Child psychology courses

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.

Please note that enquiries and applications for some courses are handled directly by the university. If this is the case, it will be indicated on the course listing page.  

For more information about enrolment, read our online self-service enrolling instructions. If you get stuck at any time, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.