Master of Psychology (Health)
Treat the whole person
Mental and physical health are inextricably connected. Health psychologists explore brain—body interactions with a view to improving client wellbeing. This requires advanced psychological skills and clinical expertise.
Our Master of Psychology (Health) is one of only two health psychology degrees currently available in Australia. It provides the professional knowledge needed to practise as a registered psychologist.
What will you do?
- Enjoy small class sizes with leading health psychologists and educators.
- Learn about illness, disease, and the promotion and maintenance of health.
- Study health care systems and policy.
- Explore psychological factors that contribute to ill health.
- Undertake three industry placements totalling over 1000 hours.
- Network with future employers in mental health, health care and government settings.
Apply your skills to assist with physical, psychological and social health
Our Master of Psychology (Health) provides the knowledge and skills needed to practise as a registered psychologist.
Health psychologists specialise in understanding the relationships between psychological factors and health and illness, and practise in two main areas: health promotion and clinical health psychology. After graduation, students will have the skills to assist people with mental health and chronic physical health conditions.
Note: Entry to this degree is competitive and strict quotas apply.
Master of Psychology students have the option to complete the Masters and a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) concurrently, and receive two parchments at completion of both degrees. The Master of Psychology can be in Clinical, Health or Organisation and Human Factors. See the related degrees section for more information.
Note:
This degree is only available in blended mode and on-campus attendance is required. If you are a continuing student in the degree and are unable to attend campus, please contact your program coordinator for program advice.
Master of Psychology Information Session
Interested in postgraduate Psychology studies as the next step in your journey to professional registration as a psychologist? Join us on campus for our next Master of Psychology Information Session.
When: 6 – 8 pm, Wednesday 19 June 2024
Where: Horace Lamb Lecture Theatre, North Terrace campus
^Imip.gov.au Occupation projection
*Times Higher Education World Rankings by Subject, 2024.
Entry Requirements
Choose your applicant type to view the relevant admissions
information for this program.
I am a:
Before applying make sure you understand the eligibility and entry requirements for your chosen degree.
Look out for any prerequisites or assumed knowledge subjects. Some degrees also have additional entry requirements like interviews and auditions.
Domestic applicants
| SATAC Code | 3CM087 |
|---|---|
| Deferment | No |
| Intake | January |
| Additional Entry Requirements | Applicants (including those with a PhD) MUST:
All applicants must also review the inherent requirement statements at health.adelaide.edu.au/study-with-us/inherent-requirements/psychology and consider whether they are able to meet these requirements. For detailed information please refer to the Master of Psychology Admission Guide. |
Selection Criteria
| Higher Education Study | Entry is available to graduates with a four-year qualification in Psychology or equivalent (including Honours with a minimum grade of Second Class, Division A). The degree must meet the standards set out by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), including the accredited sequence in Psychology having been completed within the last 10 years. The ONLY exception to this is where applicants have completed their four-year sequence in Psychology more than 10 years ago but have completed a PhD in Psychology within the past 10 years. The selection process occurs over two rounds, September and December. Invitations to attend an interview will be extended based on a combination of academic performance and performance on the Casper Situational Judgment Test. All applicants must submit their Honours/4th year results in the form of an official transcript, or final results able to be officially verified by the University of Adelaide and Casper Situational Judgement Test results by the relevant date for the round in which they are applying. For the September round, that is close of business 25 August 2023, and for the December round that is close of business 8 November 2023. If you have not uploaded your finalised grades and Casper Situational Judgement Test result by this date, your application will not be considered further and you will not be eligible for an invitation to attend an interview. Ranking for offers after interviews is based on a combination of scores from these three components:
For detailed information please refer to the Master of Psychology Admission Guide. |
|---|
-
Admissions Transparency Data
Student Profile
Applicant background Semester one/Full year intake 2023 Number of students Percentage of all students International students N/A N/A All students 8 100.0%
Ready to Apply?
Find out more about the application process and start your studies at the University of Adelaide.
Be sure to check the critical dates to avoid missing application deadlines.
ApplyFees and Scholarships
Choose your applicant type to view the relevant fees and scholarships information for this program.
