Postgraduate Diploma in Rehabilitation Psychology
Rehabilitation psychology focuses on helping individuals adjust to life following physical illness or injury. The Postgraduate Diploma in Rehabilitation Psychology serves as a pathway towards registration as a psychologist in New Zealand.
Develop skills in working with people recovering from illness or injury, including spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, respiratory conditions, neuromuscular conditions, burns as well as sports-related or everyday muscular or orthopaedic injuries. You further your ability to communicate effectively and work within interdisciplinary healthcare teams, employers and the person’s family/whānau to optimise patient outcomes.
The Master of Health Science in Psychology is usually the prerequisite to the Postgraduate Diploma in Rehabilitation Psychology, which is the last component of tertiary study for eligibility to register with the New Zealand Psychologists' Board.
Start date: 2023
- Download our Prospectus [PDF, 9.9 MB]
Minimum entry requirements
Must have completed the following or equivalent:
- Master of Health Science with a specialisation in Psychology including a 90-point thesis and have passed PSYC805 Rehabilitation Psychology and one other rehabilitation focused course; OR
- Relevant master’s degree in psychology (including a 90 point thesis) and have passed the courses PSYC805 Rehabilitation Psychology and one other rehabilitation focused course; OR
- Relevant master’s degree in psychology and courses equivalent to those listed above
Students who successfully complete the Bachelor of Health Science (Honours) in Psychology, followed by the Master of Health Science in Psychology – Rehabilitation psychology may apply for enrolment in the Postgraduate Diploma in Rehabilitation Psychology.
Students will be selected following an interview process, subject to registration with the NZ Psychologists’ Board as an intern psychologist, and the securement of a suitable internship position (AUT has a number of internship providers, but students can also arrange their own).
International student entry requirements
Other requirements
- May be required to meet Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCA Act) and Children's Act 2014 requirements and other relevant legislation
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with no band less than 6.0
Develop your skills in psychological assessment and intervention with a focus on facilitating return to employment, improve sleep quality, sexual functioning, address mood and behavioural issues and re-establishing a sense of self.
You can also develop specialist skills in applying psychological interventions for people experiencing reduced attention and ability to process new information, lack of insight and self-regulation (for example, difficulty making a decision and managing their own behaviour), which can be experienced as a result of illness/injury.
FAQs Rehabilitation Psychology
Complete the following courses
- PSYC813 Professional Frameworks, Issues and Applications (15 points)
- PSYC816 Working within the Context of Rehabilitation Psychology (15 points) (Not offered in 2022)
- PSYC817 Professional Practice in Rehabilitation Psychology (45 points) (Not offered in 2022)
- PSYC818 Advanced Professional Practice in Rehabilitation Psychology (45 points) (Not offered in 2022)
And complete 1,500 practice hours
An internship is an integral part of the programme and is a full year of practice (four days a week working in a practice setting – the equivalent of 1,500 hours as required by the Psychologists’ Board) and one day a week on campus at AUT North Campus.
As well as being able to work as a registered psychologist, students can use the qualification to undertake careers as:
- Rehabilitation researchers
- Educators
- Policy advisors
- Advocates
- Service managers
- Rehabilitation support workers
- Rehabilitation counsellors
- Consultants working in district health boards and for the ACC, long-term care facilities, disability support organisations, correctional facilities, schools and other private rehabilitation providers
($8,957 tuition fees + $934 student services levy)
($39,100 tuition fees + $934 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.