Information for students

The Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) is responsible for developing and endorsing the Registration Standards for psychologists in Australia, and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency manages the processing of applications to the PsyBA for registration as a psychologist. As such, please contact the PsyBA directly for information and advice regarding registration requirements.

If you have gained an overseas academic qualification in psychology and you are seeking to register to practise as a psychologist or continue further studies in an APAC accredited program in Australia, the appropriate course of action is dependent on the advice you are seeking. For more information, please refer to the overseas qualifications page.

The 10 year rule was specified as an entry requirement in the 2010 Standards for programs at fourth year and above. It has been removed from the entry requirements in the 2019 Accreditation Standards. Entry requirements for programs at Levels 1, 2, 3 or 4 are listed in the introductory comments for each level within the Accreditation Standards. The Accreditation Standards are a minimum threshold and education providers may set additional requirements above and beyond those set out in the Standards.

There are a number of reasons why an APAC Assessment Team may be conducting a site visit at your education provider. It may be the case that your education provider is approaching the end of its current five-year accreditation cycle and is, therefore, due for a full re-accreditation assessment. Perhaps your education provider has made significant changes to its accredited programs or to other aspects of its structure or functioning which require examination by APAC to ensure that Accreditation Standards are still being met, or your education provider may have been randomly selected by APAC for an audit. Additionally, APAC may be in possession of credible information that the education provider’s programs of study may no longer comply with the Accreditation Standards and as a result has commenced an audit of the relevant programs of study.

As an accreditation authority, APAC is unable to provide any recommendations regarding programs of study or education providers. APAC’s role is to assure the compliance against the Accreditation Standards of each accredited program, however we do not rank programs or education providers. It’s recommended that you contact your prospective education provider for further information regarding its programs to make an informed decision.