Key Facts
Part-time (2 years)
Course Overview
The Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science is a one-year bridging program. Meeting requirements for a foundational sequence of training in psychology, graduates from this course are eligible to apply for an APAC accredited fourth year of study in psychology. The Graduate Diploma serves as a ‘fast-track’ 8-unit sequence for those who hold an AQF level 7 undergraduate degree and wish to pursue a career or further study in psychology.
Alternative entry into the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at Cairnmillar: Students who receive a WAM of 70 or higher will automatically be offered a place into the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at Cairnmillar. Those who receive a WAM between 60 and 70 will be able to apply for entry into Honours at Cairnmillar through the standard pathways.
Please note: Cairnmillar’s courses are subject to minimum and maximum group numbers. Courses may be cancelled or postponed if minimum numbers are not achieved by the start date of the course. Courses may close prior to the start date if the maximum numbers are reached. In that situation, eligible applicants will be offered a place in the next available intake.
2023 Course Information Session
Application Period
Applications for February 2024 are now open & will close on the 31st of October!
Information Evening
28 September 2023 - 6.00pm to 6.45pm. Register @ https://www.cairnmillar.org.au/events/
Course Structure
The Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science consists of 100 credit points, equally distributed across eight core units. All units are coursework units.
Full-time (1 year) structure:
| Semester | Unit Code | Unit Name | Credit Points |
| 1 | PSY401 | Theories of Personality | 12.5 |
| 1 | PSY402 | Research Design and Statistics | 12.5 |
| 1 | PSY403 | Social Psychology | 12.5 |
| 1 | PSY404 | Developmental Psychology | 12.5 |
| 2 | PSY405 | Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience | 12.5 |
| 2 | PSY406 | Psychopathology | 12.5 |
| 2 | PSY407 | Psychology in Practice | 12.5 |
| 2 | PSY408 | Psychology Research Capstone | 12.5 |
Part-time (2 year) structure:
| Year | Semester | Unit Code | Unit Name | Credit Points |
| 1 | 1 | PSY401 | Theories of Personality | 12.5 |
| 1 | 1 | PSY402 | Research Design and Statistics | 12.5 |
| 1 | 2 | PSY405 | Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience | 12.5 |
| 1 | 2 | PSY406 | Psychopathology | 12.5 |
| 2 | 1 | PSY403 | Social Psychology | 12.5 |
| 2 | 1 | PSY404 | Developmental Psychology | 12.5 |
| 2 | 2 | PSY407 | Psychology in Practice | 12.5 |
| 2 | 2 | PSY408 | Psychology Research Capstone | 12.5 |
Entry Requirements
Students will be eligible for admission into the program if they have achieved a minimum average of 65 across all years of a recognised AQF Level 7 undergraduate degree.
Documentation required in the application:
- Most recent academic transcript(s).
- Proof of residency/citizenship (e.g., passport, birth certificate, or citizenship certificate).
Please see our How to Apply page for detailed instructions on applying and using our Application Portal.
Please note this course is not available to international student applications. To see which Cairnmillar courses are, please visit the Find a Course page.
Graduate Learning Outcomes
Students who satisfactorily complete the Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science will be able to:
- Demonstrate high-level knowledge of core psychological theory, research skills, and the associated empirical evidence base.
- Synthesise research and theory from major fields in psychology and apply this knowledge to different contexts to resolve complex problems and apply in professional practice.
- Communicate clearly, effectively, and professionally across a range of contexts including oration, writing, the online environment, and in teams.
- Act ethically and professionally while respecting cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity.
- Demonstrate self-motivated and self-directed learning principles that facilitate lifelong learning and ongoing professional development
Fees & Scholarships
**Total fees are estimates only based on the current fee schedule. Annual tuition fee review and possible increases applies, see: Fees & Scholarships.
For information on tuition fees and what scholarships might apply to this course, please visit the Fees & Scholarships page.
Career Opportunities & Study Pathways
Graduates can obtain work in a variety of industries including:
- Health and community services
- Human resources
- Disability services
- Mental health rehabilitation
- Youth support
- Product design/marketing.
This course is a pathway to further study in psychology, such as an APAC accredited fourth-year program (e.g., Cairnmillar’s Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)), which subsequently leads to masters or doctorate level courses, with successful completion enabling general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
On completion of the course, graduates will be eligible to apply for entry into the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) program or an equivalent APAC accredited fourth year program.
Accreditation
The Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science is Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) accredited and sits within level 8 of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
This program is conditionally accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). Further information on conditional accreditation can be found on the APAC website, as well as in APAC’s publicly available accreditation reports.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Students applying for this program may enter a process in which they may be granted credit or partial credit towards the qualification. This requires evidence of previous experience where an equivalence of earlier learning can be established.
Credit transfer for an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) course, is only applicable for recently completed APAC accredited programs of an equivalent level. Credit or partial credit is not granted in recognition of knowledge or skills gained through work or life experience.
Cairnmillar’s RPL policy can be viewed here and further information can be found here.
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