Psychology Courses Australia

About Psychology

You'll become

Average Salaries

Psychology workers may earn between $50,000 and $104,000 per year

Tackle some of society’s most pressing problems and help people thrive in your work by studying a psychology course.

Play a critical role in our understanding of complex human behaviours and make a real different in people’s lives by working in the rewarding and challenging field of psychology. Exploring human thoughts, emotions and behaviours, the practise of psychology aims to deeply understand and treat psychological problems and disorders, providing tangible and meaningful support to the many thousands of Australians experiencing mental ill health and distress.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, approximately one in five Australians experiencing mental illness, but only 35 per cent of those people accessing mental health services. We have a clear and urgent need for skilled professional interventions to better support our population, and skilled psychology course graduates can play a leading role.

Usually working as psychologists, graduates of psychology courses deploy cognitive, psychotherapy and other psychological interventions to patients, to offer critical support and assistance when people need it most. Combining leading theoretical knowledge, cutting-edge research and tested practical tools, psychology courses ensure graduates are equipped with the powerful skills to make areal difference.

Qualifying as a psychologist is a tough, but rewarding process. You must complete a bachelor’s degree in psychology, then undertake a combination of further academic learning and practical workplace experience. It’s important to choose a course accredited by the Australian Psychological Accreditation Council, as only graduates of approved courses may practise as psychologists in Australia.

If you want to help others lead meaningful, productive and engaged lives, are curious about what contributes to human flourishing, and have the drive to achieve great things in your career, a dynamic, challenging and rewarding career in psychology is for you. It starts now with a psychology course.

What do psychology graduates do?

Psychology course graduates usually work as psychologists, working closely with patients to investigate, assess and treat psychological disorders, and ensuring optimal personal, social and educational development.

As a psychologist, you might perform tasks like:

Interviewing, consulting to and assessing patients to determine their cognitive, behavioural and emotional disorders;
Performing and interpreting diagnostic tests and checks;
Making assessments of patients and developing individual interventions and treatment plans;
Developing and demonstrating tools, activities and tasks that may assist a patient with their treatment;
Evaluating and monitoring patients’ continuing psychological health;
Evaluating and monitoring psychological programs and interventions;
Conducting research, surveys and analysis, and preparing submissions and reports;
Consulting with other psychologists; and
Managing patient documentation and progress.

Career Outcomes

After completing the minimum study requirement of six years for a psychology qualification, you’ll be eligible to apply for general registration as a psychologist. You may choose to apply your skills in areas like:

Community service and counselling
Business
Education
Health services
Protective services

You may also choose not to work as a psychologist, and apply your skills to a role in areas like counselling, coaching, mentoring, or working in marketing and consumer behaviour.

After completing a psychology course, you’ll be qualified to seek employment in a range of psychology roles. Obtaining a qualification as a registered psychologist is a challenging and rigorous process, and further specialisation requires additional study. If you would like to specialise your psychology practice, you may choose to complete additional training, which takes approximately two years. After completing this training, you’ll be eligible to apply for registration as a:

Is psychology right for you?

You’ll thrive working in psychology if you:

Are empathetic
Have excellent listening skills
Are highly organised
Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Are deeply committed to helping people
Have excellent administrative skills
Can manage multiple pieces of information at once
Like solving problems
Have strong time management skills
Are patient
Care deeply about others’ well-being
Are disciplined
Have drive and a thirst for learning

Job opportunities

According to the Australian Government’s Job Outlook, psychology is a medium-sized but growing industry in Australia. Job Outlook reports that job opportunities in the sector have increased steadily over the last decade, and predicts that modest growth in the industry will continue until at least 2020. Current, approximately 23,400 people are employed as psychologists in Australia, and Job Outlook predicts that figure will rise to approximately 25,000 by 2020.

Average Salaries

According to PayScale, clinical psychologists can expect to earn between $50,000 and $104,000 per year, with an average annual salary of approximately $79,000. PayScale observes a positive relationship between experience and earning capacity, with psychologists who have 20 years or more experience earning on average approximately $24,000 per year than practitioners with fewer than five years of professional experience. However, PayScale notes that entry-level psychologists may still command competitive salaries, earning on average $72,000 per year.

min $50K

max $104K

ave $79K

Learnhow to become a

Learn how to become a

Industry Bodies

Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology)/Bachelor of Business

Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology)/Bachelor of Business

Location

Industry

Qualification

Payment Option

CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling

CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling

Diploma of Counselling and Communication Skills

Diploma of Counselling and Communication Skills

CHC40512 Certificate IV in Mental Health

CHC40512 Certificate IV in Mental Health

Bachelor of Psychological Sciences

Bachelor of Psychological Sciences

Dual Qualification: Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs and Certificate IV in Mental Health

Dual Qualification: Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs and Certificate IV in Mental Health

Bachelor of Social Science With a Major in Behavioural Studies

Bachelor of Social Science With a Major in Behavioural Studies

Graduate Diploma of Psychology

Graduate Diploma of Psychology

M5013 Graduate Diploma in Psychology

M5013 Graduate Diploma in Psychology

M5003 Graduate Diploma of Psychology Advanced

M5003 Graduate Diploma of Psychology Advanced

Bachelor of Psychological Science and Sociology

Bachelor of Psychological Science and Sociology

Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology)

Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology)

Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology)/Bachelor of Business

Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology)/Bachelor of Business

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What do psychology graduates do?

Career Outcomes

Career Outcomes

Job opportunities

Average Salaries

Learn how to become a

Industry Bodies

CHC51015
Diploma of Counselling

CHC40512
Certificate IV in Mental Health

M5013
Graduate Diploma in Psychology

M5003
Graduate Diploma of Psychology Advanced