UWA Handbook 2025

Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures

1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.

(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.

Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules

2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).

(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.

English Language competency requirements

3.(1) To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.

(2) Applicants must be eligible for provisional registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia, including meeting the Board's English language registration standard.

Admission requirements

4.(1) To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—

(1) an accredited bachelor's honours degree in psychology with at least an upper second class Honours (2A), or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by the Psychology Board of Australia or the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council. The Honours degree in psychology must be completed within the past 10 years at the time of application or you must be provisionally or generally registered as a psychology with AHPRA at the time of application; and

(2) Applicants must be eligible for provisional registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia. and

(3) Applicants must have secured PhD supervision, with at least one supervisor from the School of Psychological Science at the time of submitting their application.

Admission ranking and selection

5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on—

(a) a satisfactory personal statement, as recognised by UWA;

and

(b) two satisfactory referees, as recognised by UWA;

and

(c) a curriculum vitae summarising relevant occupational and practical experience, as recognised by UWA;

and

(d) an interview in which eligible applicants will be assessed based on the personal qualities considered desirable in psychology with invitation to attend the interview based on Rules 4, 5(a), (b) and (c) and the interview quota for that year;

and

(e) the intake quota for that year.

Articulations and exit awards

6.(1) This course has the following exit award:

• 53570 Master of Clinical Psychology (96 points)

(2) A student who withdraws from the Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Clinical Psychology course before completing it, but who has completed the coursework units (72 points) required for the Master's component of the combined course and a research dissertation equivalent to at least 24 points (PSYCH5210 and PSYC5211), within 8 calendar years from the time of initial enrollment, may apply to the School to be awarded the Master of Clinical Psychology.

Course structure

7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 72 points.

(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.

Satisfactory progress

8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.

9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.

Progress status

10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 8 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.

(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances—

(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';

(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';

(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.

11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.

Award with distinction

12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on—

(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;

(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;

and

(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.

Deferrals

13. Applicants are not permitted to defer admission to this course and are expected to commence their course in the offered intake only. Approved leave is not available during the first academic year of this course. Applicants seeking admission to an alternative intake must submit a new application for that intake.

Additional rules

Research thesis

14. The research thesis must be undertaken in one of the areas of specialisation selected for the Master of Clinical Psychology.

Submission of research proposal and thesis

15.(1) A student must provide a research proposal to the Board of the Graduate Research School for approval within six months from the date of first enrollment in the course.

(2) Submission and examination of the thesis is governed by the relevant Doctor of Philosophy rules.

Time limit

16.(1) Unless the University on the recommendation of the Head of the School of Psychological Science approves otherwise, students must complete the units required for the Master of Clinical Psychology within four calendar years from the date of first enrolment in the combined course.

Research supervision

17. To ensure that the research thesis meets APAC accreditation requirements:

(1) The enrolment in the PhD component of this course must be 100% in the School of Psychological Science.

(2) The coordinating supervisor must be an academic from the School of Psychological Science, with a minimum 50% supervision load within the School. Students enrolled in this course may also have a percentage of their supervision from another school or from an external supervisor, but the supervision arrangements must be approved first by the School of Psychological Science.

Qualification for awards

18.(1) A student who completes the units required under Rule 7 and completes the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy will qualify for the award of the degrees of Master of Clinical Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy.

(2) A student who completes the units required under Rule 7, but has not completed the requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy may fulfil the remaining requirements of the Master of Clinical Psychology (53570) by satisfying the School that they have completed a research component equivalent to at least 24 points (PSYC5210 and PSYC5211).