Health Psychology Courses

Course Information	Application Information
Course Requirements	Admission Requirements
Proposed Units of Study	How to Apply
Proposed Units of Study Table	Fees
Student Workload	International Applications

Overview

• Graduate Certificate in Health Psychology
• Graduate Diploma in Health Psychology
• Master of Science in Health Psychology

The Master of Science in Health Psychology is an articulated postgraduate program which teaches the theory and practical applications of Health Psychology. Health psychology is the field of psychology devoted to the study of the promotion and maintenance of health; the causes and detection of illness; the prevention and treatment of illness; and the improvement of health care systems and health care policy. The Master of Science in Health Psychology is designed to provide students with an understanding of the theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of health psychology.

Students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Health Psychology, the Graduate Diploma in Health Psychology and the Master of Science in Health Psychology may undertake study in either part-time or full-time mode.

Course Outcomes

This programme is designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of health professionals interested in the growing area of health psychology: for example, people working within the Department of Health and other organizations, charities and research groups, allied health professionals, psychology students, geneticists and genetic counsellors. These programmes will allow these individuals to pursue health psychology careers within the health service, academia and government. These courses are professional development courses and are not accredited for Australian Psychological Society membership or Psychology Board of Australia (PBA) registration purposes.

Please contact the coordinator for further information about the courses:

Dr Ilona Juraskova
Email:

Phone: 02 9036 5275

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Course Requirements

Candidates for the Graduate Certificate in Health Psychology are required to satisfactorily complete

• 3 core units of study PSYC5010, PSYC5011 and PUBH5018, and
• 6 credit points from elective units of study.

Candidates for the Graduate Diploma in Health Psychology are required to satisfactorily complete

• 4 core units of study PSYC5010, PSYC5011, PUBH5018 and BACH5341, and
• 12 credit points from elective units.

Candidates for the Master of Science in Health Psychology are required to satisfactorily complete

• 4 core units of study PSYC5010, PSYC5011, PUBH5018 and BACH5341, and
• 24 credit points from elective units.
  (Students are encouraged to undertake PSYC5013 and PSYC5014 electives).

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Proposed Units of Study

PSYC5010 Applying Psychology to Health
PSYC5011 Applying Models of Health Behaviour
PSYC5012 Health Communication: Risk and Decisions
PSYC5013 Coping and Adjustment to Illness
PSYC5014 Developments in Health Psychology
      - Department permission required for enrolment
PSYC5016/PSYC5017 Research project in Applied Psychology A and B

BACH5341 Research & Inquiry in Health Professions
      - Availability in Semester 1 needs to be confirmed

PUBH5018 Introductory Biostatistics


For other electives see bellow the Table of electives and contact the course coordinator for further information.

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Proposed Units of Study Table

Graduate Certificate in Health Psychology

Credit points	Unit of study number	Unit of study title	Semester
Core units of study
6	PSYC5010	Applying Psychology to Health	1 Tuesday 10-1
6	PSYC5011	Applying models of health behaviour (S2)	2 Tuesday 10-1
6	PUBH5018	Introductory Biostatistics	1
One elective unit of study from the following three
6	PSYC5012	Health Communication: Risk and Decisions	2 Block week in August
6	PSYC5013	Coping and Adjustment to Illness	1 Thursday 10-1
6	PSYC5014	Developments in Health Psychology (Department permission required for enrolment)	Tutorial based

Total 24 credit points

Graduate Diploma in Health Psychology

Credit points	Unit of study number	Unit of study title	Semester
6	PSYC5010	Applying Psychology to Health	1 Tuesday 10-1
6	PSYC5011	Applying models of health behaviour	2 Tuesday 10-1
6	PUBH5018	Introductory Biostatistics	1 Available as distance learning
6	BACH5341	Research & Inquiry in Health Professions (Availability in Semester 1 needs to be confirmed)	1 & 2 Only available as distance learning
Two elective units of study from the following three
6	PSYC5012	Health Communication: Risk and Decisions	2 Block week in August
6	PSYC5013	Coping and Adjustment to Illness	1 Thursday 10-1
6	PSYC5014	Developments in Health Psychology (Department permission required for enrolment)	Tutorial based

Total 36 credit points

Master of Science in Health Psychology

Credit points	Unit of study number	Unit of study title	Semester
6	PSYC5010	Applying Psychology to Health	1 Tuesday 10-1
6	PSYC5011	Applying models of health behaviour	2 Tuesday 10-1
6	PUBH5018	Introductory Biostatistics	1 Available as distance learning
6	BACH5341	Research & Inquiry in Health Professions (Availability in Semester 1 needs to be confirmed)	1 & 2 Only available as distance learning
		Two elective units of study	1 & 2
Two elective units of study from the following three
6	PSYC5012	Health Communication: Risk and Decisions	2 Block week in August
6	PSYC5013	Coping and Adjustment to Illness	1 Thursday 10-1
6	PSYC5014	Developments in Health Psychology (Department permission required for enrolment)	Tutorial based

