Published 2026
If you're partway through psychology training in Australia, you've likely come across two different routes to general registration — often called the "5+1" (internship) pathway and the higher degree (Masters/Doctorate) pathway. Here's how they actually compare.
Both start the same way: a four-year APAC-accredited undergraduate sequence, followed by provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia. From there, the two pathways diverge for the remaining two years of training.
The 5+1 internship pathway: one further year of accredited postgraduate study (commonly a Master of Professional Psychology), followed by a one-year, Board-approved internship of supervised practice. Everyone on this pathway must pass the National Psychology Exam before applying for general registration. This route leads to general registration without an area of practice endorsement (AoPE) — you become a general registered psychologist, not a specialist-endorsed one.
The higher degree pathway: a Board-approved postgraduate Masters (typically 2 years) or Doctorate (typically 3–4 years) in a specific area — clinical, forensic, organisational, and others. This route can lead toward an Area of Practice Endorsement (AoPE), via a subsequent registrar program involving up to 88 weeks of supervised psychological practice, 80 hours of approved supervision, and 80 hours of continuing professional development.
The practical difference, in one line (from a practising psychologist quoted in industry commentary): "the only difference is the additional one-year master's degree in an area of specialisation — whether that's clinical or forensic, for example, or you go straight out into the field and do your internship and off you go as a general registered psychologist."
A pathway that's already closed: the older "4+2" internship pathway (four years study, two years supervised practice with no additional postgraduate year) closed to new applicants on 30 June 2022 and is being progressively retired. If you're early in your training, this isn't an option to plan around.
Timing: regardless of which pathway you choose, expect somewhere between two and four years of additional study, placements, and supervised practice beyond your undergraduate degree before you're eligible for general registration.
Worth watching: as we've covered in our companion piece on the Psychology Board's proposed reforms, both of these pathways could eventually be replaced by a single, streamlined five-year degree. That proposal remains open for consultation and isn't yet finalised — the pathways described here remain the current, accurate process.
This article is general information only and not migration, legal, or financial advice. Requirements change — always confirm current details with the relevant official body before acting.