Degree equivalency for Australian psychologists practicing in USA?

[carlz04]

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Hi all

Just found these forums and think its a great idea with lots of knowledge to be shared!

Am currently studying in Australia but hope to practice in the USA (specifically New York) once i have completed my doctorate (I realize you need to do a doctorate to practice in the US).

I'm wondering whether my degrees will be equivalent as I've researched a lot about psyD/pHd'S offered at U.S. universities and they seem to incorporate a lot of what we do in masters level here in Australia. I'm getting the impression also that our degree structure here in australia seems to be more specialized than the U.S. degrees?

For example, in my undergraduate degree I did a Bachelor of Psychological Science and Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, rather than a general degree with a major in psychology as seems to be the norm in the USA. I then completed my Honours in Psychology (which is 1yr with a heavy focus on research and completion of a dissertation). I'm now in my first year of a Forensic Psych Masters degree (which is 2 years and focuses on both clinical skills and research with completion of another dissertation and internships/externships). I plan to do a dual Forensic/Clinical Doctorate (PsyD - which takes 3yrs here in AU but i should get credit for my masters which would take off about a year hopefully) once i complete my masters and this is obviously both clinical/research but more emphasis on clinical skills.

Has anyone any idea about equivalency or know of any AU psychs who have managed to practice over in the US...i'm sure its been done before!
Any other info would be most appreciated!!

Thanks - carlz04 🙂

 

[PsyDr]

a basic psyd requires 95 credit hours with mandated areas being covered, with a minimum of 1000hrs of predoctoral practica, a 1300-2000hr predoctoral internship with didactics all completed prior to graduation.

i imagine it would be hard to demonstrate that your 2-3 year degree is equivalent. areas of significant difficulty for you would be having coursework in APA ethics and a full time year of supervised predoctoral internship.

 

[docdels]

I'm a clinical psychologist, did my clinical doctorate in Australia and have been practicing in australia for 3 years. I just moved to the US (California, for husband's work) and I have some good news and bad news. The good news is that the equivalency is no problem. I got that in a few weeks. Australian post-grad courses are quite strong, and easily compare to the US ones. The bad news is that, in California at least, they will not recommend ANY supervision done under a psychologist who is not registered in the US. So - think of the most brilliant Clinical Psychologist in Australia - they can't practice in california. Your only option is to come over, get a (very poorly paying, if paying at all) job with a US registered psych for a year, then do the exam which has about a 50% pass rate (oh yeah, it costs a fortune to sit the exam as well), and then once you've passed that you need to work for another year full time to actually get registered.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

[carlz04]

wow docdels that is some bad news indeed!! how on earth we end up doing more specialized training than those in the U.S. degrees and still manage to pull up short in comparison!

have u managed to find a way around this at all or are you in the process of working towards the exam/extra yr to get registered.

i'm very surprised at this as i know a few people who have come over from the US to do their degrees here as it costs a lot less...and then have returned home to work in the field.

Food for thought i suppose...hmmm...may have to replan my life now!!!

Thanks for the heads up though...research to be done!

c.

 

[carlz04]

a basic psyd requires 95 credit hours with mandated areas being covered, with a minimum of 1000hrs of predoctoral practica, a 1300-2000hr predoctoral internship with didactics all completed prior to graduation.

i imagine it would be hard to demonstrate that your 2-3 year degree is equivalent. areas of significant difficulty for you would be having coursework in APA ethics and a full time year of supervised predoctoral internship.

I probably should have been more specific...as part of our masters here we do a minimum of 1000hrs predoctoral practice and then our doctorates also have intensive internships that you must complete before graduating...so i have been informed our degrees are easily equivalent but now am also being told the U.S. does not recognize our supervision hours...this may be different between states but i am doubting there will be much difference between california and new york requirements.

hmmm....lots to think about!

 

[smmills]

Has anybody heard any updates on the matter of Australian supervision hours not being counted in the US since the national psychology board came into place in Australia? I was at one of their meetings recently and there was mention that they were working on international recognition.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

wow docdels that is some bad news indeed!! how on earth we end up doing more specialized training than those in the U.S. degrees and still manage to pull up short in comparison!

I'm not sure what gave you this impression, but I think you may be making an incorrect assumption. Specialization in a US degree is in addition to generalist training, and it typically occurs in the advanced staged of doctoral training & post-doc, not before or in leu of generalist training.

 

[Occlumentia]

Has anybody heard any updates on the matter of Australian supervision hours not being counted in the US since the national psychology board came into place in Australia? I was at one of their meetings recently and there was mention that they were working on international recognition.

I'd be interested in knowing about this as well, haven't heard anything yet though.