Graduate Certificate in Autism Diagnosis

Am I eligible to apply?  

• a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology, occupational therapy, medicine or an equivalent qualification as recognised by UWA

OR

• an accredited bachelor’s honours degree in psychology, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA

AND

• eligibility for registration as a provisional or full psychologist with AHPRA, and
• evidence of having at least three months or full-time equivalent experience working directly with children or adolescents, as recognised by UWA.

What else do I need to include in my application?

You need to include a personal statement outlining why you would like to study the GCAD. It is helpful to consider your experience with Autism as well as how you intend to use the skills in your professional practice.

You also need to ask two referees to complete a referral to support your application. You should consider asking referees who can support your capacity to cope with the demands of full-time study, as well as those who can attest to your clinical skills. If it has been a long time since you completed your university training, we accept referee reports from work supervisors or colleagues who you work closely with.

You need to submit a curriculum vitae summarising relevant occupational and practical experience. Additional documentation such as English language competency, working with children checks, academic transcripts and identification may also be required depending on your circumstances.

How many students do you accept?

Usually about 16 across a combination of full-time and part-time enrolments, sometimes more and sometimes less depending on how many applicants meet the application requirements and how many supervisors are available to support students on placement.

Do I have to have previous clinical experience with ASD to get in?

Previous clinical experience with ASD is not required (clinical experience with children or adolescents is required), but it is always helpful. We have taken students who have limited experience and who are currently in roles where they can apply their training.

Do I need to live in Perth to be accepted?

We accept students from all over Australia. The first two units are based online and you need to have access to a decent internet connection to be able to participate. You will need to travel to Perth to attend ADOS training. For students in regional, rural or interstate locations we attempt to arrange placement to minimise the need for travel (either by coordinating it around the trip to Perth for ADOS training or arranging for placement in their home state).

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.