Pathways to endorsement

Pathways to area of practice endorsement

• Diagram - Pathways to area of practice endorsement (90.4KB,PDF)

Note: The Board will also accept applications for endorsement in relation to other postgraduate qualifications that may be substantially equivalent, or based on similar competencies to, an approved qualification.

Endorsement requirements

The requirements for psychology area of practice endorsement  are set out in the Area of practice endorsement registration standard and supporting information is provided in the Guidelines on area of practice endorsements.

Am I eligible for endorsement?

To be eligible to apply for endorsement, you must:

• hold general registration as a psychologist in Australia, and
• have an approved qualification accredited at sixth year or higher in one of the nine approved areas of practice, or hold a qualification assessed by the Board as substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies, and
• have completed a period of Board-approved supervised practice through the registrar program, or comparable supervised practice (unless exempt under the transition provisions noted below).

Eligibility via the registrar program 

Psychologists who have completed a postgraduate qualification approved for area of practice endorsement are eligible to commence a registrar program before applying for endorsement.

For more information visit the registrar program page.

Eligibility via the internship pathway

Psychologists who completed the 4+2 or 5+1 internship pathway to general registration, may complete an approved one-year postgraduate qualification and the registrar program to be eligible to apply for endorsement. Note that higher education providers set their own entry requirements for these qualifications in accordance with the accreditation standards and other higher education sector regulations.

Eligibility via Transition provisions

If you were enrolled in an accredited Doctoral degree on 30 June 2010 (when the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme started), you are eligible to apply for endorsement in the same area of practice as your qualification after you have completed your studies and graduated from the degree (without completing the registrar program). This transition provision also applies to students who were enrolled in a different accredited degree on 30 June 2010 but then changed their degree to complete an accredited doctoral degree at a later date (e.g. MPsych student who transferred to DPsych). There is no deadline under these transition provisions to complete the doctoral degree and apply for endorsement. However, students should be aware of university requirements to complete the higher degree in a timely fashion and of the Board’s recency of practice requirements.

Psychologists who on 30 June 2010 were undertaking an accredited Masters degree (or combined MPsych/PhD) in an area of practice are eligible to apply for an area of practice endorsement after graduating from the degree and completing a reduced 1500-hour Board-approved registrar program.

Use the AEAT-76 form to apply for endorsement under any of these transition provisions.

Eligibility via overseas qualifications or other domestic postgraduate psychology qualifications

If you hold an overseas qualification or an Australian postgraduate psychology qualification that is not an approved qualification accredited at sixth year or higher for the endorsement area that you are applying, the Board will consider your application for endorsement if you have completed:

• a postgraduate psychology qualification that may be substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved qualification and
• a period of supervised practice that the Board considers as comparable to a registrar program.

Your application will be assessed against the professional competencies for areas of practice endorsement outlined in the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC)  Accreditation Standards for Psychology Programs.

Before completing your application form, please ensure that you have read the professional competencies for areas of practice endorsement and the Registration Standard: Area of practice endorsements.

Under the National Health Practitioner Regulation Law (s98) a National Board can endorse an applicant’s registration if the applicant holds an approved qualification, or another qualification that, in the Board’s opinion, is substantially equivalent, or based on similar competencies, to an approved qualification.

This means the Board cannot accept informal or incomplete training (eg., continuing development activities, professional certificates, or incomplete qualifications) or work experience as meeting the professional competencies for areas of practice endorsement.

You may also apply for recognition of prior supervised practice towards the requirements of the registrar program if you have completed formal post-qualification supervised practice in the relevant area of practice. If the Board determines you have an equivalent qualification but you have not completed all of the required supervised practice, you may be required to complete a registrar program.

If you are an overseas qualified applicant please see the overseas applicants page for more information about applying for registration in Australia.

Use the AEAE-76 form to apply for endorsement.

Eligibility for more than one endorsement

Psychologists who already hold an endorsement may complete an approved one-year postgraduate qualification and the registrar program to be eligible for a subsequent endorsement.

Eligibility after a period of not practising

Non-practising psychologists who previously held endorsement in an approved area of practice before taking a break from practice are eligible to reinstate that endorsement when they return to practice, provided they meet all the requirements for general registration. See the recency of practice page for more information.

New Zealand applicants for endorsement

Psychologists who are registered and hold a current practising certificate for New Zealand can apply for registration with area of practice endorsement in Australia that is equivalent to their registration type in New Zealand using the ATMR-76 form. The professional scopes of practice in New Zealand that are equivalent to area of practice endorsements in Australia are:

See the overseas applicants page for more information about applying for general registration in Australia.

Other information

• Area of practice endorsement FAQ