Course Outline
PSY716 Professional Skills 2
Course Coordinator:Kathryn Esparza (kesparza@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Psychology
2025Semester 2
UniSC Sunshine Coast |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
What is this course about?
Description
The UniSC postgraduate psychology programs are committed to maintaining the primacy of public safety in the delivery of the program within the education and placement environments. This is the second practicum placement in the Master of Professional Psychology program. In your internship you will work under appropriate supervision for at least 150 hours. Core components of professional practice include you undertaking professional and administrative duties related to the provision of psychological care of clients.
How will this course be delivered?
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Orientation workshop | 2hrs | Week 1 | Once Only |
| Placement – Placement attendance comprising direct client contact hours, client related hours and clinical supervision. Refer to format for details regarding breakdown of hours. | 150hrs | Week 1 | Once Only |
Course Topics
- Orientation workshop
- Professional practice while on placement
What level is this course?
700 Level (Specialised)
What is the unit value of this course?
12 units
How does this course contribute to my learning?
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | Professional Standard Mapping * Australian Psychology Accreditation Council | |
| 1 | Demonstrate advanced knowledge, skills and competencies required to work as a psychologist. |
Knowledgeable Engaged |
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16 |
| 2 | Demonstrate advanced knowledge, skills and competencies in the design and implementation of evidence-based psychological interventions. |
Knowledgeable Engaged |
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.6, 3.7, 3.12, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16 |
| 3 | Demonstrate competency and strong knowledge and skills in dealing professionally with clients and with other professionals. | Engaged |
3.3, 3.8, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14 |
| 4 | Demonstrate competency to communicate knowledge and skills effectively in writing and through oral presentation. |
Creative and critical thinker Empowered |
3.8, 3.11 |
| 5 | Demonstrate strong knowledge of ethical, legal and professional aspects of psychological practice and understanding of using the APS Code of Ethics and its accompanying Guidelines, and other relevant sources, to resolve ethical questions. |
Ethical Sustainability-focussed |
3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16 |
| 6 | Demonstrate behaviour consistent with the legal requirements and code of conduct relevant to psychologists. |
Ethical Sustainability-focussed |
3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15 |
| 7 | Demonstrate advanced awareness of potential ethical and legal issues involved in psychological practice and the use of the APS Code of Ethics and its accompanying Guidelines, and other relevant sources, to resolve ethical questions. | Ethical |
3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16 |
* Competencies by Professional Body
| CODE | COMPETENCY |
| Australian Psychology Accreditation Council | |
| 3.1 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically demonstrate successful (prior or concurrent) achievement of pre-professional competencies. |
| 3.2 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically apply evidence-based and scientific methods to professional practice across the lifespan in empirically valid and culturally responsive ways. |
| 3.3 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically employ professional communication skills, in a culturally responsive manner, with a range of socially and culturally diverse clients. |
| 3.4 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically perform appropriate standardised psychological testing, as part of broader assessment, to assess and interpret aspects of functioning. |
| 3.5 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically identify psychological disorders using a recognised taxonomy. |
| 3.6 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, and consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings and codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically conduct professional interviews and assessments and synthesise information from multiple sources, including assessment of risk, to formulate a conceptualisation of the presenting issues to determine the most appropriate interventions. |
| 3.7 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically monitor outcomes/modifications based on evolving case formulation, including health concerns, family/support networks, & organisational/cultural/community contexts, with care given to the appropriateness of interventions for the client. |
| 3.8 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically interpret and communicate findings in oral and written formats, including formal psychological reports, using culturally appropriate language. |
| 3.9 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically implement appropriate, empirically supported interventions, and monitor clients’ progress and intervention outcomes. |
| 3.10 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically demonstrate respect for the skills and contribution of other professionals. |
| 3.11 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically work effectively with a range of professional and support staff in the workplace and communicate and collaborate effectively, within the bounds of ethical and legal requirements. |
| 3.12 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically operate within the boundaries of their professional competence, consult with peers or other relevant sources where appropriate, and refer on to relevant other practitioners where appropriate. |
| 3.13 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically rigorously apply professional practice policies and procedures, including as they relate to referral management and record-keeping, across a range of workplace settings and with recognition of different organisational cultures and practices. |
| 3.14 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically engage in self-reflective professional practice, taking account of the impact of their own values and beliefs, and taking appropriate actions as a result. |
| 3.15 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically evaluate the effectiveness of their professional practice, identifying areas for improvement and implementing changes where needed. |
| 3.16 | Taking into account the broad diversity of clients, & consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards, occupational settings & codes of ethical practice, graduates apply psychological knowledge to competently and ethically critically evaluate contemporary scientific literature to inform practice. |
Am I eligible to enrol in this course?
