Fourth-year students seeking provisional registration can apply online now

14 Oct 2016

Online application is now open for fourth-year psychology students seeking provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia (the Board).

Graduates from a fourth-year psychology major need to be registered as a provisional psychologist with the Board before they can start psychology practice in an approved internship or higher degree program.

To become a registered provisional psychologist, eligible students must meet the Board’s registration requirements relating to criminal history, English language skills and professional indemnity insurance.

The online graduate application service on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website helps to smooth the path from undergraduate study to postgraduate training.

It enables students to start the provisional registration application process four to six weeks before they have successfully completed their fourth year of study and before they have officially graduated.

Students should determine their pathway for postgraduate training before using the online application service to apply for provisional registration.

Fourth-year students completing an approved program of study are eligible to use the online service if they require provisional registration in order to undertake the fifth and sixth years of psychology training through one of the approved pathways leading to general registration which are:

• 4+2 internship program 
• 5+1 internship program, or 
• higher degree program (Masters/Doctorate professional qualification).

After completing the online application, students have 30 days to submit supporting documents to AHPRA that outline their chosen pathway -either a proposed supervised practice plan for the 4+2 internship, or enrolment details for a postgraduate qualification in the 5+1 or higher degree pathway.

AHPRA sends applicants a Next steps checklist email to help with this step after an online application is received. A graduate’s application is not complete until AHPRA has received the hard copy supporting documents. If supporting documents are not supplied within 30 days of when a graduate applies online their application may be withdrawn.

Graduates are encouraged to find out how to use the online graduate application service by accessing the information on the AHPRA website under Graduate applications.

How to apply for registration

There are three simple steps to registration for graduates:

1. Students fill out an online application for registration four to six weeks before completing their course. 
2. Students send supporting documents to AHPRA by mail within 30 days to complete their application. 
3. Students wait to be contacted by AHPRA.

What happens next?

A student’s application for registration is assessed while AHPRA waits for the education provider to advise that the student is eligible to graduate (not applicable to provisional psychologist applicants). AHPRA contacts the student if more information is needed and/or to confirm that registration has been granted.

New graduates registered with the Board are eligible to start work as soon as their name is published on the national register of practitioners.

For more information

• Go to Graduate applications on the AHPRA website to apply online and for links to FAQ 
• For registration enquiries or difficulties in accessing the online application form: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) 
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200