Job spotlight - Psychologist

Would you like to become a psychologist? 

You will start your education by studying a 3-year bachelor’s degree or a 4-year integrated bachelor’s and honours program with an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) approved major in psychology. The great news is you can do this course locally at La Trobe University!

Cool facts about psychology

It takes at least 6-years to become a generalist psychologist and another 2 – 4 years to become a specialist.

You can study a psychology major within a degree that is focused on your interests – such as health, humanities, science, business etc. 

In some degrees you can study a second specialisation. Examples of study areas include criminology, disability studies, marketing, neuroscience, health promotion, nutrition etc. 

There is maths in psychology degrees such as statistics and correlation! It’s highly advisable to study senior level maths at school.

If you don’t want to become a psychologist, you can complete an undergraduate degree with a psychology major and then complete graduate studies in an area that’s focussed on human behaviour – such as social work, career development/counselling, marketing, human resource management, criminology etc.

Specialist psychology fields

Once you complete your 6-years of study and training and have registered as a generalist psychologist, you can pursue training in an area of psychological practice, such as Clinical Neuropsychology, Forensic Psychology and Health Psychology.

Research psychology courses

The pathway to becoming a psychologist is complex and it’s important to be aware of the grades and hurdles required to move between each stage. Please see Sandie (who has a psychology degree) to map out the best courses for you. You can research courses via www.courseseeker.edu.au