Graduate Diploma in Psychology

There are several ways you can study Psychology at the University of Sydney.

For more information on the various ways you can study Psychology, please visit the Faculty of Science website.For graduates brand new to psychology, the Graduate Diploma in Psychology opens the doors to the discipline.

Whether you want to gain registration as a practising professional or continue on to higher studies beyond, this postgraduate course will get you started on the path to becoming a psychologist.The Graduate Diploma in Psychology (GDP) is open to anybody holding a bachelor’s degree.

Even if you have never studied psychology, the GDP lets you complete the psychology program, which then opens the doors to many other pathways in the discipline.

The GDP has been fully accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and is recognised as the equivalent of a three-year major in psychology (referred to as the psychology program), so you can apply to do a fourth year in Psychology (Honours) after undertaking the required units of study.

After the Honours year, you have what it takes to get provisional registration as a professional psychologist in Australia, and you can choose to access a range of higher degrees such as the Master of Clinical Psychology;

or Master of Clinical Psychology and PhD.

Admission requirement

Please note this course is not available to international students. For admission to this course:

• (a) You must hold a Bachelor degree from any discipline;
• (b) You must not have previously completed a major in Psychology; and
• (c) You must have successfully completed Psychology 1001 (PSYC1001) and Psychology 1002 (PSYC1002) or equivalent introductory psychology units within the last 10 years.

You are required to submit evidence (e.g. academic transcript and unit/subject descriptions unit of study outlines) of successful completion of Psychology 1001 and 1002 or equivalent with your application.

If you have not yet completed Psychology 1001 or 1002, you can apply to undertake these units through Science Undergraduate Non-Degree Study at the University of Sydney in the regular semester or in the January Intensive.

Credit for previous study You can apply for up to 30 credit points of credit (five Psychology units of study) if you have already completed units of study that the faculty deems equivalent to those to be undertaken in the GDP. You must have completed these units of study within an APAC accredited degree program within the last 10 years. Equivalent study at an international university may be acceptable. If you are seeking credit, you should complete the relevant online credit application form at the same time as your admission application.

Pathway to Psychology Honours On successful completion of the GDP, graduates may be eligible to apply for entry to a fourth year of honours study in psychology through the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours).

What you'll study

Units of Study