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CRICOS code (International applicants): 070618G

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Professional accreditation

The Master of Science (Research) Psychology Research major is not accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).

Program aims

This program provides opportunities for motivated and highly qualified students to undertake advanced study and to produce a research-based thesis. Students will develop appropriate research skills and specialist area knowledge that will enhance their career prospects or allow them to proceed to further appropriate higher degree studies.

Applied Research major

The major is designed to provide students with a combination of coursework and related research which will provide and enhance student knowledge across a range of science based disciplines.

Psychology Research major

This major is designed to provide students with extended psychology research training which will provide and enhance student knowledge in psychology research and professional psychology practices.

Advanced Research major

This major is designed to provide students who have already undertaken substantial prior studies in a relevant area with the opportunity to focus on a significant research project in a related area.

Transfer between majors within this program is not possible.

Program objectives

General objectives

Successful completion of this program will enable graduates to:

• identify, interpret and evaluate major issues of contemporary theory and practice in their discipline area

• comprehend and evaluate developments in a chosen discipline area and critically examine the relationships between such developments and contemporary theory

• apply a knowledge of the principles and ethics of research within their chosen discipline area

• identify research topics and undertake research using appropriate methodology and current techniques

• report and publish research outcomes.

Major Objectives

Applied Research major

Successful completion of the program will enable a graduate to:

• extend the knowledge and research expertise of students entering the major with a three year degree

• demonstrate an enhanced understanding of a selected area of science

• identify, interpret and evaluate major issues in contemporary theory and practice of scientific research in the disciplines within the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences

• apply current research techniques and methodology to the pursuit of specific research goals.

Psychology Research major

Successful completion of the program will enable a graduate to:

• extend their knowledge, skills, and research expertise in the discipline of psychology

• apply the skills gained in the program to psychology with a high degree of proficiency

• meet the academic requirements for Associate Membership of the Australian Psychological Society

• demonstrate awareness of and apply a wide range of research methods and the ethical and social responsibilities of a practising scientist

• undertake research-oriented careers or progress to higher level studies in psychology

• identify, interpret and critically evaluate major issues in contemporary theory and practice of scientific research in psychology

• demonstrate high levels of proficiency in research and specific methodology including research planning and implementation, analysis, interpretation and evaluation of research results, and the presentation and communication of research findings.

Advanced Research major

Successful completion of the program will enable a graduate to:

• identify, interpret and evaluate major issues in contemporary theory and practice of scientific research in the disciplines within the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences

• apply current research techniques and methodology to the pursuit of specific research goals

• extend and develop the research expertise and techniques of students entering the major with a four year degree or equivalent. Eligible students may apply to transfer to a PhD from this major.

Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.

This program is at AQF Qualification Level 09. Graduates at this level will have specialised knowledge and skills for research, and/or professional practice and/or further learning.

The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting .

Admission requirements

Application for Admission

The degree is centred on a research project, supervised by a principal and an associate supervisor. It is therefore essential that intending candidates clarify their topic for research and seek an academic staff member able to provide principal supervision. Application forms and advice on procedures for enrolment may be obtained from the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences. Intending candidates are advised to allow several months for discussion with potential supervisors and for consideration of the application prior to the commencement of candidature.

Intending applicants must consult the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences before they apply. Applicants must then submit a form together with other information as specified by the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences. The applicants must receive approval from the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences for the proposed study plan, and may also be required to attend an interview with the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences prior to confirmation of acceptance. A satisfactory level of English (IELTS of 6.5 or equivalent) is essential as per normal ¾«¶«´«Ã½app research degree entry requirements.

Admission Criteria

Master of Science (Research) (Applied Research)

To be eligible for admission to the Master of Science (Research) (Applied Research), applicants must have:

• completed a three-year degree at an Australian university or equivalent, with a GPA of 4.5/7.0 or above, or equivalent score, in a relevant discipline

and

• acceptance will be subject to the availability of, and endorsement by, a USQ supervisor.

Master of Science (Research) (Psychology Research)

To be eligible for admission to the Master of Science (Research) (Psychology Research), applicants must have:

• completed a program of study approved by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as constituting the first three years (or equivalent) of study in psychology within the last three years

• achieved a GPA of 5.0/7.0 or better in the psychology courses in an APAC accredited undergraduate program

and

• acceptance will be subject to the availability of, and endorsement by, a USQ supervisor.

