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CRICOS code (International applicants): 030311C

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Program focus

This program will assist graduates of non-psychology programs to fulfil the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) requirements relating to three-year undergraduate training. Graduates of the program will be eligible to apply for entry to fourth-year programs at USQ and other Australian universities.

Professional accreditation

The Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as providing the equivalent of a major in psychology.

Program aims

The Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies is available to graduates of disciplines other than Psychology. Completion of this program at an appropriate GPA level will enable students to apply for the Bachelor of Science (Honours). Entry into the Bachelor of Science (Honours) is competitive and not automatic. Further information about the Psychology Honours program is available in FAQ's for Honours under .

Admission requirements

To be admitted to the Graduate Diploma, applicants must:

• hold a conferred Bachelors (or higher level) degree (in any discipline)

• have completed the pre-requisite courses listed below (or their equivalent elsewhere) within the last five years prior to commencing the program. These courses must be from an APAC accredited sequence of psychology study.

Candidates who have not successfully completed the three pre-requisite courses can complete them by : either

• ¾«¶«´«Ã½apping those pre-requisite courses they do not have, as single courses through USQ's . (Application is made directly to USQ's section. Fees apply.)

or

• Applying for admission to the Bachelor of Science (Psychology) through to complete the pre-requisites, and then apply to transfer to the Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies, using a Direct Entry application form, once all pre-requisites have been met.

Once the pre-requisite courses are completed, students may opt to enrol in this Graduate Diploma, or may wish to continue in the Bachelor of Science (Psychology).

Either of these degrees (Bachelor of Science (Psychology) or Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies) completed at an appropriate level, will enable students to apply for entry to the Honours program).

Psychology Honours Program questions can be answered at

Note: The pre-requisite units do not count towards the unit load of the Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies.

International Applicants

International applicants must have met the requirements or have completed the .

How to apply

Domestic students

may be made directly to USQ.

International students

This program is offered to international students. An international student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and how to apply.

Program fees

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .
Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who reside outside Australia pay full tuition fees.
Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called .

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

Program structure

The Graduate Diploma consists of seven compulsory courses and one elective course. Students are required to have completed the necessary course pre-requisites prior to enrolling in the below GDPS courses.

Compulsory Courses

Elective Courses: Choose ONE of the following courses based on the following recommendations.

When a student has already completed one of the compulsory courses, a suitable psychology elective may be taken instead.

Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 2 years to complete this program.

IT requirements

Students should visit the USQ to check that their computers are capable of running the appropriate software and versions of Internet web browsers and to check the minimum and recommended standards for software.

Exemptions

Exemptions can be granted for courses in the program where a student has already completed one of the compulsory courses or its equivalent. Section 3.5 of the allows for exemptions for up to half of the courses in the GDPS (that is, up to four of the eight courses). However, exemptions will only be awarded for similar courses completed within the last three years and the time permitted for completion of the GDPS may also be reduced once exemptions are awarded. Students should contact the Program Coordinator to discuss their proposed enrolment when exemptions may be possible. The maximum time permitted for completion of the GDPS is 2 years from when first enrolled. Students wishing to apply for exemptions are encouraged to discuss this course of action with the Program Coordinator prior to applying for exemptions as exemptions may impact upon students' GPA.

For PSY course exemptions – Psychology courses taken at another university or institution will only be considered for psychology exemptions if the courses were part of an APAC (Australian Psychology Accreditation Council) accredited sequence. APAC regulations clearly state that only courses taken within an APAC sequence can be used for exemptions from any PSY courses.

Other information

All students, particularly those studying in the external mode, are required to have access to the Internet. It is expected that all students will access throughout the semester the electronic discussion group for their courses (via USQConnect). All official course communications will appear on the course discussion group.

Recommended enrolment pattern