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UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
Template 2: Qualification Change -2012
Proposal Description
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Purpose of the proposal
To introduce Child and Family Psychology as a majoring subject for the Postgraduate Diploma in Science (PGDipSc)
Justification
Child & Family Psychology is a subject of study for the university’s Master of Science (MSc) degree (approved by CUAP in
2010). The PGDipSc will be offered in the subject of Child and Family Psychology (CFPY) and will consist of 120 points
chosen from the schedule for Part 1 of the existing MSc degree in Child and Family Psychology.
Offering Child and Family Psychology as a major in the PgDipSc will provide three options for students:
1) A PGDipSc will provide a 120 point award for students who do not wish to proceed to a thesis by completing
Part 1 of the MSc in Child and Family Psychology (which is 150 points). Currently, there is no option for students
who wish to complete a 120 point award in Child and Family Psychology, without going on to complete a
masters degree. This proposal will establish this option and become consistent with most other subjects listed in
the MSc regulations which are also subjects offered for the PGDipSc.
2) It will provide a pathway for entry to the MSc in Child and Family Psychology for students who achieve a Baverage in their 300-level undergraduate courses. The MSc regulations state that entry to the MSc in Child and
Family Psychology ‘normally’ requires at least a B average in those courses. Experience has shown that some
students who enter the postgraduate CFPY programme with a B- grade average in 300-level courses go on to
achieve at a higher level, and that there should be a pathway for such students to gain entry to the Masters
degree. It is proposed that students who obtain a B- average grade in their 300-level undergraduate courses,
and who wish to proceed to the MSc in Child and Family Psychology, be permitted to enrol in the 150 point
CFPY foundation year courses (i.e. the PGDipSc and an additional 30 points) while enrolled in a PGDipSc. It is
further proposed that those students who obtain a B grade average or higher in those courses be permitted to
transfer their course credits, to the MSc in Child and Family Psychology. Students wishing to enter the MSc in
Child and Family Psychology obtain course information and are interviewed prior to enrolling. This process will
clearly explain that the first year of our MSc is 30 points more than the 120 point PGDipSc. These students can
then decide whether to complete the required courses over one, or two years.
3) It will provide an exit qualification for students who complete Part 1 of the MSc in Child and Family Psychology,
and who do not elect to complete a thesis. These students currently do not meet the requirements for any
award.
This strategic planning goals for this qualification reflect those of the MSc programme and the University of
Canterbury’s Strategic Objectives: Challenge – recruit and retain students in to postgraduate programmes; Concentrate
– provide students with a 120 point award or an opportunity to progress to a Master’s thesis; Connect – potential
careers for students and collaborative links with the community and professional bodies.
Acceptability
The following groups of people were sent the present proposal and invited to comment on it.
1. Academic staff in: the Health Sciences Centre; the School of Psychology; and the School of Educational Studies
and Human Development, via their respective Heads.
2. Current MA(ChFamPsyc), MSc(ChFamPsyc), and PGDip(ChFamPsyc) students
3. Graduates of the CFPY programme
4. Employers of CFPY graduates
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5. Psychologists in the field who supervise CFPY students and interns
6. The Werry Centre
Responses from the UC Psychology School and from current CFPY student supported the proposal. One student
supported the proposed changes but was concerned that the lower GPA to enter the PGDipSc would devalue the
course. The proposal is included in a current application for the programme to be accredited with the NZ Psychology
Board, and will be scrutinised this year by the NZ Psychology Board Accreditation committee.
The proposal has also been through the University of Canterbury’s quality assurance processes.
Goals of the programme
The proposed programme goals for the PGDipSc in Child and Family Psychology are identical to those for the MSc and
MA (approved by CUAP in 2010), minus the goal “experience in conducting research”.
1. To provide a coherent preparation for the Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Psychology including a detailed
knowledge of child development, family systems, children’s presentations and a critical understanding of evidencebased interventions together with an introductory understanding of models of helping and helping skills.
The academic content of the programme will be
•
intellectually rigorous
•
based on recent international and national theory, research and trends
•
evidence-based
•
reflective of children’s ecology and contexts
•
focused on the strengths, resiliencies and protective mechanisms of children and families
•
informed by the social and political context of children in Aotearoa (New Zealand)
2. To teach theory and introductory skills of child and family psychology. These skills would reflect the starting point in
training as a psychologist and not, at this level, be specific to registered psychologists (e.g. establishing rapport, not
diagnostic interviewing).
3. To provide an understanding of how theory and skills might be applied within child and family psychology and to
provide a critical evaluation of the research evidence underpinning these applications.
4. To provide an academic programme which would be relevant to occupational pursuits in the helping professions likely
to be followed by graduates in psychology with a special interest in children and families. These may be within health,
education or welfare.
