Master of Professional Psychology
The Master of Professional Psychology provides graduates with the core competencies required to pursue registration as a general psychologist.
Limited availability
Places in this course are limited and entry is competitive. Apply early for the best chance of securing your place.
Course essentials
Entry requirements
Credit
Study mode
On campus
Duration
Start dates
01 March 2027
19 July 2027
Locations
Mt Helen (on campus)
Course overview
The Master of Professional Psychology consists of coursework (including a major case study) and practical placement. The program develops specialised knowledge and skills for the professional practice of psychology including ethical and legal practice assessment and interventions across the lifespan. The structure provides for the application of learning experiences across these areas. Practicum experiences throughout the program facilitate the practical application of knowledge and develop core skills for psychological practice. Practical training is provided at FedUni Community Psychology Services and external agencies. You will be required to undertake at least 300 hours of practicum experience.
Selection Process:
- Initially, only those applicants who satisfy the regional/rural/remote criteria and/or are an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, satisfy the assessment of personal qualities via the referee reports, and meet the academic requirement (if final grades are known) will be invited to interview.
- Once final grades are known, these applicants will be ranked for selection in descending order of merit according to academic achievement, previous work experience, and personal qualities assessment (interview and referee reports).
- Offers will be made to applicants until the available places within the program are filled or the list of applicants deemed suitable is exhausted.
- Should places remain, the Committee will rank order all remaining applicants on the basis of academic achievement and the personal qualities assessment (referee reports).
- The highest ranked applicants will be invited to interview, and offers made in descending order of merit according to academic achievement, previous work experience, and personal qualities assessment (interview and referee reports).
Deferment of Admission
Applicants are not permitted to defer admission in to the course.
IT requirements
To do this course you’ll need a fast and reliable computer and access to high-speed internet. Expect to use about 5GB of data per month for every unit you’re doing. Find out more about the minimum IT requirements for studying with us.
Got questions?
Call us on 1800 333 864, start a live chat or submit an enquiry.
Student support
The support we offer is second to none. Need academic help? No problem. Extra access or financial assistance? Let’s see what we can do. View our student services.
The fine print
The commencement of all courses is subject to available funding and enrolment quotas.
Everything in this course overview is correct at the time of being published. However, the University reserves the right to alter any course, procedure or fee. Please check for changes before you apply or enrol.
Federation University uses Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding (for eligible students) to deliver training.
School department
Psychology
Course co-ordinator
Megan Jenkins
Career paths
Graduates of the Master of Professional Psychology are eligible to apply for provisional registration as a general psychologist, and pursue a one year internship leading to general registration as a psychologist*. General psychologists work in a range of settings including public and private practice. *Conditional on the course being accredited.
Professional recognition
The Master of Professional Psychology is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).
Fees and scholarships
Tuition fee information
The available fee places for this course are listed below. Entry for this course is primarily through Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs). Your tuition fees will be determined by the place you are offered.
Commonwealth Supported Places are subsidised by the Australian Government. The tuition fee is called the student contribution amount. The indicative fee above is based on a typical first-year enrolment for this course and should be used as a guide only. For 0.5 EFTSL (60 credit point) courses the certificate fee is displayed. Your fee will depend on the units you chose, your study load, the time it takes to complete your course and any approved credit you receive.
The government sets the fee each year. The amount depends on the discipline area and band of each unit. 2026 annual student contribution amounts for 1 EFTSL (equivalent full-time student load) range from $4,738 (Band 1) to $17,399 (Band 4). The sample structure section above links to the EFTSL, Band and fee for each unit or you can use our unit search to find these details.
Full fee-paying places are not subsidised by the Australian Government. The indicative fee above is based on a typical first-year enrolment for this course and should be used as a guide only. Your fee will depend on your study load, the time it takes to complete your course and any approved credit you receive.
The amount is based on the course annual fee for 1 EFTSL (120 credit points).
