Get the skills and knowledge you need to help people with social or learning difficulties in a range of educational settings.
You’ll have the opportunity to develop and practise your skills under the expert guidance of world-class researchers and practitioners.
Explore a wide range of theoretical viewpoints and their practical applications in educational, community, and workplace settings. The programme has a bicultural focus and is tailored to meet the needs of communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Your studies will also prepare you to work in multicultural communities and overseas.
The School of Education offers two postgraduate qualifications in Educational Psychology—a Master of Educational Psychology (MEdPsych) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Psychology Practice (PGDipEPP). If you want to take the PGDipEPP, you need to complete the MEdPsych first.
The MEdPsych is a valuable qualification that prepares you to work in agencies that need people with specialised expertise in educational psychology. It’s a two-year programme. If you’re planning to apply for the PGDipEPP, there is a recommended sequence of courses to complete within the MEdPsych.
The PGDipEPP builds on the MEdPsych and enables you to apply for registration as an educational psychologist. The PGDipEPP is a one-year programme. You’ll complete four 30-point courses alongside a 1,500-hour internship.
If you're studying for the PGDipEPP, practicum placements are employed positions that you will need to secure, independently of your PGDipEPP application. For example, the Ministry of Education provide fixed-term employment for the programme. These positions are often advertised in September, shortly after the PGDipEPP selection process.
The Wellington Faculty of Education has a strong focus on research that enhances theoretical and evidence-based educational psychology policy and practice. You’ll benefit from collaboration across education and psychology disciplines, and with the education sector.
Find out more about research in the Wellington Faculty of Education.
My current work involves evaluating the social acceptability of a play-based therapy for pre-school-aged children with autism.
Emily Ogilvie
Master of Educational Psychology student
Postgraduate study at Victoria University of Wellington will help you build valuable relationships and networks with peers, university staff, and future colleagues.
You’ll have opportunities to attend events, workshops, social functions, and seminars such as the Student Learning Postgraduate Research skills sessions.
The Postgraduate Students' Association can also give you information and provides a voice for you on campus.
Live and study in the beautiful and lively capital city. Not only is Wellington New Zealand’s centre for education administration and research, it has great beaches and bush walks, and it offers a vibrant nightlife with an abundance of theatres, bars, and restaurants.
MEdPsych graduates might go on to gain qualifications as a teacher, study for a PhD, or work in educational or health agencies that need people with specialised expertise in educational psychology. These might include early intervention services, mental health services, or NGOs that work with families.
If you complete the PGDipEPP and get registered as an educational psychologist, you might focus on doing research or creating and implementing programmes that help young people learn more effectively. You could work in a school or for the Ministry of Education. You could work for organisations such as Explore or IDEA Services. Or you may practise privately, providing services to both the public and private sector.
You can look for scholarships based on your level of study, subject area, and background.
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