APAC Level 1 vs Level 2 psychology: what's the difference?

If you’re researching psychology study in Australia, you’ve likely come across the terms ‘APAC Level 1’ and ‘APAC Level 2’ and found them more confusing than clarifying. They appear in information about studying psychology and pathways to becoming a registered psychologist, but what do they actually mean for your studies and what comes next?

Here’s the short version.

APAC Level 1 develops the Foundational Competencies that underpin psychology study. APAC Level 2 builds on that foundation through Pre-Professional Competencies and is broadly equivalent to fourth-year or Honours-level psychology study. Level 1 generally comes first, followed by Level 2.

Neither level alone qualifies you for general registration as a psychologist. Together, however, they form the accredited four-year psychology sequence that supports progression to the next stage of the registration pathway.

At UTS Online, the Graduate Diploma in Psychology is an APAC-accredited Level 1 course, giving you the foundational psychology study needed to continue along the psychology pathway without completing a full undergraduate psychology degree. The Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) is APAC Level 2 and is equivalent to a fourth-year honours sequence in psychology.

Both courses are accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), which means they meet the standards required for accredited psychology study in Australia and can form part of the pathway towards psychologist registration.

So, which level is relevant to you? That depends on where you’re starting.

Below, we break down the difference between APAC Level 1 and Level 2, where each sits in the psychology pathway and what your next step could look like.

APAC Level 1 vs Level 2 at a glance

APAC describes Level 1 Foundational Competencies as broadly equivalent to the psychology sequence developed at Bachelor level. Level 2 Pre-Professional Competencies are broadly equivalent to Bachelor Honours-level psychology study.

What does APAC accreditation actually mean?

If becoming a psychologist is your goal, accreditation matters.

The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) is the independent body responsible for developing and reviewing the standards used to accredit psychology courses in Australia. An APAC-accredited course has been assessed against the standards relevant to that level of psychology education.
That doesn’t mean APAC registers psychologists. It doesn’t.

Registration sits with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA), with applications administered through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). APAC’s role is focused on the education that feeds into that pathway.

It’s an important distinction because a psychology course can sound relevant to your goals without necessarily forming part of an accredited pathway.
If registration is where you want to go, don’t just ask, “Is this a psychology course?”

Ask, “What APAC level is it accredited for, and what will that allow me to apply for next?”

What is APAC Level 1 psychology?

APAC Level 1 is where the accredited psychology sequence begins.

It develops Foundational Competencies, including the psychological knowledge, research capability, scientific thinking and professional foundations that later stages of psychology study build on.

Traditionally, these competencies are developed through the first three years of an accredited undergraduate psychology sequence. If you already hold a degree in another field, the Graduate Diploma in Psychology offers a more direct pathway to APAC Level 1 than completing a full Bachelor of Psychology, allowing you to progress to the next stage of psychology study sooner.

APAC allows graduates who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification in another discipline to undertake an accredited psychology sequence. At Graduate Diploma level, this can provide a bridging route into psychology and develop the same Level 1 Foundational Competencies required for progression.

That creates a very different starting point for someone coming to psychology after building a career elsewhere.

You might already have years of experience in education, human resources, business, marketing, communications, health, counselling or a clinical role within allied health. Level 1 gives you a way to add an accredited psychology foundation to what you already bring.

Studying APAC Level 1 with UTS Online

The UTS Online Graduate Diploma in Psychology is an APAC Level 1 bridging course designed for graduates looking to build a foundation in psychological science.

Across ten subjects, you’ll explore areas including human behaviour, brain and behaviour, development across the lifespan, psychological disorders, cognitive psychology, psychological assessment, research methods, ethics and wellbeing. The course can be completed in as little as 20 months.

Rather than spending time on unrelated electives, your study is focused on psychology and the knowledge required to progress through the accredited pathway, allowing you to reach APAC Level 1 sooner than through a traditional undergraduate psychology degree.

