Online Graduate Diploma of Psychology

Program Overview

This 100% online Graduate Diploma in Psychology provides a comprehensive introduction to psychological theories and practices, covering developmental, biological, cognitive, and social psychology. Students will acquire advanced knowledge in foundational psychology and develop the ability to apply it in real-world settings using a scientific approach. The program offers a range of electives, including Psychology of Motivation and Work, Health and Wellbeing Psychology, and Applied Telehealth and Virtual Care, allowing students to tailor their studies to their interests. Graduates may pursue careers in social research, mental health, organizational behavior, and other fields.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This 100% online Graduate Diploma in Psychology is ideal for those seeking to understand the human psyche, delve into psychological sciences, and potentially pursue a career as a registered psychologist or gain a more profound understanding of various psychological aspects such as motivation, behavior, human development, and research methods. It combines foundational knowledge in psychology with perspectives from practicing psychologists, academics, and industry thought leaders. Through this program, individuals can acquire advanced knowledge of the broad foundational theory in psychology and develop the ability to apply that knowledge in real-world settings using a scientific approach.

Outline:

This Graduate Diploma in Psychology provides a comprehensive introduction to the theories and practices of psychology, encompassing various psychological perspectives, including developmental, biological, cognitive, and social psychology, alongside counseling and research skills.

Electives and Course Plan:

• Fundamentals of Psychology 1: Covers the primary subdisciplines of psychology, encompassing biological bases of behavior, learning, memory, emotion, motivation, and developmental psychology.
It introduces research methods and their applications.
• Fundamentals of Psychology 2: Delves into major theories of psychology, including personality, psychopathology, social psychology, and cross-cultural psychology.
• Developmental and Social Psychology: Explores social behavior, human development, and perceptual-motor, psychosocial, and cognitive development.
It examines social behavior and applies social psychological principles to real-world issues.
• Cognitive and Biological Psychology: Introduces cognitive psychology, covering underlying cognitive processes like memory, attention, and perception, in addition to complex, high-level procedures such as problem-solving, intelligence, and decision making.
Explores biological psychology, focusing on the biological basis of behavior, including neurotransmission, sleep, hormones, genetics, memory, psychopharmacology, and the biology of abnormal behavior.
• Exploring Research in Psychology: Introduces students to major methodological principles and data analysis techniques used in research, including the review and analysis of research designs and measurement techniques, and the application of data analysis techniques using commonly available data packages.
• Counseling and Professional Practices: Focuses on the professional practice of psychology in society and organizations, investigating and analyzing the different ways in which psychologists contribute to society, preparing students for graduation and entry into the workplace or clinical training.
• Mental Health and Psychological Interventions: Introduces abnormal psychology, examining the concept of abnormality and related issues, such as the classification of psychological disorders, the descriptive taxonomy of the DSM-5, and the etiology and diagnosis of selected child, adolescent, and adult disorders.
Explores contrasting theoretical models underlying psychological intervention to facilitate understanding of psychological intervention approaches and techniques.
• Personality and Assessment in Psychology: Evaluates and applies different theoretical models of individual preferences and assessment procedures, examining the ethical and professional issues in psychological assessment.
• Option Courses: Students will select two out of the three following options:
1. Psychology of Motivation and Work: Explores theories and research in human motivation, investigating drivers, instincts, volitional behavior, self-control, self-regulation, and the interactions between motivation, emotion, learning, and behavior change. It designs and evaluates goal-setting strategies and achievement, draws from cognitive-behavioral, positive psychology, and other evidence-based models, and investigates how individuals and groups function in organizations. Health and Wellbeing Psychology: Critically evaluates the theory and application of health psychology, aiming to reduce harmful health behaviors, including poor dietary habits, smoking, physical inactivity, and alcohol and drug abuse. Examines risk factors associated with various chronic health conditions, explores appropriate evidence-based interventions, and analyzes the role of psychologists in promoting health and wellbeing. Applied Telehealth and Virtual Care: Analyzes the nature and scope of telehealth and virtual care models, emerging technological developments, and issues associated with their use, including human connection, privacy, security, ethics, and governance. Draws from professional experience to complete assessment tasks.

Assessment:

Assessment throughout the teaching period includes essays, reports, presentations, case studies, quizzes, and research projects.

Teaching:

Duration:

24 months part-time with the option to study at a 50% part-time load for 30 months.

Contact Hours and Study Load:

Approximately 10-12 hours of study per week, with each term comprising ten weeks.

Teaching Methods:

The 100% online delivery allows for flexible and accelerated learning. Coursework is delivered through an engaging and accessible online platform, with access to diverse learning resources, discussion boards, electronic assignment submission, the library, and business journals. Students can collaborate with lecturers and fellow students and access their student email account anywhere, anytime.

Faculty:

Expert subject matter experts with years of industry experience, including Professor Jane Burns and Dr. Amantha Imber, provide valuable insights and real-world perspectives.

Careers:

Upon completion, graduates may pursue potential employment pathways in social research, mental health, organizational behavior, human resources, welfare resources, market research, and communications.