Master of Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology)/Doctor of Philosophy

There is no mid year entry available for this course.

The clinical neuropsychology program aims to provide students with the skills to work as a neuropsychologist. Since its inception in the 1970s, the clinical neuropsychology program has emphasised 'hands on' clinical training in the hospital setting. The breadth of this training experience has steadily increased over the years, and students are placed in a wide variety of settings that cover acute care neurology and neurosurgery, psychiatry, geriatrics, rehabilitation, and paediatrics. The placement experience enjoyed by our students is one of the most extensive in the world.

The neuropsychological teaching staff is made up of seven members at the level of Lecturer, Associate Professor or Professor, and a Placement Co-Ordinator. All are full members of the APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists. The majority are actively involved in the practice of clinical neuropsychology (including supervision of clinical trainees) in a teaching hospital. Collectively, the staff cover the Royal Children's Hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital, the Austin, Heidelberg Repatriation, and Royal Talbot Hospitals (Austin Health), and are therefore well positioned to bring to the teaching situation a high level of clinical and research expertise.

The program in clinical neuropsychology aims to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary for competant practice in a variety of settings, and in relation to a variety of diagnostic problems and management issues. The acquisition of professional skills at a sophisticated level is the ultimate goal of the program. There is a strong emphasis on the need for world-class clinical research, with a significant number of students producing peer-reviewed publications.

The objective of this stream is to provide graduates with the skills to work as professional neuropsychologists. Graduates will obtain a detailed understanding of the affective, behavioural and cognitive manifestations of diseases of the central nervous system, particularly those affecting the brain, in adults and children. Graduates are expected to acquire competence in various approaches to the study of brain disease, including basic and applied clinical sciences, and are expected to acquire an understanding of objective assessment of the many behavioural features of brain diseases. The combined degree program aims to provide students with the skills to work as a professional psychologist and to undertake a substantial piece of original research.

This course consists of the coursework and placement components of the Master of Psychology (Neuropsychology) together with a full PhD research thesis in Psychology.

Coursework consists of 13 classroom-based subjects taken over the first three years of this four-year course (see below).

In order to satisfy the requirements of the combined Master of Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology)/PhD, students must complete the following subjects:

First-year subjects:

Second-year subjects:

Third-year subjects:

Fourth-year subjects

Completion of an Australian Psychological Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited four-year undergraduate sequence in Psychology, consisting of a three-year major in Psychology as part of an undergraduate degree, and a fourth-year Honours specialisation in Psychology of at least H1 standard.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements, Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

The program in clinical neuropsychology aims to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary for competent practice in a variety of settings, and in relation to a variety of diagnostic problems and management issues. The acquisition of professional skills at a sophisticated level is the ultiamate goal of the program. There is a strong emphasis on the need for world-class clinical research, with a significant number of students producing peer-reviewed publications.

Accredited by the Australian Psychological Accreditation Council and recognised by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

• Attention to detail
• Time management and planning
• Written and spoken communication skills
• Analysis and critical thinking