4+2 Psychology Registration Program
AHPRA has closed the 4+2 pathway to new applicants after 30 June 2022. The College is still taking applications from provisional psychologists currently on the 4+2 pathway who would like to join COPP.
Program at a glance
| Internship Program: | 4+2 pathway to general registration |
| Description: | Your 5th and 6th year of supervised, generalist practical training |
| Objectives: | To develop knowledge and practical skills across the eight core competencies in general psychological practice identified by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) in order to be eligible for general registration as a psychologist. |
| Length: | 2 years full time |
| Program: | Placement: 2720 hours over two years (approx. 28 hours per week) Supervision: 160 hours required over two years Professional Development: 120 hours over two years |
| Outcome: | Eligibility for general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia; |
| Eligibility: | You must have completed an approved four year tertiary psychology qualification. |
Our 4+2 Psychology Registration Program meets the requirements of the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) for your 5th and 6th year training whilst preparing you for your career as a psychologist.
Our structured and integrated learning program is designed to ensure that as a provisional psychologist, you receive the supervision and professional development required to achieve PsyBA core competencies as well as access to learning resources such as psychometric assessments to enable you to come all PsyBA assessment tasks.
The core competencies and attributes of the 4+2 registration program that must be achieved by the provisional psychologist are:
- knowledge of the discipline
- ethical, legal and professional matters
- psychological assessment and measurement
- intervention strategies
- research and evaluation
- communication and interpersonal relationships
- working within a cross-cultural context
- practice across the lifespan.
Program components
To meet PsyBA requirements, the four key learning components of the 4+2 internship are:
1. Placement (Psychological Practice)
We provide
1000 hours direct client contact
1720 hours client related activities
2. Supervision
We provide
3. Professional Development
We provide
practical, skills based workshops to enhance your learning as well as convenient e-learning modules all targeted to ensure that you achieve the core competencies.
Placement
The key component of the internship program is psychological practice, also referred to as placement. This is securing employment in the workforce in a psychological capacity which is approved by PsyBA.
A total of 2,720 hours must be completed. A minimum of 1,000 hours of the provisional psychologist’s placement must involve direct or face-to-face client contact. This includes performing specific tasks of psychological assessment, intervention and prevention. The remainder of the time (1,720 hours) comprises client-related activities such as problem formulation and writing case notes and reports.
We provide pre-placement support to help you secure suitable psychology placements that meet PsyBA psychological practice requirements. This support is tailored to your individual needs and includes reviewing resumes, job search techniques and strategies, interviewing practice and coaching.
The aim is to find placement roles that are paid.
Supervision
Supervision provides the provisional psychologist with a professionally stimulating and supportive opportunity for growth. Our Board-approved supervisors work with you to prepare a supervised practice program in accordance with the latest PsyBA guidelines. A mentoring relationship provides direction, guidance and instructive critique to assist you in meeting your professional goals. This process is fundamental to achieving PsyBA core competencies. Our supervisors provide training, supervision and oral and written feedback about your progress.
Over the course of the program, you will be given the opportunity to work with a variety of the College’s supervisors who have a diverse range of specialities and areas of interest, providing a rich and varied learning experience. All our supervisors are current practitioners.
Professional Development
The purpose of professional development (PD) is to increase the skill level of provisional psychologists across all core competencies of professional practice. PD must be undertaken in each core capability, including psychological assessment and diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions and theoretical and empirical knowledge of psychological principles.
PD is an essential feature of training. Our program provides you with everything you need to develop and meet the Board’s key competencies whilst preparing you for the National Psychology Examination. We provide a range of specifically developed, practically oriented, skills-based activities, including workshops, lectures, classroom activities, and role plays.
All our professional development activities are delivered online.
4. Assessment Tasks and National Psychology Exam
We provide
- support from supervisors with explicit knowledge and experience in the preparation of Board assessment tasks across all core competencies;
- training in and access to a range of Board approved mandatory and elective psychometric assessments;
- training in writing case reports for PsyBA, a review panel to provide feedback on your report and maximise the likelihood of success
- assistance with your preparation for the National Psychology Examination, including e-learning modules, library resources and an exam study group.
Assessment of core competencies
The successful completion of Board assessment tasks is fundamental to achieving general registration.
For each of the core competencies, PsyBA requires specific training objectives and detailed assessment tasks to be completed progressively over the period of the internship. Progress reports must be provided by the supervisor and submitted to the Board by the provisional psychologist every six months. The Colleges’ Professional Development activities, along with our guidance and support with these assessment tasks, are what sets us apart.
Case reports
Case reports are a major component of the internship. They are an educational and developmental process intended to help the provisional psychologist cultivate and refine clinical skills and demonstrate clinical competence under appropriate supervision.
Eight case reports must be completed by the provisional psychologist during the two-year internship, four must be focused on assessment of a client, and four must focus on intervention. Two assessment case reports and two intervention case reports must be assessed by the Board to ensure that they demonstrate competence. Our supervisors support and guide you through the preparation of these, we provide training on writing case reports, and we provide a review process ensuring case reports are of a high standard and more likely to meet with Board approval when submitted.
National Psychology Exam
To be eligible for general registration, the national psychology examination must be passed during the second internship year (after 1,500 hours have been completed). The examination assesses applied psychological knowledge and helps demonstrate that the provisional psychologist has an appropriate level of applied professional knowledge and competence. At the College of Professional Psychology, we have a library of Board recommended exam readings, e-learning exam preparation modules and NPE study groups guided by an experienced supervisor to support your success.
Eligibility
To enrol in our 4+2 Psychology Registration Program, you must have completed an approved four-year tertiary psychology qualification and have already commenced on the 4+2 pathway to general registration prior to 1 July 2022.
Program applicants are required to undergo a selection process that consists of an application and a structured interview. This process gives both the applicant and the College the opportunity to ensure that our program fits with your individual needs and goals.
Students with Overseas Qualifications
Overseas psychology qualifications will have to be assessed for their Australian equivalence by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
You may need to provide proof of proficiency in English. This involves getting a score of 7.0 or more in an International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
More information can be found on the Psychology Board of Australia website .
Fees
The College of Professional Psychology was founded on the principle that by providing psychologists with the best professional and practical skills, they can go on to make a positive contribution to the mental well-being of the wider community.
Our supervisors, keen to give back and support the psychology profession, provide their time and expertise at a rate that allows us to keep our program fees to a minimum.
4+2 program: $30,000
(payable in 8 x instalments)
If you have already completed part of your 4+2 program, the fee is calculated after your interview based on how much of the program you still have to complete.
The fees cover all components of the registration program, including regular individual and group supervision, professional development workshops, e-learning modules and other online networking opportunities, as well as assistance with finding a placement if needed. Also included is access to psychometric tests.