Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Industrial and Organisational Psychology

The Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Industrial and Organisational Psychology is a combined course offering a full four year program of doctoral research with the Master of Industrial and Organisational Psychology. The master's component includes nine coursework units, and 1000 hours of practical placement spread over three settings.

Industrial and Organisational Psychology is a specialist area that applies psychological knowledge and skills to workplaces with the aim of improving organisational effectiveness and the quality of work life. The specialty focuses on deriving principles of individual, group and organisational behaviour and applying this knowledge to the solution of problems at work.

The skills developed are in line with the essential core capabilities and attributes required by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) and the Australian Psychological Society’s (APS) College of Organisational Psychologists for postgraduate professional courses.

What is a PhD?

• UWA’s flagship research degree, which can be taken in any discipline area in the University, providing that appropriate supervision and resources are available.
• A program of independent, supervised research that is assessed solely on the basis of a thesis, which is examined externally (as of 2018, by two examiners and a viva).
• The work presented for a PhD must be a substantial and original contribution to scholarship, demonstrating mastery of the subject of interest as well as an advance in that field of knowledge.
• PhD applicants must meet the eligibility requirements for studying a PhD at UWA, which includes adequate research preparation and a minimum level of English language competence.

Why should I complete a PhD?

• Develop advanced research skills.
• Pursue a topic of interest in close collaboration with a supervisor/lab.
• Gain an internationally recognised qualification.
• Learn how to understand, use and conduct research that is relevant to professional training (e.g. the scientist-practitioner model) and applied fields.
• PhD graduates move into a wide range of careers, depending on their areas of research. The traditional pathways are to research and academic careers. As the PhD is a demonstration of a graduate's ability to conceptualise and implement an independent program of research, manage a project, organise resources, work with other people, and communicate effectively in writing at a high level, many graduates progress into other professional areas, including management.

What kind of research project could I work on?

There are many varied projects, and every student’s PhD is different. The student and supervisor, along with the Head of School and the Board of the Graduate Research School, mutually agree upon the research project conducted by the student. Be curious about the question(s) to which you are trying to find the answer, and remember you will have roughly three years for the research.

Can I combine a PhD with a master's?

In the School of Psychological Science, yes. You will need to consider if your research project is suitable to meet:

• the requirements of the Professional Program. Note that you do not need to work with special populations, and just about every member of academic staff in the School can supervise a PhD/PhD combined with master's.
• the time commitment of a combined program. For example, if the project involves a lot of overseas fieldwork, it might not be the most appropriate as you would miss coursework.

For the master's programs in Psychological Science, applicants must hold, or expect to gain, at least a 2A class Honours degree (or equivalent) in Psychology from an accredited program, or equivalent. This is a criterion that all applicants must meet in order to be eligible. At the time of applying, you must also be eligible for provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.

What do I do next?

Before you can apply, you must find two supervisors, for which you must allow adequate time. Potential supervisors will want to meet with you in person/video-conference. Some supervisors may be at or close to capacity, so the earlier you contact them, the better your chances of securing them as a supervisor.

You can contact potential supervisors directly. You can also contact the School at postgradinfo-sps@uwa.edu.au . It’s a good idea to briefly describe the type of research you are interested in working on, your experience (including a CV), contact details for referees, and a recent academic transcript.

International applicants can use the online enquiry form that helps us match your research interests with potential supervisors, or contact hdr-science@uwa.edu.au for further information.

Once you have secured two supervisors, apply by the closing date.

What kind of support is available for PhDs?

Students may be eligible for postgraduate scholarships. You will be provided with shared office space, a desk and a computer, along with administrative support, research and travel funding. There is a large and vibrant intellectual community for support within UWA.

What kind of time commitment is a PhD and when does it start?

• Typically full-time (possibility of part-time under certain circumstances).
• At least 30 hours a week should be spent on research for full-time students.
• A PhD can commence any time throughout the year, except December.
• If combined with a master's (MPsych) program, the PhD typically starts when the master's starts (Semester 1).
• Current PhD students can apply for entry into a combined master's/PhD program within the first two years of their enrolment in the PhD program. Conditions: the current PhD thesis must relate specifically to the disciplinary field of specialisation, and the student must have made good progress in their PhD program.

What if I have more questions?

Contact the Graduate Research Coordinator, Associate Professor Romina Palermo at romina.palermo@uwa.edu.au or the Academic Services Officer, María del Pilar Puerta Francos at postgradinfo-sps@uwa.edu.au.

