Research doctorate degrees

Research doctorate degrees

Research degrees offered by the Faculty of Science are listed in this chapter in the following order:

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Doctor of Clinical Psychology/ Master of Science (DCP/MSc)

Valuable resources for intending and current research students are the Postgraduate Studies Handbook sydney.edu.au/handbooks/handbooks_admin/postgraduate.shtml and the Thesis Guide www.supra.usyd.edu.au/assets/file/Publications/SUPRAthesisguide.pdf published by SUPRA (Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association).

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Code: LB000

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is a research degree awarded for a thesis considered to be a substantially original contribution to the subject concerned. Some coursework may be required (mainly in the form of seminars) but in no case is it a major component. The Resolutions of the Senate and Academic Board relating to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy are printed in University of Sydney Calendar.

Applicants should normally hold a Master’s degree or a Bachelor’s degree with first or second class Honours from the University of Sydney, or an equivalent qualification from another university or institution. The Master’s degree may be a research Master’s or a coursework Master’s which contains a project or thesis component equivalent to half a semester€™s load.

With permission from the Dean, additional training (coursework) may be undertaken either prior to commencement of candidature or during the first semester of candidature. This coursework may be general research preparation or discipline-specific.

The degree may be taken on either a full-time or part-time basis. In the case of full-time candidates, the minimum period of candidature can, with the permission of the faculty, be two years for candidates holding an MSc degree or equivalent, or shall be three years in the case of candidates holding a bachelors degree with first class or second class honours; the maximum period of candidature is normally four years.

Part-time candidature may be approved for applicants who can demonstrate that they are engaged in an occupation or other activity, which leaves them substantially free to pursue their candidature for the degree. Normally the minimum period of candidature will be determined on the recommendation of the faculty but in any case will be not less than three years; the maximum period of part-time candidature is normally eight years.

Doctor of Philosophy Resolutions: see the University of Sydney Calendar.

Course overview

The School of Psychology offers a double degree which trains psychology graduates in the professional specialisation of clinical psychology: Doctor of Clinical Psychology/Master of Science course.

The Doctor of Clinical Psychology/Master of Science is recognised, in principle, by the New South Wales Department of Health as qualifying the holder for progression to the grade of Clinical Psychologist. The course is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) as a 5th, 6th and 7th year of training, and is an approved qualification for Associate Membership of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) College of Clinical Psychologists and the Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA). The Psychology Board of Australia (PBA), through APAC, recognises the course for the purposes of registration and endorsement of practice in clinical psychology.

The Doctor of Clinical Psychology/Master of Science (DCP/MSc) involves three years of full-time study and includes three components; academic course work, supervised clinical internships and research. The academic coursework involves lectures, workshops, forums and seminars by the University academic staff. Qualified Clinical Psychologists provide Interns with supervised clinical practice in the internal off-campus Psychology Clinic as well as a variety of external teaching hospitals and clinics. The program includes a minimum of 1500 hours of clinical internship experience and 600 client contact hours. The research component requires students to produce a Research Thesis on a clinical topic that fulfills the requirements for a Master of Science degree.

All students enrol in the DCP degree and in their second year enrol in an MSc degree as well. On completion of all the course requirements at the end of third year, students will graduate with a DCP and MSc degree.

Students who demonstrate acceptable academic ability in their initial application and who meet the School€™s requirements for acceptance into a PhD program (including having a supervisor who agrees to supervise the PhD project) may take the PhD research path, and in their second year enrol directly into a PhD. Students in the MSc research path who wish to upgrade, and who have made excellent progress, and whose projects are of sufficient scope and merit may apply in the first semester of the third year for transfer to a PhD degree, subject to approval and satisfactory production of a thesis proposal which outlines how the thesis, on completion, will make a contribution to knowledge in a specialist area of study.

Admission requirements

• Completion of an APAC accredited, four-year honours degree in Psychology, gaining at least an upper second class (2.1) honours, or equivalent: all qualifications obtained from a non-Australian University must be assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS) before an application may be submitted. To determine equivalency visit the Australian Psychological Society (APS) website or the Australian Psychological Accreditation Council (APAC) website.
• English language proficiency: you must provide evidence of English language proficiency if you have not completed a tertiary qualification in Australia or your qualifications were obtained from a university or other institution where the language of instruction was not English. Only IELTS is accepted.
• Two referee reports.

Selection

Applicants are selected following the evaluation of application forms, supporting documentation and a selection interview. Applicants must meet the admission requirements to be considered for the selection interview (an essential part of the selection process). Offering of places are dependent upon the ranking of applicants and competition for places.

