Embrace your passion for person-centred clinical practice and pursue research excellence in the rapidly changing world of clinical psychology. UNE’s PhD in Clinical Psychology prepares you to provide high-quality clinical services as a registered psychologist, whilst you produce world-class original research in our collaborative, flexible and innovative research training environment. Complete your clinical placement in our state-of-the-art UNE Psychology Clinic, and future proof your career with clinical skills and proven research experience.

Why study the Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) with UNE?
Take advantage of the strong research culture of UNE, and produce independent research of the highest calibre, with our Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) (PhD). As the third oldest Department of Psychology in Australia, we rank among the best when it comes to teaching and research excellence. Our world-class academic staff have diverse research interests in a wide range of psychology disciplines, including cognitive neuroscience, behaviour genetics, animal learning, health psychology, social psychology, environmental psychology, organisational psychology, human sexuality, and clinical psychology.

Entry to our PhD program is via the Master of Psychology (Clinical), with transfer to the PhD after your first year of study. This pathway combines your clinical placement in our state-of-the-art Psychology Clinic with rigorous research training, allowing you to pursue UNE’s highest level award in an academic environment that is renowned for its quality, integrity and flexibility.

What makes our course different?

• Position yourself at the forefront of change and innovation, with cutting edge training in contemporary psychology research, guided by experienced academic staff. UNE Psychology received a ranking of 5 (well above world standard) in the most recent Excellence in Research for Australia, Australia’s national research evaluation framework.
• UNE is uniquely placed to focus on the issues that are faced by people in regional and rural communities and we have a strong tradition of bringing this perspective to our internationally-respected research. We are embedded in the rural communities that we serve, and our approach to research and teaching aims to provide optimal outcomes for these areas. In fact, more than 50% of our psychology graduates are employed in rural and regional communities, areas that have traditionally suffered from workforce shortages in health and psychosocial care.
• Hone your advanced clinical skills, and be ready for practice in the digital world, with your supervised clinical placement at the UNE Psychology Clinic. UNE's Psychology Clinic is a state-of-the-art purpose-built facility, co-located with the UNE Medical Centre, which utilises technology to support clinical practice and provide equitable access to specialist services for our community. Under close supervision from a dedicated, experienced clinical team, you will have the opportunity to provide assessment and intervention to real clients with a range of presenting psychological issues.
• Our clinic technology is at the cutting edge of contemporary practice and research, and includes audio-visual capture of treatment sessions, iPad-based administration of psychological assessments and telehealth service delivery to clients in remote locations, who would otherwise be unable to access psychological services.
• Receive detailed and formative feedback on your practice throughout your PhD, supporting your development of the competencies required to practice as a psychologist and clinical researcher.
• Our research laboratories include those equipped to investigate biopsychology, eye-tracking, and electroencephalogram (EEG) to study brain function, ensuring that you have access to advanced research tools in many specialised areas of the dynamic and diverse field of psychology.
• UNE’s programs are regionally based but globally connected through the international research collaborations of our academic staff. Our mission is to foster a collaborative, innovative, collegial environment that supports your success, anytime and anywhere. That’s why our students award us 5 stars for Overall Experience, year after year.

If you are an Australian or New Zealand student and meet the criteria for entry to the Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology), you may be funded under the Australian Government’s Research Training Program (RTP) and may not incur tuition fees for the duration of the course. If you are an international student, you will incur tuition fees.

Internal funding is available to support research projects and UNE offers a range of scholarships for Higher Degree Research students.

As a PhD student at UNE, you may also be eligible to apply for the Award for Excellence in PhD Thesis in Psychology, a $1000 award by the Australian Psychological Society that aims to encourage and reward outstanding research in psychology.

Study online
Most of our students choose to study online across three study periods with 24/7 tutor support* and fit study around work and family commitments. Uniquely, our online students are mostly over 30 and bring valuable experience with them. They form a community of adults juggling the same challenges and priorities and who bring their life and work experience together at UNE in order to become future-fit and better respond to a rapidly changing world.

Study on campus
Many of our students choose to take advantage of the on-campus lifestyle in Armidale, in the beautiful New England region, with access to unparalleled support, accommodation and sporting facilities. These students are often starting their first degree and have left school recently. Through access to academic and career support they get a fantastic start to their careers.

* 24/7 tutor support includes: essay feedback (within 24 hours); live chat 24/7 for generic feedback on academic writing; and subject-specific help at a foundation or first-year level for subjects including mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, business, accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics and statistics. There are also a wide range of workshops, resources and courses available in academic skills support to assist you and help you to succeed.