Master of Biomedical Science

(Psychology pathway)

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An exciting new pathway for 2023

This new pathway will provide students with fabulous opportunities to develop specialised research skills in one of the highest-ranked psychology departments in the world. Potential supervisors are supervising research projects that cover a broad range of areas, including clinical, social, computational psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. The skills acquired will help students make a genuine contribution to society by understanding the factors that can impact and support human behaviour, decision making, and mental wellbeing.

Graduate pathway options

Upon completion of the course, you can choose to take on further studies with a PhD or gain employment in a range of industries.

Further studies

Completing the Biomedical Science (Psychology pathway) will provide you with the research skills and knowledge to place you in an ideal position to undertake further studies through a PhD in a variety of areas, using cutting edge technologies and methodologies.

Exit to employment

This masters level qualification will equip you with a solid foundation to enter the work force directly. Depending on the research undertaken and subjects selected you will have received bespoke training and experience that aligns with your interests and passions. These skills will complement any industry that would benefit from a deep understanding of the factors that impact human cognition and behaviour, along with mathematical techniques used to measure these processes in the population. Possible examples of jobs/industry areas are consulting, public policy, biotechnology, government sector.

Frequently asked questions

What subjects will I be studying?

A wide range of subjects are available for students to select both within psychology and relevant disciplines outside of psychology. The final selection for all subjects will need to be approved in consultation with the course coordinator.

I have completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology. Can I apply for Advanced Standing?

No. As it stands, there is no credit for previous subjects. This is partly to encourage students to build on their existing knowledge by exploring the broad range of relevant subjects available to Master of Biomedical Science students from across the university.

What is the difference between this course and Honours in psychology?

There are a few differences between this course and Honours: The Master of Biomedical Science is a two-year postgraduate degree with 125 points of research. The course allows great flexibility in terms of coursework subjects that can be taken. In comparison, Honours is a 1-year degree with 50 points of research. The Honours coursework is restricted as it is an accredited pathway to becoming a registered psychologist. More information on Honours can be found here.

Does this pathway lead to APAC-accreditation?The Master of Biomedical Science (Psychology pathway) does not lead to APAC (Australian Psychology Accreditation Council) accreditation. Students who are interested in becoming a registered psychologist would need to have previously completed an accredited major sequence in psychology followed by Fourth-Year studies in psychology. For students who do not have a background in psychology and want to gain clinical accreditation, the Graduate Diploma in Psychology is recommended.
Is this a pathway to the Master of Psychology (Clinical psychology) / (Clinical Neuropsychology)?

This course does allow for research projects to be conducted that related to clinical or neuropsychological conditions, however, it does not provide a pathway for accreditation to work as a qualified psychologist with these populations. This is not a pathway for students interested in enrolling in Clinical Psychology or Clinical Neuropsychology masters programs at The University of Melbourne. Only students who have completed Fourth-Year studies in psychology are eligible to apply for these clinical master programs. Students without an APAC-accredited psychology major who wants to seek registration as a Clinical Psychologist would need to complete the Graduate Diploma in Psychology to be eligible for Fourth-Year studies in psychology before applying for these courses.

Is a major in psychology required?No, a major in psychology is not required. However, students with a major in psychology will be eligible for both Master of Biomedical Science and Fourth-Year studies in psychology. Students should consider which option is the best fit for their circumstances. Entry requirements for the Master of Biomedical Science can be found here.
If I have not majored in psychology, what sorts of other majors would be well-suited to the Masters of Biomedical Science (Psychology pathway)?Any undergraduate degree that relates to neurobiology (physiology, anatomy, pharmacology, etc), human behaviour (sociology, criminology, education, economics, etc), human capacities (linguistics, motor control, etc).  In addition, there are likely to be research projects that require high-level computational and computer sciences skills. So students with a strong background in mathematics, statistics, and computer sciences that have an interest to apply these skills in fields that relate more to human behaviour on the individual and societal level will be well suited to some of the projects being offered.

Apply now for the Master of Biomedical Science.