In order to practice Psychology in South Africa and generate income from consulting clients, individuals require a Masters level education that includes a practical internship. Both the university and the internship institution need to be recognised and accredited by the HPCSA.
There are 6 recognised branches of Psychology in South Africa;
- Counselling Psychology.
- Clinical Psychology.
- Educational Psychology.
- Industrial Psychology.
- Research Psychology.
- Neuropsychology.
For more information on the different designations, please follow the links above.
A Master’s degree can take between 1 and 2 years of full-time study to complete; depending on the specifics of the different universities and programs. These programs are designed to explore psychological concepts in greater depth than at Undergraduate and Honours levels, while expanding students understanding of the practical aspects of psychology in the field.
Applications
Due to the extensive number of students applying for these programmes and the limited amount of spaces available for professional training, the universities are forced to conduct rigorous interviews as part of their selection process. Find out more about the APPLICATION PROCESS by clicking this link.
Selections
Once the application deadline has past, the universities will begin to narrow down the applicant pool through a process of paper selection; deciding which students to invite to interviews according to the strength of their application. Find out more about the SELECTION PROCESS by following this link.
Interviews
Once potential candidates have been selected, they will be invited to interview in front of a panel of HPCSA registered Psychologists. Interviews are made up of a number of different processes which include Individual Interviews, Group Interviews, Case Studies, Role Plays, Research Tasks, etc. These are outlined here: INTERVIEW PROCESS.