Selection interview criteria:

• Undergraduate academic performance
• Additional academic qualifications in psychology: MSc or PhD in psychology
• Publications: published journal articles, published reports, conference presentations
• Referee reports
• Relevant clinical work experience: Paid work experience (Psychologist, Counsellor, clinically relevant research), Voluntary work experience (teaching, research, other). NB: Receptionist, Shop Assistant, babysitting or similar work is not considered relevant work experience.

Clinical relevance for application

Students applying for the DCP/MSc are not required to have completed an empirical research project in the area of Abnormal Psychology, Clinical Psychology or Neuropsychology.

The selection process aims to identify students with a demonstrated interest in these areas, an awareness of clinical issues, and relevant experience. Clinical relevance can be demonstrated on the basis of projects in many areas of psychology or relevant work experience.

Application submission

Applications should be sent to:

The Postgraduate Assistant
Faculty of Science
Carslaw Building, F07
University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia

International applicants should apply in writing to:

The International Office
Jane Foss Russell, G02
University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia

Provisional registration

All intending candidates are required to apply for and gain provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia before commencing their candidature, or if applicable, full registration. Please note that the Psychology Board of Australia requires that all overseas qualifications be assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

www.psychologyboard.gov.au

Course structure

The DCP/MSc program is based on a Scientist-Practitioner model with cognitive-behavioural an emphasis, providing students with expertise, both practical and academic, to enable them to work as professional Clinical Psychologists in a variety of clinical settings. Advanced units of study and external placements allow students to develop a breadth of clinical experience as they are introduced to additional therapeutic approaches such as Schema therapy, ACT, DBT, Systems and Child and Family therapy.

Our graduates will have a highly developed knowledge base and strong clinical skills necessary for both the practice of professional psychology on the one hand and conducting psychological research on the other.

Doctor of Clinical Psychology/ Master of Science table

Presentation of theses - for research degrees

The following information is presented for the guidance of candidates. It should be regarded as a summary only. Candidates should also consult Policy Online sydney.edu.au/policy, the Postgraduate Studies Handbook sydney.edu.au/handbooks/handbooks_admin/postgraduate.shtml and the Faculty of Science for the most current and detailed advice.

Formal requirements

Number of copies to be submitted for the Doctor of Philosophy: 4

The four copies of theses submitted for examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and the three copies of theses submitted for examination for the degree of Master of Science may be bound in either a temporary or a permanent form.

Theses submitted in temporary binding should be strong enough to withstand ordinary handling and postage. Full details of requirements for the Master of Science (Research) may be found in the following chapter.

The degree shall not be awarded until the candidate has submitted a permanently bound copy of the thesis (containing any corrections or amendments that may be required) and printed on acid-free or permanent paper.

The thesis shall be accompanied by a certificate from the supervisor stating whether in the supervisor's opinion the form of presentation of the thesis is satisfactory.

Theses in permanent form shall normally be on International Standard A4 size paper sewn and bound in boards covered with bookcloth or buckram or other binding fabric.

The title of the thesis, the candidate's initials and surname, the title of the degree, the year of submission and the name of the University of Sydney should appear in lettering on the front cover or on the title page.

The lettering on the spine, reading from top to bottom, should conform as far as possible to the above except that the name of the University of Sydney may be omitted and the thesis title abbreviated. Supporting material should be bound in the back of the thesis as an appendix or in a separate sheet of covers.

Additional information

At the request of the Academic Board, the Science Faculty has resolved that a thesis should not normally exceed 80,000 words. With the permission of the Chair of the Faculty of Science's Postgraduate Studies Committee, a thesis may have an absolute upper limit of 100,000 words.

Amendments do not have to involve rekeying if a black ink/biro amendment is clear. Amendments can also be made by way of an appendix to the thesis.

Candidates are advised to consult the SUPRA publication, Practical Aspects of Producing a Thesis at the University of Sydney, for other guidelines and suggestions in addition to the formal requirements above.

Summary

Within the Faculty of Science, there are no formal requirements or guidelines other than those listed above. There are no requirements for single/double spacing or single/double sided presentation, nor font size, figure presentation, format of bibliographic citations, etc.

Candidates should, however, be aware that if the degree is awarded, the thesis becomes a public document, the quality of which reflects on the ability of the candidate. Moreover, utilising a format that will make the examiners' tasks easier is obviously sensible.