Total 48 credit points

Master of Science in Health Psychology, Research Stream

Credit points	Unit of study number	Unit of study title	Semester
6	PSYC5010	Applying Psychology to Health	1 Tuesday 10-1
6	PSYC5011	Applying models of health behaviour	2 Tuesday 10-1
6	PUBH5018	Introductory Biostatistics	1 Available as distance learning
6	BACH5341	Research & Inquiry in Health Professions (Availability in Semester 1 needs to be confirmed)	1 & 2 Only available as distance learning
12	PSYC5016/PSYC5017	Research project in Applied Psychology A and B	Tutorial based
Two elective units of study from the following four
6	PSYC5012	Health Communication: Risk and Decisions	2 Block week in August
6	PSYC5013	Coping and Adjustment to Illness	1 Thursday 10-1
6	PSYC5014	Developments in Health Psychology (Department permission required for enrolment)	Tutorial based
6	One elective unit of study

Total 48 credit points  

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Units of Study Descriptions

Important: If you are an international student, you are only permitted to undertake 25% of your coursework degree by distance learning. Please make sure that you are able to meet these requirements. If in doubt please contact the Unit coordinator.

PSYC5010 Applying Psychology to Health

The work of health psychologists relies on a broad range of professional skills and attributes. The aim of this unit of study is to conceptually define health within a biopsychosocial framework and to present some of the psychological reactions to hospitalisation, illness and pain. This unit of study provides students with an introduction to key areas of health psychology, and demonstrates how they relate to other disciplines. It also considers the context within which treatment takes place. This unit of study will explore mental and physical diseases. This unit of study examines the application of psychology in clinical settings. The unit of study considers the application of psychological theory to illness and preparation for hospitalization; the management of adverse psychological sequelae arising from hospitalization; and rehabilitation.

Coordinator:	Classes:
Dr Barbara Mullan	3hrs contact per week Tuesday 10am-1pm

Assessment:	Textbooks:
Tutorial attendance and presentation 50% Essay 50%	Morrison V, Bennett P, Butow P, Mullan B & White K (2012) An introduction to Health Psychology: An Australian perspective 2e Pearson Education Ltd Australia

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PSYC5011 Applying models of health behaviour

The student will be given the opportunity to develop an intervention based on social cognition models. The process can be followed from start to finish allowing the individual to utilise knowledge and skills gained in other units of study. It is an intended outcome for students enrolled in Master of Science in Health Psychology that students can demonstrate an understanding of the key models and theories in Health Psychology which are seen by many to be the foundations of the subject area. The aim of this unit of study is to allow students to identify an area of Health Psychology where an intervention would be appropriate, review existing literature on the topic, formulate the intervention, and evaluate the intervention on a pilot level.

Coordinator:	Classes:
Dr Barbara Mullan	3hrs contact per week Tuesday 10am-1pm

Assessment:	Textbooks:
Presentation 50% Write up of intervention 50%	Morrison V, Bennett P, Butow P, Mullan B & White K (2012) An introduction to Health Psychology: An Australian perspective 2e Pearson Education Ltd Australia

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PSYC5012 Health Communication: Risks and Decisions

The aim of this unit of study is to develop an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of health and risk communication both in the individual doctor-patient consultation and the wider policy response to health risks in the community. Students will develop a critical awareness of the importance of communication in different health care contexts. This understanding will enable them to contribute to effective health communication in different settings, including the community, hospital and policy settings. In this unit of study, students will be introduced to theories of health communication, including patient-centred care and models of decision-making. Students will review the evidence for the impact of communication on patient and health professional outcomes. They will be introduced to research and interaction analysis methods used to evaluate health communication and apply these to transcripts from real medical consultations. They will examine communication in particularly challenging situations such as gaining informed consent to clinical trials, introducing aversive and complex procedures and communicating with people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Students will examine challenges and strategies in communicating risk and prognosis to patients facing life-threatening illnesses. Students will also be introduced to the trajectory of, and policy responses to, public health risk events. They will identify models of resolution and communication strategies which optimise outcomes after health risk events and develop their own case study of risk communication during a health risk event.

