Unit of Study PSYC4002 Advanced Topics in Professional Psychology (2025)

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Unit Snapshot

Unit type

Hons Unit
Credit points

12
Faculty & College

Faculty of Health
Placement

No

Unit description

Introduce students to advanced concepts and skills related to professional roles in psychology in both the clinical and research setting, as well as those that may apply in a wide range of employment settings. Students are provided with training in pre-professional communication and interviewing skills through introductory training in Motivational Interviewing. Students also develop knowledge about cultural responsiveness and Indigenous Knowledge regarding psychosocial factors affecting well-being. The content of this unit fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, ethical interpersonal behaviour, collaboration, and personal reflection. This unit employs a combination of hands-on practical experiences, student-led exploration and questioning, and group work.

Unit content

Engaging a client using Motivational Interviewing
Helping a client move towards change using Motivational Interviewing
Ethical principles in applied psychology practice
Implementing standardised psychological tests in practice
Cultural awareness and responsiveness in practice
Generic professional competencies and skills required for careers in psychology

Availabilities

Location	Domestic	International
Coffs Harbour	Term3	Term3
Gold Coast	Term3	Term3
Online	Term3	N/A

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

demonstrate pre-professional communication and interviewing skills

collaborate to analyse ethical dilemmas relevant to applied psychology practice

examine widely used standardised psychological test instruments within culturally appropriate frames of reference including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures

Teaching and assessment

Teaching method

Tutorial 2 hours (Weekly)

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Assessment
Short written response	50%
Practical	50%

Teaching method

Tutorial 2 hours (Weekly )

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Assessment
Short written response	50%
Practical	50%

Teaching method

Tutorial 2 hours (Weekly)

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Assessment
Short written response	50%
Practical	50%

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts

Prescribed text information is not currently available.

Prescribed Resources/Equipment

Prescribed resources/equipment information is not currently available.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
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