Child psychology courses
Help me choose a courseIntroduction to Child psychology
Learn how to work with children and encourage healthy emotional, social and behavioural development.
These courses in psychology and counselling will give you the knowledge you need to provide the best support possible to young people and their families. They are suitable for those who want to work in psychology, healthcare, education or social services.
You’ll understand how to apply evidence-based interventions and therapeutic techniques that can help children better navigate the world.
Let’s look at your options for studying child psychology courses online in Australia.
Explore child psychology courses
Discover child psychology courses
Online child psychology subjects and short courses
UndergraduateUSA-HLTH1055
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Starts 24 Jun 2024
Online child psychology degrees
UndergraduateMAQ-PSY-DEG
Analyse the human mind and behaviour
Open your mind to the study of developmental, social and child psychology. Understand how the humans process and assess information. Start down a path that could lead to a career in health, social welfare, human resources or market research.
100% online
3 years full time or part time equivalent
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
PostgraduateUSQ-CYF-GDI
Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Child, Youth & Family Therapy)
Build your expertise in family counselling
Support young people and families through change and difficult times. You’ll study major counselling theories and think about your own practice framework. Build your client management skills. Explore child abuse prevention and intervention.
Online & on-campus
1 year full time or part time equivalent
PostgraduateUSA-CHT-GCE
Prevent child abuse and support victims of trauma
Make a meaningful difference and enhance your professional practice. You’ll learn how to assess and respond to childhood trauma with evidence-based approaches. Build a specialist knowledge of child abuse and its impact on development.
100% online
PostgraduateUSQ-CYF-GCE
Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Child, Youth & Family Therapy)
Work with families for a brighter future
Contribute to the wellbeing of children, young adults, and families. This part-time online counselling course offers fundamental counselling theory and professional skills. Work on the essentials like case management. Grasp key legal and ethical issues.
Online & on-campus
6 months full time or part time equivalent
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Child psychology study FAQs
In a child psychology course or major, you’ll learn about all the factors that contribute to the emotional and psychological development of children.
Depending on the exact course, you may study topics such as:
- The biological and environmental influences on a child’s development
- Infancy and prenatal development
- How childhood development influences behaviour later in life
- Therapeutic techniques and interventions to use when working with kids and their families.
Child psychology is a really rewarding field of study. You’ll gain skills that can help young people as well as their families, carers and teachers have a better understanding of their behaviour. Gaining these insights early on can help change the course of someone’s life.
As well as key theoretical concepts, you’ll also develop interpersonal skills such as patience and empathy and learn how to apply these in your professional and personal life.
Studying a child psychology course online gives you the freedom to study where and when you want. It will allow you to fit study around your existing life commitments and work at a pace that suits you best.
All psychology courses are relatively challenging, and child psychology or counselling is no different. If you enjoy stretching yourself and learning new theoretical concepts, you’ll really enjoy this field. It will also help if you enjoy working with people.
You’ll likely find that the rewards of child psychology far outweigh the difficulties, and the skills you gain in your studies will help you help children and their families, which is a very satisfying feeling.
To become a child psychologist, you’ll likely start with an undergraduate degree, such as a Bachelor of Psychology. You may choose to major in child psychology in your undergraduate degree or pursue a further postgraduate specialisation, such as a Master of Counselling (Child, Youth and Family Therapy).
Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study.
Chat with us to find out more.
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we’ll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.
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