Coordinator:	Classes:
Professor Phyllis Butow and Dr Julie Leask	One week block mode August 2013

Assessment:	Textbooks:
Major Essay (3000 words): 70% Minor Essay (1500 words): 30%	No textbooks are set for this course, but there is an extensive reading list of relevant journal articles

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PSYC5013 Coping and adjustment to illness

The unit of study aims to apply a psychosocial perspective to the study of disability and chronic disease. In this unit, students will consider the impact of acute and chronic illness states (including physical and mental illness) on the patient and their family. Aspects of quality of life affected will be considered, including sexuality, body image, fatigue, existential crisis, social and intimate relationships, physical reactions and spirituality. The impact of formal and informally systems of social support on illness and outcomes will be explored. The unit will incorporate evaluation of research methods used in such studies together with the application of health psychology theory and a critical examination of research findings. Relationships between health cognitions, health behaviour and psychological adjustment will be an important theme of the unit of study, as will be a consideration of interventions to improve patient well being. Broad social, cultural, and political aspects of disability and acute and chronic disease will also be examined. The rise in number of people suffering from or caring for someone who has a chronic condition has proved to be a major challenge facing health psychologists. The impact on and needs of carers and family members will also be considered in this unit of study.

Coordinator:	Classes:
Dr Ilona Juraskova	3hrs contact per week (1 hour lecture and 2 hours tutorials)

Assessment:	Textbooks:
Poster presentation 40% Take home exam (2 essays): 60%	No textbooks are set for this course. An extensive reading list of relevant journal articles will be provided

PSYC5014 Developments in Health Psychology*

*Department permission required for enrolment

The purpose of this unit of study is to allow the student to choose a topic of particular relevance to their areas of expertise. It will allow the student to examine new developments within Health Psychology which may impact on their clinical or work practice.

Deciding if this subject is right for you
This subject is very different to other subjects you may have studied previously, and is not right for everyone. While many students have been very successful in this course and have ultimately been able to publish their systematic review in internationally recognised journals, others have struggled with the format of the course and not performed as well as they expected or indeed hoped. We recommend that all students who are considering this unit of study think very carefully about their ability to manage such a self-directed course, and it is imperative that they meet with the course co-ordinator before enrolment.

Assessment:
Meeting Attendance:10% Research Protocol: 10% Completed search strategy and draft of literature review and methods: 20% 5,000 word essay: 60%

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PSYC5016/PSYC5017 Research project in Applied Psychology A and B

The student will be given the opportunity to carry out a substantial piece of research in the field of health psychology. The research process can be followed from start to finish allowing the individual to utilise knowledge and skills gained in other unit of study. It is an intended outcome for students enrolled in the Master of Science in Health Psychology that they present evidence of their capacity to conduct a substantial piece of independent research that builds clearly upon their prior learning and which draws upon appropriate methodologies. The aim of this unit of study is to allow students to identify a research issue, review existing literature on the topic, formulate novel research questions, and test these questions through the application of contemporary psychological methodologies and appropriate data-analytic procedures.

Assessment:
Project 7000 words

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Elective Units of Study Table

Permission from the unit of study coordinators for the above units of study has been obtained. There may be additional face-to-face units available. If you wish to undertake a different unit of study you need to first obtain permission from the Coordinator of the Master of Science in Health Psychology, Dr Ilona Juraskova, and then from the unit of study coordinator.

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Student Workload

Expected Workload	Total Time Expected (per credit point)
Lectures	2
Tutorials	4
Practical experience	-
Independent study	3.5
Reading and work for assessment	10

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Admission Requirements

• Students must have either a 4-year Psychology degree or a 3-year degree in a cognate discipline with at least 2 years relevant employment experience.
• Students can articulate from Certificate to Masters by obtaining Distinction level results at the Certificate level.
• To obtain entry into the Research Masters stream, students will need to have either a 4-year Psychology degree on entry or obtain distinction or better at the Certificate level.

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How to Apply

For an application form please click on the link below:

General information about postgraduate coursework applications

Applications must be submitted online. Follow the relevant link below, then click the blue "Apply Now" button:

Apply for the Master of Science in Health Psychology

Apply for the Graduate Diploma in Health Psychology

Apply for the Graduate Certificate in Health Psychology

For further information please contact the coordinator:

Dr Ilona Juraskova
Email: ilona.juraskova@sydney.edu.au
Phone: 02 9036 5275

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Fees

Fees for Postgraduate award course:
Fees - Local & International

Local students who wish to know more about Commonwealth supported places, HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP should visit the Financial Information for Local Postgraduate Students.

When enrolling at Sydney University students will be liable for a number of different costs. The Services for Students web site outlines the payable fees and costs at the University of Sydney.

Financial Assistance

Managing your finances while studying is difficult. The Services for Students web sites outlines where you can go to get temporary help.

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International Applications

The Masters and Diploma programmes will be available to international students from 2008.

How to Apply

For an application form please click on the link below:

International Application form

For further information please contact the coordinator:

Dr Ilona Juraskova
Email: ilona.juraskova@sydney.edu.au
Phone: 02 9036 5275