Master of Professional Psychology

at Griffith University - Mount Gravatt Campus Australia

Combining business with psychological science can give you the skills and knowledge needed to work as a specialist providing advice to organisations on management and personnel issues, and helping them develop training programs, set policies, or manage organisational change.

This is your opportunity to expose yourself to an intensive research environment. You will develop expertise in research and learn the concepts, methods and skills required to apply knowledge with creativity and initiative to new situations. The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) is awarded on the basis of independent supervised study that produces a substantial piece of research as judged by independent experts of international standing.

When you choose law and criminology at Griffith, you'll be studying among the world’s best. Griffith ranked as the highest Australian university for law in the Academic Rankings of World Universities 2019, which includes both Griffith Law School and the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.  

This double degree is built on practical experience and taught by award-winning teachers and researchers, who will help you work towards your ideal job. You'll be immersed in authentic experiences and graduate with the networks and support to launch your career in law or criminology.

In this double degree, you'll develop an understanding of the vital importance of human services within Australia's legal and social systems.

Through the human services component, you'll learn how to build a better future for individuals and families. You'll also be empowered by a greater understanding of the principles of social justice and social inclusion. In the criminology and criminal justice component, you'll learn about the causes of crime and how society responds to them through the justice system.

Industry and expert connections
Your study will include courses about policing, working with offenders and victims, and analysing and preventing crimes. You'll hear from academic and professional experts about how crime can be prevented and reduced.

You'll also undertake a range of courses to prepare you as a human services practitioner to create a more socially just world.  

You'll receive plenty of hands-on experience in your final year of study. Within a genuine human services environment, you'll put theory into practice in a supervised setting. This experience will enhance your skills in the workplace and get you ready to graduate job-ready.

Graduate Outcomes
You may find opportunities in policing and security, intelligence, probation and parole, child protection, crime analysis, courts and justice services, crime prevention and regulatory agencies.

You will be prepared for a career in areas such as law enforcement, working directly with offenders in welfare and counselling roles and in criminological research and policy roles.

The Graduate Diploma of Criminological Research Studies is an 80 credit point program designed to provide graduates in the criminology and criminal justice discipline with the opportunity to undertake advanced study in research methodology and to undertake supervised research work in the discipline area appropriate to their research trajectory.

The program provides the necessary preparation for entry into a higher degree research program (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or equivalent program) for applicants who do not possess the required qualifications for direct admission into these programs. The program will also be available to students who wish to undertake advanced studies in the identified disciplinary fields but who may not wish to progress to MPhil or PhD study.

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be eligible to apply for admission to MPhil or PhD candidature subject to fulfilment of the requirements for candidature as specified in the Higher Degree Research Policy and successful completion of the confirmation procedure. The grade achieved will determine eligibility for admission to either a PhD or MPhil candidature.

The Program Director will be responsible for the overall supervision of students in the program and for monitoring their progress throughout the program.

Students may choose to exit the Graduate Diploma program (after successfully completing the specified courses) with the Graduate Certificate in Criminological Research Studies

This degree will prepare you for a career as a Clinical Psychologist. You will learn how to undertake psychological assessments, develop case conceptualisations, implement and evaluate interventions, apply research methodologies and engage in ethical professional practice.

The program has been designed to meet the requirements for eligibility for full registration with the Psychology Board of Australia and entry to the Registrar program for the area of practice endorsement in clinical psychology. Completion of the degree also meets the requirements for associate membership of the Australian Psychological Society's College of Clinical Psychologists.

This postgraduate pre-service teacher education program is offered in intensive mode to enable completion in one and a half years or over two years full-time. The program provides professional preparation for teaching in primary school (Prep to Year 6) settings. It is designed for graduates from a non-education background wishing to teach in this context.

The program covers the theory and practice of teaching concentrating on the characteristics of learners; the social and educational contexts of education; curriculum studies and professional experience in relevant settings.

Combining law with psychological science will give you a unique skill set that will prepare you for work either in the community sector or in commerce and industry. You will also develop analytical, research and communication skills.

Law Component
Griffith Law School offers a professional legal curriculum that focuses on core areas of legal practice and the legal skills that lawyers must have. You will have the opportunity to choose law electives based on your interests, including clinical courses that emphasise practical legal skills, insights and experience.

You will make connections between law and ethics, legal theory, Indigenous issues, and internationalisation. You will also develop interdisciplinary understandings of law and legal work.

You will take courses that cover areas such as Crime, Contracts, Property, Corporate Law, Torts and Theories of Law.

If you complete the five Canadian Law courses, you will eligible for entry into the legal profession in Canada's common law provinces, when accompanied by a Certificate of Qualification from the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.

Psychological Science Component
You will learn how to apply psychological theories to topics such as thinking and perceiving, motivation, stress, health, criminal activity, and group behaviour. You will also learn how to evaluate and understand tests that measure intellectual, behavioural and emotional states. You will develop interpersonal and communication skills and learn about the principles of counselling and core areas of psychology. You will learn how to help people with personal, health, vocational and social difficulties.

Understanding human behaviour and what makes people tick is a crucial skill in the world of criminology and justice. With this double degree, you'll be prepared for a range of crime-related career opportunities with a focus on the psychological side of criminology. You'll also learn about the trends in crime control, along with new tactics and techniques for solving crime.

Industry and expert connections:-
At Griffith, criminology has always had a strong industry connection and a high level of cooperation from police agencies and other crime-related bodies. This double degree continues the tradition with a multitude of opportunities to meet with and hear from industry experts. In your final year, you'll have the option to complete a professional practice placement one day a week in a justice-related workplace.

Graduate Outcomes:-
Combining criminology with psychological science will give you the skills and understanding needed to deal with the human behaviour of crime. You'll find work in probation and parole, community corrections, family services, counselling, child protection, program and policy development, research and administration. There are also opportunities for crime trend analysis and the role of psychology in crime prevention.

This new double degree will combine the study of what makes criminals tick with an understanding of the justice system and policy making processes. With a better understanding of how policy is created and applied, plus an understanding of crime and criminal behavior, you will be equipped to influence the policy underpinning the justice system to ultimately deter crime rather than simply responding to criminal behavior.

This degree will give you a better understanding of the causes and consequences of complex crime and criminal justice issues and just how it is currently dealt with by government at local, national and global levels.