Psychology
What’s on offer for postgraduates?
Postgraduate coursework programs in psychology fall into three groups:
- those designed to allow practising psychologists to learn new specialisations or upgrade their skills
- those which allow graduates with first degrees in psychology and related disciplines to become qualified psychologists
- and a few which provide psychology skills to other professionals, mainly those working in the health, welfare and education sectors (note that you will find many more counselling programs within humanities and social studies).
On the other hand, research programs in psychology are generally clinically focused and more relevant to those practising. They cover areas ranging from behavioural science and disability studies to clinical psychology and psychoanalysis.
If you are interested in one area of research or another it is obviously a good idea to ensure that your interests correspond with those of the departments or schools you are considering. This will probably also ensure that you wind up with like-minded research students and access to appropriate resources (and maybe scholarships).
If in-depth study is what you want but you are reluctant to go with the pure research focus of a masters or PhD, there are a number of professional doctorates in psychology that combine coursework with a thesis and/or project work in the field.
The experience and rewards
Visit the University Ratings section for psychology course ratings or to see how psychology rates in the Fields of Study Compared table.
According to the national Course Experience Questionnaire survey, postgraduates in this field are happy with their experience overall, their teachers and are very pleased with the skills they gain. Salaries and employment rates are average compared with other fields.
For more information
Depending on your particular bent you may find specialisations of interest in fields including education and training , health services and support , humanities and social sciences , and social work .
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