Psychology Degrees in Australia

9 March 2026

You want to become a psychologist and you’re considering studying and maybe even practicing in Australia.

Becoming a registered psychologist requires a specific sequence of education and training, including a master of psychology degree. Master of Psychology degrees in Australia have strict admissions requirements if you’ve previously studied at an institution outside Australia.

Here’s what you need to know before you apply, what your program options are, and what you can do if you don’t meet the admissions requirements!

Becoming a Psychologist in Australia
To become a registered psychologist in Australia you will need to complete a specific 6-year minimum sequence of education and training. This sequence comprises a 3-year bachelor’s degree in psychology, 1 1-year honours research degree in psychology, and a 2-year master’s degree in psychology within your chosen specialization.

Admissions Requirements for Master of Psychology Degrees
Master of psychology degrees in Australia have limited spaces and entry is competitive. Even if you meet the requirements below, entry is not guaranteed.

To be considered for admission you typically need to have completed an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited four-year honours undergraduate degree with a major in psychology. Usually, this degree must have been conferred within the last 10 years. Grades required for eligibility vary by program. You may also need to provide a personal statement and/or references depending on the program.

Bachelor’s Degrees from Non-APAC-accredited Programs
If your undergraduate degree is not from an APAC-accredited institution, you will need to apply for the overseas qualifications assessment by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) before you can apply to an Australian 1-year honours psychology program or a graduate-entry psychology program. You can only apply for this assessment after you have been awarded your undergraduate degree as the APS will require your final transcript.

Extensive research experience is required (see the “research requirements” section below for details).

If you have extensive research and decide to proceed with the APS assessment it can take 12+ weeks to complete and costs $980 AUD (1 July 2025- 30 June 2026). If the APS determines that an undergraduate degree is equivalent to an Australian program of study, the applicant will receive a letter from the APS stating that he/she is eligible to apply to an Australian psychology program at the master level or higher. If the APS approves your 3-year bachelor sequence in psychology, you can apply for an honours year. Once the applicant receives a successful Assessment of Qualifications document, they can then begin the application process with OzTREKK.

Australian Psychological Society (APS) Assessment Research Requirements
We have found that some applicants who have graduated with a Canadian honours year with a research thesis, or even a Master of Science Psychology, do not meet APS equivalency criteria.

Bachelor of Arts students with a major in psychology from a Canadian university typically need to take an honours year to meet the research requirements. However, an honours year in Australia is usually set up differently than ours here in Canada, as they are quite research intensive. Even if we examine your transcript, we can not guarantee if the APS will consider your research experience as equivalent.

If you do not have a strong research background you can investigate research options to enhance your research background to meet the APS equivalency criteria. It’s often easiest to talk to your current university to see if there are any options for a research thesis. Alternatively, some Australian universities allow international students to take a research-intensive honours year or graduate diploma program to meet the research requirement.

You will still need to have an APS assessment for your previous studies were completed outside of Australia even if you undertake additional research at an APAC-accredited institution in Australia.

Clinical Psychology Degrees
Many of OzTREKK’s university partners offer master of psychology degrees with a clinical focus. Please contact us to discuss which option would be best for you and your goals.

Requirements to be a Psychologist in Canada
The requirements to be a registered, licensed, certified, or chartered psychologist in Canada vary by province. The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) provides information about credential assessment, licensing, and regulatory bodies for each province. OzTREKK also recommends you review the Canadian Psychological Association’s Licensure (Regulation) of the Practice of Psychology to ensure you will meet the requirements for the province in which you intend to practice.

Other Options: Psychotherapy, Counselling, or Therapy Degrees
If you don’t want to undertake additional research or the APS assessment but your goal after graduation is to work in psychology or a psychology-related discipline, you should consider a degree in psychotherapy, therapy, or counselling.

Several of OzTREKK’s university partners offer master-level counselling and therapy degrees that do not have strict research requirements and do not require you to complete the APS assessment. You may need to take the Casper test or an interview as part of the admissions process, but this requirement varies by program.

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Would you like more information about clinical psychology, psychotherapy, counselling, or therapy degrees in Australia? Please contact study@oztrekk.com for more info. We’re here to help!

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