The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is located in beautiful Sydney, Australia. The School of Psychology is on the Kensington campus, which is ideally situated (only 15 minutes to the city centre and 10 minutes to Coogee beach!)

UNSW is one of Australia's leading international universities. The School of Psychology has a good reputation internationally which is reflected by the large number of staff and students from overseas.

For general information about doing your degree overseas, we suggest that you visit the International Office website. For information about studying psychology at UNSW, please read on:

Undergraduate Degrees

Scholarships Available to International Undergraduate Students
For more information about scholarships available to international students, please visit the Scholarships, Loans and Research Students Office


Postgraduate Degrees
The term “postgraduate studies” is synonymous with the term “graduate studies” used in other countries. Entry into postgraduate programs in psychology is based on demonstrated scholastic achievement. Applicants are required to have a four-year honours degree in psychology, which includes a substantial empirical thesis in the final year. Applicants are not required to complete standardised exams (e.g., GRE’s) for entrance into the course. There are four main postgraduate programs that you may apply for:

Master of Psychology (MPsychol)

The School of Psychology at UNSW offers three Master of Psychology courses designed for people who want to learn to apply psychological knowledge and scientific methods to work in a clinical, organisational, or forensic setting. For the Masters program, students are required to do coursework, professional practice, and a research thesis. The program involves a two-year, full-time commitment (or longer for part-time students). Completion of a Masters program, together with supervised practical experience, will qualify a student to work as a professional psychologist and to apply for membership of the appropriate college of the Australian Psychological Society. International students should note that this qualification may not meet the requirements for training in psychology in countries other than Australia. Click here for more information about Masters of Psychology programs at UNSW.

PhD

Unlike some countries, it is possible to do a PhD in Australia without having completed a Masters degree first. The PhD program at UNSW is primarily research-based and is ideal for those interested in pursuing an academic career. The program generally takes three years to complete, during which students prepare a thesis which represents "an original and significant contribution to scientific knowledge." Click here to learn more about PhD opportunities in Psychology at UNSW.

Combined Program (PhD/MPsychol)

Students can also complete a 4-year degree that combines a PhD with the coursework Masters of Psychology degree. The full MPsychol program is followed, including coursework and placements. However, the MPsychol research thesis is substituted by the PhD thesis. Coursework is spread throughout the first 2-to-3 years of the program and the PhD research must commence in the first year. Undertaking the combined program is very taxing, so only applicants with an outstanding academic record are accepted. The program is not available to international students who are on a 3-year scholarship (e.g., EIPRS).

Master of Science (MSc)

The MSc is a research degree that has the same requirements as a PhD, but is only of two-years duration. The size of the project and consequent dissertation is proportionally smaller than a PhD. It is suitable for someone who is interested in pursuing psychological research, but who does not want to commit themselves to a 3- to 4-year PhD degree.

International Postgraduate Research Scholarships

International students who are not citizens or permanent residents of Australia may be eligible to apply for assistance under the Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (EIPRS) program. These scholarships are open to citizens of all overseas countries (excluding New Zealand) who wish to undertake a full-time PhD and ae available for three years. They cannot be used for the combined PhD/MPsychol program. Applications must be lodged before the student is actually enrolled as a PhD student. The exact closing date for the two rounds of annual EIPRS applications should be checked with the Graduate Research School. These scholarships provide for course tuition fees and basic health cover, visa fees and a living allowance.

UNSW will also offer a number of scholarships which will provide the same benefits as the EIPRS. These awards are known as University International Postgraduate award (UIPA) and are subject to the same conditions as the EIPRS except that travel concessions are not available and the awards are not transferable to other programs or institutions. Awarding of a UIPA will be based on the application submitted for an EIPRS.

For more information about scholarships available to international students, please visit the Graduate Research School.

Contact Us

If you are a prospective international student who has questions about studying psychology at UNSW, please consult the pages relevant to the program in question. These pages include contact details for the program coordinator, who will be able to answer any additional question.

More general questions about doing your degree overseas please contact the International Office. You should also consult their web pages at http://www.international.unsw.edu.au