I am a:
Domestic applicants
| Indicative annual tuition fees |
Commonwealth-supported place: $5,100
|
Where the standard duration of the program is less than one year the full cost of the program is displayed.
Scholarships
Scholarships are not only for high achievers—they are also available to provide students with an equal opportunity to study at university, no matter where they live or what their financial situation might be.
Scholarships are available to both new and continuing students. We encourage students to apply for any scholarships for which they may be eligible.
To browse scholarships offered by the University, visit: University Scholarships
To explore scholarships offered by organisations external to the University, visit: External Scholarships
Careers
Career Readiness
After graduation, students have the skills to assist people with mental health and chronic physical conditions and are highly sought after for roles in the public and private sector, or can choose to start their own practice. Health psychologists specialise in understanding the relationships between psychological factors and health and illness. Health psychologists practise in two main areas: health promotion and clinical health.
Health promotion
- Development and provision of programs that assist with the prevention of illnesses such as heart attacks, stroke, cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, smoking-related-illness and dietary-related problems.
- Linking up with other health professionals to understand what behaviours might be contributing to illness and how they might be changed, e.g. understanding why some people overeat or eat a high-fat diet.
- Identifying how behaviour is linked with the development of disease and injury.
- Designing public health education programs in areas such as exercise and alcohol, cigarette and drug consumption, e.g. 'SunSmart', 'Life. Be in it'.
- Determining the distribution of disease and the health needs of communities within Australia.
- Working with community members to improve their health.
Clinical health
- Developing therapy and education programs to help people cope with health issues such as weight management, cancer and heart health.
- Using psychological treatment for problems that often accompany ill health and injury, such as anxiety, depression, pain, addiction, sleep and eating problems.
- Understanding how psychological factors such as stress, depression and anxiety might be contributing to illness.
- Helping people with the self-management of chronic illness.
- Understanding how people cope with diagnosis and medical treatment of acute health problems and how they obtain medical care.
- Understanding how people cope with terminal illness, including the impact of grief, bereavement, death and dying.
- Identifying how the relationship between health professionals, such as doctors, nurses and psychologists, and their patients can influence how well they recover from illness and injury.
- Helping people cope with trauma, disability and rehabilitation.
The University of Adelaide Careers Service prepares, inspires and empowers students to achieve successful career transitions and connect with industry.
Graduate Attributes
The objective of this program is to produce graduates with specific attributes as outlined in University of Adelaide Graduate Attributes.- Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
- Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
- Teamwork and communication skills
- Professionalism and leadership readiness
- Intercultural and ethical competency
- Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency
- Digital capabilities
- Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Industry Placement
Professional Accreditation
The Master of Psychology (Health) is accredited by the Psychology Board of Australia.
Professional recognition
This degree provides graduates with the tertiary-level education required to be eligible for general registration as a Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia. Graduates may also choose to undertake a supervised registrar program, where upon successful completion they can gain endorsement by the Psychology Board of Australia as a Health Psychologist.
Potential careers
Graduates of this program have gone on to roles such as:
Community Services Officer; Mental Health Worker; Health Psychologist; Psychologist
Degree Structure
Academic Program Rules
The Calendar is a comprehensive handbook of the University's academic program rules.
Example Study Plan
|
Year 1 |
Summer School | PSYCHOL 7230 Evidence-based practice | PSYCHOL 7231 Interviewing and Intervention | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | PSYCHOL 7232 Psychological assessment | PSYCHOL 7233 Abnormal Psychology | PUB HLTH 7093 Promoting Health in Individuals and Populations | ||
| S2 | PSYCHOL 7234 Health Psychology | PSYCHOL 7241 Placement I | PUB HLTH 7091 Public Health Evaluation and Economics | ||
|
Year 2 |
S1 | PSYCHOL 7240 Placement II | PSYCHOL 7244 Research project I (6 units) | ||
| S2 | PSYCHOL 7243 Placement III (6 units) | PSYCHOL 7245 Research Project II (9 units) |
|||
Assessment
Coursework assessed by assignments and exams, placements assessed from reports by placement supervisor, and research report examined internally by two markers
Related Degrees
Testimonial
My confidence has grown immensely from each placement, which has made me feel prepared and excited to start my career as a Health Psychologist.
The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
Last updated: Friday, 24 May 2024