Other fees
You will also need to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Scholarships
There’s a range of scholarships and grants available. Find out what you can apply for.
Course details
Start dates
Semester 2, 2026
20 July 2026
Locations
Berwick (flexible)
Mt Helen (on campus)
Semester 1, 2027
1 March 2027
Locations
Berwick (flexible)
Mt Helen (on campus)
Semester 2, 2027
19 July 2027
Locations
Berwick (flexible)
Mt Helen (on campus)
Information
- Our Mt Helen, SMB, Camp St and Gillies St campuses are located in Ballarat. Testing.
- Flexible delivery means your course will have online and on-campus options. Some on-campus sessions may be compulsory. Testing
Contact hours
Varied 12-22 contact hours per week
Work integrated learning
Students are required to complete 315 hours of placement under the supervision of a registered psychologist with Board-approved supervisor status to meet accreditation requirements. Placements are not paid due to industry standards. Placements may occur with an external placement partner or in a Federation University internal clinic.
Sample course structure
Here’s what the course structure could look like. It’s just an example (so don’t use it for enrolment). Interested in the details? You can find current course structure or select a single unit name below to find out what it’s about and how much it costs.
- Psychological Assessment15 credit pointsPSYCM7003
- Adult Psychopathology15 credit pointsPSYCM7015
- Clinical Intervention15 credit pointsPSYCM7017
- Professional Practice: Stage 115 credit pointsPSYCM7011
- Child and Adolescent Psychopathology15 credit pointsPSYCM7016
- Diversity and Inter-Professional Practice15 credit pointsPSYCM7018
- Research for Practice15 credit pointsPSYCM7020
- Professional Practice: Stage 215 credit pointsPSYCM7012
Meet us at Open Day
Open Day is your chance to explore all that Federation has to offer. Meet current lecturers and students, ask course questions, learn about our support services and explore campus spaces.
We’ve got heaps of activities, tours and presentations planned. Basically, we want you to get a real feel for Federation. The atmosphere. The opportunities. The community.
Oh – and there’s no need to pack a sandwich. Lunch is on us.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements (non year 12)
Completion of an APAC accredited fourth year degree in psychology (Honours or Graduate Diploma) with a credit average within the last 10 years.
Satisfies the personal qualities assessment via referee reports and interview.
English language requirements
Academic IELTS with an overall score of 7.0 with no individual band less than 7.0 (or equivalent)
Extra requirements
To be eligible for selection all applicants must complete:
Federation University online application
- Arrange the completion of 1 academic referee and 1 professional referee report and;
- Attach copies of academic transcripts for undergraduate and fourth year courses.
If you’re only applying for this course, do it via direct application.
Ready to fill out your application?
You'll need this code:
Direct application
Federation University code
- Direct application
- Yes
- Federation University code
- YM9
Hear from our staff
Hi, my name is Justin Timora and I'm one of the lecturers in Psychology at Federation. What makes our program stand out is the people. So within our psychology program we really take pride in building strong connections between staff and students and we look at how we can support our students every step of the way. We provide priority pathways from our undergraduate programme through to postgraduate psychology if you're interested in becoming a registered practitioner. So our classes are small, but that's a good thing because you get to know your classmates and staff on a first-name basis. And we find this helps create a comfortable and safe environment where our students feel more confident to be able to share their ideas and their perspectives on different aspects of psychology that we cover. So as you get to know our staff, you'll start to see that they genuinely care about your success, and they'll be there for you throughout your whole academic journey every step of the way. So whether you're interested in becoming a psychologist or you want to use your psychology knowledge in other areas like research or community welfare, we will help you develop theoretical and practical knowledge and teach you how to apply in different real life scenarios. So our program includes options for work experience and also working with local community organisations to help them solve problems. So if you're thinking about starting psychology, that program is very welcoming and supportive, and we love seeing students on this exciting adventure where they start to see the world and themselves differently.