Master of Science (Research) (Advanced Research)

To be eligible for admission to the Master of Science (Research) (Advanced Research), applicants must have either:

• completed a four-year degree at an Australian university or equivalent, with a GPA of 4.5/7.0 or above, or equivalent, in a relevant discipline

or

• completed a three-year degree at an Australian university or equivalent and have successfully completed a coursework masters, with a GPA of 4.5/7.0 or above, or equivalent score, in a relevant discipline

or

• completed a three-year degree at an Australian university or equivalent and either successfully completed a Postgraduate diploma in a relevant area or, have successfully completed a Postgraduate Certificate in a relevant area together with the equivalent of a minimum of two years work experience deemed to be appropriate by the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences or, have very substantial equivalent industry experience deemed to be appropriate by the Faculty

and

• acceptance will be subject to the availability of, and endorsement by, a USQ supervisor.

Pre-requisite Knowledge

Eligible students who are not considered to have sufficient previous knowledge may be required to undertake a limited number of additional relevant courses. All students must discuss their enrolment pattern with the Program Coordinator prior to nominating courses on their enrolment form.

Domestic and International Applicants from a non-English speaking background are required to satisfy .

If you do not meet the English language requirements you may apply to study a ¾«¶«´«Ã½app-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, Applicants may be admitted to an Award Program.

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
Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.
Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .

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 .

Research training scheme (RTS)

Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and New Zealand citizens commencing a higher degree research program may have their tuition fees paid for by the Australian Federal Government under the Research Training Scheme (RTS). A RTS place entitles a student to a maximum period of 4 years full-time fees or 8 years part-time fees on tuition fees for a Doctorate program and 2 years full-time fees or 4 years part-time fees for Masters by Research programs. As part of the enrolment process students are required to submit proof of citizenship and transcripts of all previous academic study. It is with this documentation that USQ can determine eligibility for RTS. Students who are eligible for RTS are:

• those who have not consumed a full RTS allocation previously;

• those who have already utilised RTS to successfully completed a research program. Once a student completes a higher degree research program full entitlements of RTS are restored.

If a student's RTS entitlement expires before they have completed their program they will be required to pay full tuition fees. As there may be limited RTS places available, some students may be required to pay fees for all or part of their program. The Office of Research Graduate Studies will advise students of their eligibility for an RTS place.

Program structure

Applied Research major

There are 12 units in the program. There are four coursework units which will include a research training course. Courses are normally at level 3 or above and are selected in consultation with the supervisor to reflect additional training complementary to the area of research to be undertaken. The research training course will consist of or or equivalent (as approved by the Program Coordinator).

Students who have previously completed or or an equivalent course elsewhere, will be required to undertake an alternative course selected in consultation with both their project supervisor and the Program Coordinator.

The remaining 8-unit research project will be undertaken in consultation with an approved supervisor. The first research project course is evaluated by a progress report and a thesis proposal.

The student will prepare a thesis based on independently conducted research. To successfully complete the thesis, students will be required to select a research topic, carry out supervised research on the chosen topic using an appropriate research method and present and defend the results.

Psychology Research major

There are 12 units in the program. There are four compulsory Level 4 psychology coursework units.

The remaining 8-unit research project will be undertaken in consultation with an approved supervisor. The first research project course SCI9017 Master of Science Psychology Research Project is evaluated by a progress report and a thesis proposal.

The student will prepare a thesis based on independently conducted research. To successfully complete the thesis, students will be required to select a research topic, carry out supervised research on the chosen topic using an appropriate research method and present and defend the results.

Advanced Research major

Candidates will be expected to conduct their studies in areas of science research that reflect the expertise of current staff in the Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences. Most research active staff are also members of a USQ Research Centre. Details of current research programs and potential supervisors can be found on the webpage.

The emphasis of the program will be on developing the appropriate knowledge and skills to undertake independent research and professional practice. Accordingly, a major component of the program will be a supervised research project.