5. To provide a relevant pathway for students wishing to exit early or to other programmes of study.
6. To provide skills for evaluating research.
(Note: The equivalent programme goal for the MA and MSc in Child and Family Psychology reads: “To provide skills for,
and experience in, conducting research”)
Graduate profile
Graduates with a PGDipSc in Child and Family Psychology will have the following attributes:
 Detailed knowledge of the Child and Family Psychology area and an ability to recognise the importance of
contextual and systemic factors in understanding child and family presentations
 Preliminary practical skills for working with children and their families.
 Analytical, critical and synthesis skills.
 The ability to extend learning into new areas through a critical evaluation of evidence
 Academic writing skills
Outcome statement
Graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma in Science in Child and Family Psychology will have an academic knowledge of
the child and family psychology area, critical thinking and reading skills, academic writing and preliminary practical skills
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relevant to the helping professions. Graduates are likely to be employed within human services, policy and research
settings.
Programme overview
The PGDipSci in Child and Family Psychology is a 1.00 EFTS open-entry qualification, consisting of 1.0 EFTS of coursework
chosen from the schedule for Part 1 of the existing MSc degree in Child and Family Psychology.
Proposed teaching/delivery methods
The existing teaching/delivery methods for MSc Part 1 will be used. These are a combination of lectures, seminars,
small group work and laboratories along with other appropriate teaching methods. The programme’s teaching methods
will be reviewed in 2012 by a NZ Psychology Board Accreditation committee.
Assessment procedures
Assessment will be unchanged for the current mix of formative and summative procedures, including essays, design and
presentation of seminars, practical exercises and role-plays, and examinations. The programme’s assessment methods
will be reviewed in 2012 by a NZ Psychology Board Accreditation committee.
Predicted student numbers/EFTS
It is anticipated that between 1 and 4 students (up to 5 EFTS) per academic year will enrol in the PGDipSc with the aim
of eventually transferring their course credits to the MSc. A similar number of students may elect to exit the programme
with a PGDipSc. The combined annual numbers of students enrolled in Part 1 of the MSc and MA in Child and Family
Psychology since their introduction in 2010 are 11 (2010), 30 (2011) and 27 (2012). Of the 30 students enrolled in 2011,
24 enrolled in the full 1.25 EFTS of coursework.
Resources
No courses are being introduced or altered. The only resourcing implication would be if the present proposal increased
the acceptability of the programme, leading to increased enrolments.
Plans for monitoring programme quality
The current Child and Family Psychology Programme quality will be reviewed in 2012 by a NZ Psychology Board
Accreditation committee, to ensure that it meets professional accreditation standards. This includes the honours-level
foundation year courses and curriculum. The programme has previously undergone two major reviews, namely a CUAP
Graduating Year Review (2006), and a strategic review by Prof. Ian Evans of Massey University (2007).
The programme curriculum is formally monitored by a Child and Family Psychology Curriculum Committee (comprising
the teachers of 4th, 5th, and 6th year courses). This committee is tasked with both monitoring and considering scope for
improving the quality, relevance and focus of the programme curriculum. This committee is in turn informed by
information gained from postgraduate diploma examiners’ reports, informal graduate and industry feedback, intern
supervision reports and supervisors’ feedback to the clinical educators, and debate within the committee about what is
the optimal mix of academic and clinical / psychosocial-developmental training for our future graduates.
The Programme Coordinator consults with the Director of the Health Sciences Centre, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the
College of Education and heads of the various schools within the College of Education on: the programme requirements
for academic staff in terms of academic and professional background; and the availability and suitability of academic
staff for coordinating and teaching the programme’s courses.
The quality of teaching by present academic staff is formally assessed through student teaching surveys, the results of
which are monitored by the Director of Health Sciences, or the relevant Head of School.
Student progress is monitored through the Health Sciences Centre and College of Education postgraduate examination
committees, and by the Child and Family Psychology Management Committee. Proposed new regulations and
prescriptions (use the Calendar Form as follows)
Calendar Form
New Qualification Regulations
UC Calendar 2012 Page 317:
Add to the list of subjects areas for the Postgraduate Diploma in Science:
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Child and Family Psychology
1.00 EFTS (120 points) which shall normally be chosen from CFPY 601–604, HLTH 472 and one of EDEM 695–697, or
HLTH 462, or PSYC 460 or PSYC 461 or PSYC 464.
P:
(1) A Bachelors degree with a major in Psychology;
or
(2) Any relevant Bachelors degree and a Graduate Diploma of Arts or Science in Psychology;
and
(3) PSYC 206 Research Design and Statistics or other research methods course deemed equivalent.
Notes:
(1) Students will normally be expected to have at least a B- and above average in their 300-level undergraduate
courses.
(2) Students wishing to transfer from PGDIPSC to MSc under PGDIPSC regulation 5 Transfer from PGDIPSC to
MSc, will be required to complete a further 30 points of coursework. Please refer to Schedule A to the
Regulations for the Degree of Master of Science for Child and Family Psychology Part 1 requirements.
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