Inherent requirements are fundamental abilities, knowledge, and skills needed to complete a degree.
Psychology, in all areas of practice endorsement offered at Adelaide University (Clinical, Health, and Organisational and Human Factors), is a complex and demanding profession. It requires appropriate behavioural, cognitive and emotional skills to ensure the delivery of safe and effective care and/or professional services.
The inherent requirements for Adelaide University’s Master of Psychology degrees identify core abilities and competencies needed to become an independent, registered psychologist. Although students gain necessary knowledge and skills for psychological practice during their course of study, the skills and knowledge gained during the degree build on and develop the skills and capacities which are identified as inherent requirements.
The development of inherent requirements for our Master of Psychology students is consistent with the principles of inherent requirements for other externally accredited and Ahpra-registered health professions programs. The inherent requirements for Master of Psychology students are also consistent with those of equivalent nationally accredited Master of Psychology programs.
There are eight specific categories of inherent requirements in the Master of Psychology degrees.
1. Ethical behaviour
Psychology is a profession governed by the codes, guidelines and policies of the Psychology Board of Australia where psychologists are both accountable and responsible for ensuring professional behaviour in all contexts.
In order to meet this requirement, students must endorse the Master of Psychology Code of Conduct and demonstrate knowledge of, and engage in, ethical behaviour in practice.
Students must demonstrate:
- a high degree of professionalism and ethical behaviour, including academic integrity and maintenance of patient confidentiality
- familiarity with, or knowledge of, the 2007 Australian Psychological Society (APS) Code of Ethics and adherence to its guidelines, until such time as this is replaced by the Psychology Board of Australia's Code of Conduct for Practitioners
- familiarity with, or knowledge of, Adelaide University’s Master of Psychology handbook, and adherence to the academic policies and procedures outlined in it.
2. Behavioural stability
Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in a demanding role.
In order to meet this requirement, students must demonstrate the ability to work constructively with clients, colleagues, managers and supervisors, in diverse and changing academic and practice environments, which may at times be challenging and unpredictable.
During your studies (and professional careers) you will be exposed to a range of unexpected and emergency situations. Responding appropriately to these situations, and providing safe and effective care, will require personal resilience and a consistent, sustained level of physical and mental performance.
As a student, you will need to demonstrate you can:
- be receptive, and respond appropriately, to constructive feedback from clients, managers, and supervisors
- effectively cope with your emotions and behaviour when dealing with individuals in the clinical setting
- have the self-awareness to monitor your own health and wellbeing, and the ability to seek appropriate assistance as required.
3. Legal and regulatory requirements
Professional psychology practice is conducted in the context of specific legislation and professional regulations, to enable the safe delivery of care and professional services.
In order to meet this requirement, students must demonstrate knowledge of and compliance with relevant laws and professional regulations. This requirement includes, specifically, meeting and maintaining standards for provisional or full psychologist registration with Ahpra.
As a student, you will need to demonstrate:
- knowledge and compliance with Australian federal and state legislation, professional regulations, and scope of practice, as required
- compliance with requirements set out by placement providers.
4. Communication
Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of psychological care. Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to psychological practice and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathic, honest and non-judgemental. Effective written communication is a fundamental professional psychology responsibility, which has professional and legal ramifications.
Students must demonstrate an ability to communicate and work constructively, in both academic and clinical settings, as part of a group as well as in one-on-one scenarios with other people, including other students, University staff, supervising practitioners, clients and other community members.
As a student, you will need to demonstrate that you can:
- understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner
- provide clear instructions relevant to the context of the situation
- provide timely and clear feedback and reports
- recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues
- maintain consistent and appropriate awareness of one’s own behaviours
- be aware of and responsive to individual and cultural differences in verbal and non-verbal communication
- construct coherent written communication, appropriate to the circumstances and intended audience.
5. Cognition
Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated in order to undertake safe and competent psychology practice. Competent literacy skills are essential to permit safe and effective practice of psychology during placements. Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential to provide safe and effective demonstration of psychology practice skills.
As a student, you will need to demonstrate that you can:
- locate appropriate and relevant information
- process relevant information
- integrate and implement knowledge in practice
- accurately acquire information
- convey appropriate, effective messages
- read and comprehend a range of literature and information
- understand and implement academic conventions in order to construct written text in a scholarly manner
- interpret and correctly apply numerical data, measurement and numerical criteria in the execution of psychology practice.
6. Relational skills
Psychological practice requires the ability to make and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of clients, often under stressful circumstances.
As a student, you will need to demonstrate:
- effective counselling skills
- accurate empathy
- strong communication skills
- the ability to build and maintain rapport with clients.
7. Reflective skills
Psychological practice requires self-awareness and a capacity for reflection in order to consider the effect of one's own issues, actions, values and behaviours on practice.
As a student, you will need to demonstrate that you can:
- accurately reflect on your professional performance
- accept feedback on your professional practice and respond constructively.
8. Sustainable performance
Psychological practice requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level over time.
As a student, you will need to demonstrate:
- consistent and sustained physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner, and over time
- the ability to perform repetitive activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately
- the capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of duty.
Additional requirements for Master of Psychology placements
The Master of Psychology requires a high level of commitment to a minimum of three compulsory placements of approximately 5-6 months’ duration. You will be required to attend placement experiences that may occur outside the normal academic year, and may require attendance at metropolitan and/or rural locations.
Can we make exceptions?
Adelaide University strongly supports the right of all people who wish to pursue studies in our Master of Psychology programs to achieve their potential and chosen career objectives. Students with disabilities, chronic health conditions, or other considerations (e.g., cultural or religious) may receive reasonable adjustments, provided academic and professional practice integrity is not compromised.
Students with disabilities for whom reasonable adjustments are required for them to undertake their program, should contact our Future Student Enquiry Team before the commencement of the first semester. Some adjustments need up to 4-8 weeks lead time to organise, so it is imperative that early contact is made. In some instances, more advance notice is needed, such as for practicum placements.
If you are intending to enrol in the Master of Psychology, you should review these inherent requirement statements and consider whether you may experience challenges in meeting these requirements. If you think you may experience challenges related to your disability, chronic health condition or any other reason, you should discuss your concerns with our Future Student Enquiry Team to ensure a managed approach.