There are 12 units in the program. There is one unit of coursework research training and an 11-unit research project. Progress in the research courses is monitored via research reports co-ordinated by the Office of Research and Higher Degrees. In addition two of the research project courses ( and ) are formally evaluated. In the case of SCI9012 evaluation is by both a confirmation seminar and written confirmation proposal and in the case of SCI9013 by a progress seminar. The student will prepare a thesis based on independently conducted research. To successfully complete the thesis, students will be required to select a research topic, carry out supervised research on the chosen topic using an appropriate research method and present and defend the results.

The research training course will consist of or or equivalent (as approved by the Program Coordinator).

Students who have previously completed or or an equivalent course elsewhere, will be required to undertake an alternative course selected in consultation with the Program Coordinator.

Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 2 years (full-time) or 4 years (part-time) to complete this program. A pro-rata adjustment of the maximum time period will apply for those students who transfer from one mode of study to another.

Residential schools

The Psychology Research major may be studied externally, however compulsory attendance at the scheduled residential schools will be required on-campus in Toowoomba or Springfield during the first year of the program. The number of days required at each residential school will depend on enrolment mode (number of courses taken per semester).

Exit points

Students enrolled in the Applied Research major, who have successfully completed four coursework units and wish to exit without completing the program, may seek, with approval of the Program Coordinator, to exit via the Graduate Certificate of Science. Students must successfully complete this major prior to application for entry to the PhD program.

Students enrolled in the Psychology Research major, who have successfully complete the four compulsory coursework units and wish to exit without completing the program, may seek, with approval of the Program Coordinator, to exit via the Graduate Certificate of Science. Students must successfully complete this major prior to application for entry to the PhD program and prior to application for provisional registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Students enrolled in the Advanced Research major, who wish to exit without completing the program, may on the basis of outstanding performance, seek to transfer to the PhD program on the completion of at least eight units within this major. To be eligible for transfer, students will have obtained an overall GPA of at least 6.0 averaged across both and . Following satisfactory completion of and subject to support from their supervisor, eligible students may apply for transfer to the PhD program. As such a transfer will involve an extension of the scope of the existing approved MSCR project, any such transfer will require the evaluation of a full PhD confirmation proposal and seminar. The material will be assessed via a Faculty PhD confirmation panel. As a result, a recommendation may be made to the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app with respect to articulation to the PhD program with credit being given for the 8 units successfully undertaken within the MSCR. Students wishing to exit as above must discuss the procedures with the Program Coordinator.

Credit

There will be no exemptions for research project units in any major of this program. Exemption for up to 4 units of relevant coursework undertaken as part of a Masters program may be approved within the Master of Science (Applied Research). Exemption for 1 unit of relevant coursework undertaken as part of a Masters program may be approved within the Master of Science (Advanced Research). There will normally be no exemptions for the compulsory coursework units in the Psychology Research major.

In this section:

• Recommended enrolment pattern - Applied Research Major (full-time)
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Applied Research Major (part-time)
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Psychology Research Major (full-time)
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Psychology Research Major (part-time)
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Advanced Research Major (full-time)
• Recommended enrolment pattern - Advanced Research Major (part-time)

Recommended enrolment pattern - Applied Research Major (full-time)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

Recommended enrolment pattern - Applied Research Major (part-time)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

Recommended enrolment pattern - Psychology Research Major (full-time)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

For students who wish to start the program in S2, please contact the Psychology major coordinator for a recommended enrolment pattern.

The Psychology Research major may be studied externally, however compulsory attendance at the scheduled residential schools will be required on-campus in Toowoomba or Springfield during the first year of the program. The number of days required at each residential school will depend on enrolment mode. There are 7 compulsory courses (worth eleven units) and students then select one other course from a choice of two (worth one unit). The courses are as follows.

Recommended enrolment pattern - Psychology Research Major (part-time)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

The Psychology Research major may be studied externally, however compulsory attendance at the scheduled residential schools will be required on-campus in Toowoomba or Springfield during the first year of the program. The number of days required at each residential school will depend on enrolment mode. There are 7 compulsory courses (worth eleven units) and students then select one other course from a choice of two (worth one unit). The courses are as follows.

Recommended enrolment pattern - Advanced Research Major (full-time)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

Recommended enrolment pattern - Advanced Research Major (part-time)

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.