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Become a registered clinical psychologist
The Master of Clinical Psychology is a competitive-entry professional programme that will train you to become a registered clinical psychologist.
The Master of Clinical Psychology is a professional qualification. It enables you to meet the competency requirements for the clinical scope of practice under the Health Practitioners Competencies Assurance Act (2003). With the Master of Clinical Psychology you’ll be able to practise independently.
Places on this programme are highly sought-after and there’s a competitive entry process.
Clinical psychology is an applied branch of psychology. It uses psychological techniques to help people solve a wide variety of mental, physical, behavioural and relationship problems.
The programme comprises courses, practica placements and an internship of supervised full-time practical work for at least one academic year. You’ll write case studies and keep a log of your work.
There are typically three placements in a variety of health service agencies that may include:
Massey is committed to the principles embodied in the Treaty of Waitangi. You’ll be well trained from a variety of perspectives and be sensitive to the needs of people from diverse backgrounds and across the lifespan.
Clinical training at Massey is based on the scientist-practitioner model. This emphasises the need for clinical psychologists to have a strong research background as well as clinical skills. You’ll formulate an approach to understanding human behaviour.
Massey graduates more researchers and clinical psychologists than any other university in New Zealand.
We’re connected to a wide range of community and statutory organisations, and produce unique and applied psychology research and training that’s recognised nationally and internationally. This expertise enhances the reputation of your degree and ensures your knowledge is relevant to today’s society.
Our clinical psychology graduates typically work in their community in:
If you want to be a registered psychologist, you can explore your qualification options in our psychology pathways tool.
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
This programme is a selected entry programme. This means there are a number of extra requirements you must meet.
In order to be considered for the Master of Clinical Psychology you will:
or
You will need to provide the following documents:
Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed before a final selection is made.
This programme has a limited number of places available. Meeting entry requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the programme.
No late applications will be accepted. You must ensure that all documentation is supplied well in advance of the closing date. If you are applying close to the deadline you will need to ensure your referees are advised, as their report must be received by the above date.
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
Contact us through the enquire button on this page, if you would like more details and a copy of our postgraduate prospectus.
For full-time students the minimum period of enrolment will be two years (24 months) and the maximum will be three years (36 months).
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
From the Schedule to the Degree including:
Completion of Part One and Part Two
Compulsory courses
Internship
This is a parts-based qualification. This means there are regulations around your completion of Part One before progressing to Part Two, etc.
Achieve specified performance standards in the academic courses, the clinical practicum courses, the internship, and research case studies.
Attend training activities, contact workshops, block courses, field trips, workshops, tutorials, laboratories and clinical experiences as required.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
If you study full-time, you’ll take 120 credits per year or 60 credits per semester.
The Master of Clinical Psychology is a parts-based qualification. That means you must complete the first part, before moving to the second.
Professional content courses
• 175.814 Clinical Psychology Internship
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
Massey is ranked in the world's top 250 universities for psychology by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements. These regulations should be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including the below.
General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates.
If you are ready to apply, have a look at our application checklist. It will help you get prepared with what you need. Please also check the entry requirements carefully before you apply.
You will apply for the programme using the Apply now button on this page. You’ll also choose your specialisation (major, subject or endorsement) if applicable.
Some programmes have additional requirements such as the submission of a portfolio or CV. Click on Apply now and you will be able to submit those documents as part of the application process.
You will receive an Admission Offer of Place when you have been accepted into the programme. You need to accept this before you can enrol in your courses. International students also need to pay their fees at this point.
You’ll then get access to your own student homepage (also known as the student portal). This is where you can enrol in courses. Any updates on your application or enrolments will also be on your student homepage. Make sure you check this regularly.
When you choose courses, ensure you check for any requirements that apply including:
Each of our courses has its own webpage where you can find this information. You can use our course search to find course pages.
More information on courses is in the ‘Courses for this programme’ section on this page.
You can find information on application due dates and semester dates on the key dates page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Massey!
If you have any questions, contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
Each Massey programme is made up of courses (in some tertiary institutions they are called ‘papers’).
You will have some compulsory courses and some you can choose from.
Each course is worth a certain amount of credits (often 15 credits, but this does vary). You must gain a set number of credits to be able to graduate from this programme.
There may also be some rules about which courses you need to pass to progress to the next year, or stage, of your study (known as progression). There are also courses you must pass to graduate with a specialisation.
The first three digits of our course numbers show you which subject the course is about.
The second three digits show you the level and course ID number. For instance:
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the programme or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these programmes go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.