A career path for individuals who care want to help others, love human behaviour, and prefer to work in corporate environment.
What Organisational Psychologists Do
Organisational Psychology professionals primarily focus on the behaviour of workers in an organisation.
Also known as Industrial or Occupational Psychologists, Organisational Psychologists apply scientific research methods and psychological principles in attempt to improve the communication, performance, safety and professional satisfaction of employees in a company.
Organisational Psychologists may have specific roles in a company, however they typically take on many different duties, from coaching to recruitment to occupational health and safety.
Relevant Jobs
One area of Organisational Psychology is the management of employee working styles and effectiveness. Psychologists who work in Change Management focus on helping employees of organisations change unproductive behaviours and work habits, either individually or via large scale changes in work styles across the entire company.
Child Psychologists are concerned with counselling and working with children and adolescents to improve their mental health. Typical responsibilities include teaching children coping skills, helping them work through emotional distress, improving their learning and communication abilities, assessing and treating mentally ill clients, providing academic guidance, and helping to alter unhealthy and dangerous thinking patterns and behaviours.
Child Psychologists work in a variety of settings, such as schools, inpatient or outpatient facilities, juvenile detention centers, private practices,hospitals and/or research.
Human Factors and Engineering Psychologists focus on improving and integrating technology and equipment into work environments to complement human abilities and behaviours.
They apply theories and principles of behaviour and cognition to areas such as design and engineering, organisational settings and workplaces, as well as education and training.
Human Factors and Engineering Psychologists work to understand how people interact with technology systems and work environments to create safer and more effective systems.
Organisational Psychologists may conduct Market Research as part of their role, or decide to solely focus as a Market Researcher. Market Researchers are concerned with assessing consumer preferences, customer satisfaction and market strategies, to optimize effectiveness of companies’ products and services.
Psychotherapists typically work in a one-on-one clinical setting with clients, assisting them in overcoming problems or obstacles in their lives. Typically, Psychotherapy focuses on developing strong relationships with the client, and helping them create positive, personal change in their lives.
Rehabilitation Psychologists employ clinical psychology principles to help identify mental illnesses or behavioural disorders in patients who have suffered a physical or psychological injury. For instance, they might treat a client who was in a car accident for anxiety and agoraphobia.
Rehabilitation Psychologists also help the client build important skills to reduce the impact of any potential disability which resulted from an accident, and focus on positive aspects of their life which they still have.
School Psychologists work in the education sector to assist students with learning or behavioural difficulties, or with mental health issues and concerns. They typically work with teachers and other school staff to tailor plans that support student learning, and improve their capacities to develop the skills and knowledge to succeed in school and university.
School Psychologists may also act as counsellors for students who are having problems at home or at school.
Skills
Organisational Psychology provides you with the following valuable skills
Registration
How to become a Registered Organisational Psychologist
The very first steps of your Psychology career will likely be an Undergraduate Degree, followed by an Honours year or a Graduate Diploma.
After completing an Honours or Graduate Diploma year, in order to take on any of the career pathways listed above in Australia, a Psychology Graduate must either:
- Undertake Postgraduate Studies (e.g. Master of Clinical Psychology) OR
- Complete a two-year Internship as part of the 4+2 program* OR
- Complete a mixture of both, through a fifth year of study and a one-year Internship as part of the 5+1 program
*Note: APAC and AHPRA have started to phase out these pathways as alternatives to postgraduate study.
For information on 4+2 or 5+1 programs, see the Psychology Pathway page.
For information on Postgraduate Psychology programs, see the Psychology Pathway page.
Provisional Registration is enables an individual to complete a period of supervised practice that is required to be eligible for general registration as a psychologist.
Postgraduate Study Pathway:
Students that are enrolled in a psychology higher year degree accredited at fifth year or higher must be provisionally registered from the start of enrolment in the degree. Students maintain provisional registration for the duration of enrolment in any component of an accredited qualification, including coursework, practicum and research thesis (except for doctoral students granted early general registration).
Click here for more information about Provisional Registration for Postgraduates.
4+2 Internship Program Pathway:
Click here for more information about Provisional Registration for the 4+2 Pathway
5+1 Internship Program Pathway:
Click here for more information about Provisional Registration for the 5+1 Pathway
Once completing the Registrar program, supervision period, and applying for practice endorsement, provisional psychologists may apply for General Registration.
Those individuals who completed Provisional Registration after Postgraduate studies are exempt from the national psychology examination until June 30, 2019, and may directly qualify for General Registration.
Those individuals who completed Provisional Registration after the 4+2 or 5+1 Programs must pass the national psychology examination in order to qualify for General Registration.
Click Here for more information on General Registration.
Supervision is a required part of both Provisional Registration and Registrar Programs.
In order to complete your required Supervision, you must find a currently accredited and registered psychologist who will agree to supervise you.
To search the AHPRA database of ALL registered Psychologists in Australia who are qualified for Supervision, Click Here
NOTE: When contacting a potential supervisor, make sure you have read their area of specialty. You will NOT be supervised by a Clinical Psychologist if you are applying for an Organisational Psychology pathway.
The registrar program is a period of advanced supervised practice in one of the nine approved areas of practice. The program enables development of the core competencies relevant to the area of practice to the level of depth and expertise expected of an endorsed practitioner.
The registrar program consists of three components:
- psychological practice
- supervision with a Board approved supervisor
- active continuing professional development
Click Here for more information on the Registrar Program
Psychologists with general registration that have completed an approved postgraduate degree followed by a period of approved supervised practice in a particular area of practice can apply for an area of practice endorsement on their general registration.
Endorsement of a psychologist’s registration is a legal mechanism under the National Law to identify practitioners who have an additional qualification and advanced supervised practice recognised by the Board.
Individuals who received Overseas qualification can apply for a Transition Program to qualify for General Registration in Australia.