Am I eligible to apply?  

• have obtained an APAC-accredited honours degree (or equivalent) in Psychology, with a mark of IIA or higher, and
• find a PhD supervisor who is an academic staff member of the School of Psychological Science who agrees to supervise you if you are offered a place in program, and agree on a basic outline of the research project you will undertake. You must have this supervisory agreement and outline of your PhD worked out prior to applying to the program.

Start looking for a supervisor at least two to three months before the application is due.

Does my PhD supervisor need to be an industrial-organisational psychologist, clinical psychologist, or clinical neuropsychologist?

No, but your thesis will need to be relevant to your chosen area (i.e., relevant to whichever program you are applying to – industrial-organisational, clinical, or neuropsychology). Most of the School’s academic staff from Levels B-E could supervise an MPsych/PhD project and many have.

To find a supervisor, look at the Level B-E staff members in the School of Psychological Science on the ‘Staff’ webpage. At the bottom of each Staff member’s profile is a link to their ‘Research Repository’ profile, where you can find out more about the type of research they do. If you are interested, you can contact them with your interests, your resume/CV, and transcript to see if they will be taking on new students for either of these programs.

It is fine to have a co-supervisor who is outside the School of Psychological Science (e.g., at another UWA School). However, you must secure at least 50% of your supervision within the School of Psychological Science in order to apply to one of the combined programs.

Does my honours thesis topic need to have been relevant to my chosen area (e.g., clinical) in order to apply?

No. Your honours thesis topic makes absolutely no difference.

Do I have to have previous experience or training in my relevant area (e.g., clinical) to get in?

Previous experience is not required, but is always helpful. We have taken students who had limited or no hands-on experience.

Do I have to have a ‘First’ for my honours year/thesis to get in?

No, but again, it helps. We have taken in many students with a high IIA. You should be aware, however, that scholarships are competitive and anything less than a first class honours makes it less likely you will be awarded a scholarship – you could be made an offer for the program, but not receive a scholarship. If that happens, you'll need to decide if you can do the program without the financial support.

How many students do you accept?

Usually, about 14 across clinical psychology and neuropsychology. Sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on how many supervisors are available for new students, and how many placements are likely to be offered in the community and are feasible in our clinic.

Do you offer the MPsych on its own or only with the PhD?

We offer the MPsych (only) in Industrial-Organisational Psychology.

We offer the Masters of Clinical Psychology and in Clinical Neuropsychology only in combination with the PhD. We do this for several reasons, but most importantly we believe, in these rapidly changing clinical fields, we can offer the best training only by combining excellent clinical training, with the background provided by advanced research training. This background provides our graduates with an extensive base of skills and knowledge to provide leadership in the field, be generators of future knowledge, and stay current with advances in the field by applying a critical and rigorous mindset to new evidence.

Psychology can take you anywhere and everywhere. Psychology is relevant to almost any human endeavour, meaning a psychology degree, or some complementary psychology studies, are relevant not only for traditional psychology careers, but for a wide range of careers. 

Teaching excellence

• Learn from experts who operate at the cutting edge of the discipline. We don’t just teach the textbooks, we conduct the work in the textbooks.
• Our teaching standards are high and teaching is constantly evaluated by our students. Our scores are among the best at UWA, with about 90 per cent of our students agreeing or strongly agreeing that we provide a good educational experience.
• We offer fantastic student support staff to provide you with advice and guidance.

• You'll be involved in the cutting-edge research from your first year of postgraduate study.
• Our School has received the top rating of 5 in all three rounds of the Commonwealth’s Excellence in Research for Australia exercises (2010, 2012, 2015). Our research is rated as 'well above world standard'. We are one of only two Australian psychology schools to achieve this.
• We consistently rank in the top 100 psychology departments in the world (QS World University Rankings by Subject) and are the only WA school in the top 100.

• We offer work-integrated learning through our large network of corporate partners.
• Our postgraduate programs are leading the way in terms of research-integration, evidence-based practice and innovation. Our students are in high demand across many sectors.
• UWA is an international hub for the areas of Business and Industrial and Organisational Psychology, and we have strong links with various industries.
• Our clinical programs are recognised as among the very best in the country, and we have extensive networks with clinical service providers.

• UWA courses are progressive, flexible, and benchmarked against the world’s best.
• Flexibility means you're not locked into a named degree from first year.
• Graduates are equipped with communication and critical thinking skills at the highest international standards, and are trained to have a interdisciplinary, global perspective.