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Pre-requisites
Enrolled in Program AR507, AR702 or AR703
Co-requisites
PSY700
Anti-requisites
Not applicable
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)
Knowledge of evaluating counselling and clinical interviewing, case conceptualisation and formulation, psychometric and clinical assessment, therapeutic interventions, appropriate written and verbal communication, professional, ethical and legal knowledge as they relate to professional psychology.
How am I going to be assessed?
Grading Scale
Limited Grading (PNP)
Details of early feedback on progress
Regular supervision meetings constitutes an ongoing formative appraisal of the students performance.
Assessment tasks
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1 | Placement performance | Individual | 1 hour |
Refer to Format | To Supervisor |
| All | 2 | Practical / Laboratory Skills | Individual | Up to 3 hours |
Refer to Format | In Class |
| All | 3 | Placement performance | Individual | 1 hour |
Refer to Format | To Supervisor |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Mid-Placement Review | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | This assessment task will be due between weeks 6-8 of the teaching semester The final date of submission for this task will be determined once public holidays and the course timetable have been published prior to the commencement of semester. Please refer to your course Canvas site at the commencement of the teaching semester to confirm the due date for this assessment task. Assessment of student progress against APAC competencies and required placement hours. |
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| Product: | Placement performance | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Submission of a completed mid-placement review form to the course coordinator, signed by both student and supervisor. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 2:Objective Structured Clinical Examinations | |||||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | This task provides a summative assessment of unit learning outcomes and APAC competencies to ensure that relevant competencies are met prior to completion of the course. |
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| Product: | Practical / Laboratory Skills | ||||||||||||||||||
| Format: | This assessment task will be due between weeks 12-15 of the teaching semester The final date of submission for this task will be determined once public holidays and the course timetable have been published prior to the commencement of semester. Please refer to your course Canvas site at the commencement of the teaching semester to confirm the due date for this assessment task. Students to rotate between timed assessment stations. A member of clinical staff present as an examiner will score student performance using a structured rubric for each assessment station. Assessment stations will assess core competencies for this course. These can be assessed using a combination of role plays, written tasks, and discussions with examiners. Students who fail their OSCE will be provided an opportunity for remedial action and/or to resit the OSCE. Students who fail the OSCE a second time will receive a Fail grade for the course and will need to reenrol in the course in the following year in order to progress. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 3:End of Placement Review | ||||
| Goal: | Final assessment of student meeting core developmental competencies and required placement hours. |
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| Product: | Placement performance | |||
| Format: | This assessment task will be due between weeks 15-17 of the teaching semester (i.e., at the end of the practicum). The final date of submission for this task will be determined once public holidays and the course timetable have been published prior to the commencement of semester. Please refer to your course Canvas site at the commencement of the teaching semester to confirm the due date for this assessment task. Submission of a completed end of placement review form to the course coordinator, signed by both student and supervisor. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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Directed study hours
A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
What resources do I need to undertake this course?
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
Prescribed text(s) or course reader
Specific requirements
A placement orientation workshop will be delivered in week 1. Following this, course learning outcomes and competencies will be developed through professional practice and supervision. Placement supervisors will recommend and share resources relevant to professional practice being undertaken.
How are risks managed in this course?
What administrative information is relevant to this course?
Assessment: Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Assessment: Additional Requirements
This course will be graded as Pass in a Limited Grade Course (PU) or Fail in a Limited Grade Course (UF) as per clause 5.1.1.3 and 5.1.1.4 of the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy.
In a course eligible to use Limited Grades, all assessment items in that course are marked on a Pass/Fail basis and all assessment tasks are required to be passed for a student to successfully complete the course. Supplementary assessment is not available in courses using Limited Grades.
All assessment pieces must be passed to pass the course.
Assessment: Submission penalties
You must contact your Course Coordinator and provide the required documentation if you require an extension or alternate assessment.
Refer to the Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs – Procedures.
SafeUniSC
UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.
The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.
Study help
For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.
If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.
Wellbeing Services
Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.
To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.
AccessAbility Services
Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.
To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.
Links to relevant University policy and procedures
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
- Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
- Review of Assessment and Final Grades
- Supplementary Assessment
- Central Examinations
- Deferred Examinations
- Student Conduct
- Students with a Disability
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
Student Charter
UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.
General Enquiries
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In person:
- UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
- UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
- UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
- UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
- UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
- UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
- Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
- Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au