 100%).
Students are encouraged to attend at the annual School Fourth Year Conference online.
Work experience
Not applicable
Course duration
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Research and research-related study
The thesis component (see HPY720 and HPY721) contributes 50% to the final grade of H650. And these units are 2 credit points each.
The thesis is submitted in two parts:
- A research proposal comprising a 1500 written piece covering rationale, methods, proposed analyses, and a 10 minute oral presentation (submitted in June)
- A 5000-word report on the empirical component submitted early October and a Poster conference attended in late October
Fees and charges
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
Further information
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.