Upon completion, graduates can explore career opportunities such as:

• Human Resources Specialist
• Behavioural Insights Officer
• Market Research Analyst
• Community Support Worker
• Organisational Development Coordinator
• Wellbeing Program Coordinator
• Mental Health Support Worker
• Research Assistant
• Case Worker
• Community Services Officer

If your goal is to become a registered psychologist or researcher, completing Level 1 can also support your progression to the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced), an APAC Level 2 course, subject to entry requirements.

For someone who didn’t study psychology as an undergraduate, this is your starting line.

What is APAC Level 2 psychology?

APAC Level 2 is the next stage of accredited psychology study after Level 1. It develops Pre-Professional Competencies and is broadly equivalent to a fourth-year Honours sequence in psychology.

You don’t need a qualification with “Honours” in the title to complete Level 2. What matters is that the course itself is accredited at APAC Level 2. At UTS Online, the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) provides this fourth-year equivalent pathway.

Level 2 develops more advanced capability across areas such as research, assessment, ethical and professional practice, and the application of psychological knowledge.

Upon completion, graduates can explore career opportunities such as:

• Research Assistant, Psychology
• Behavioural Consultant
• Wellbeing Program Coordinator
• Clinical Support Officer
• Mental Health Program Officer
• Community Wellbeing Officer
• Behaviour Support Practitioner pathway
• Psychology Research Officer
• Human Services Practitioner
• Research Officer, Behavioural Science

After completing the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced), graduates may be eligible to apply for provisional registration once they receive an offer to commence their fifth year of psychology training, either through the 5+1 internship pathway or a higher degree pathway.

Studying APAC Level 2 with UTS Online

The UTS Online Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) is an APAC Level 2 course and is equivalent to an Honours year in psychology.

The course comprises six subjects across 48 credit points, spanning advanced professional skills and ethics, psychological assessment and intervention, advanced research methods and a two-part research project. It can be completed in as little as 16 months.

It’s designed for graduates of an APAC-accredited Level 1 course who are ready to progress to fourth-year psychology study.

From there, graduates may be eligible to apply for further accredited postgraduate psychology courses, subject to the admission requirements and application processes of the institution offering them. Entry into further psychology study is competitive and isn’t guaranteed.

Do you need APAC Level 1 before Level 2?

Generally, yes.

Entry into an APAC Level 2 course requires successful completion of an APAC-accredited qualification that achieves the Level 1 Foundational Competencies.
That could include:

• an APAC-accredited psychology degree
• a degree in another discipline followed by an APAC-accredited psychology sequence
• an overseas psychology qualification that has been assessed as comparable to an APAC-accredited Level 1 qualification.

Universities can also set additional admission criteria above APAC’s minimum requirements.

For the UTS Online Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced), applicants currently need an Australian Bachelor degree or higher qualification, or overseas equivalent, as well as an APAC-accredited Level 1 psychology course or equivalent completed within the previous ten years with a minimum GPA of 5 out of 7. Psychology qualifications completed overseas must also be assessed for equivalence. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee an offer.

So while the sequence itself is simple, Level 1 → Level 2, your individual eligibility still matters.

Where do APAC Level 1 and Level 2 fit on the pathway to registration??

Think of Level 1 and Level 2 as the first four years of accredited psychology education, whether those competencies are completed through traditional undergraduate study or an equivalent accredited pathway.

Stage one: APAC Level 1

Build the Foundational Competencies through an APAC-accredited psychology sequence.

Stage two: APAC Level 2

Build the Pre-Professional Competencies through accredited fourth-year study, such as Honours or an equivalent Graduate Diploma. 

Further psychology education and training

If your goal is to become a registered psychologist in Australia, further approved study and training is required.

The Psychology Board of Australia currently requires a four-year accredited sequence of psychology study completed within the relevant timeframe, or a substantially equivalent qualification, as the minimum academic qualification for provisional registration. Applicants must also satisfy additional eligibility requirements and require provisional registration for an approved pathway of supervised practice or further professional training.

After fourth year, APAC currently outlines two main routes towards general registration: the 5+1 pathway and the postgraduate professional psychology pathway.

For the full end-to-end breakdown of the study and registration pathway, read: How to become a psychologist in Australia.

Which APAC level is right for you?

The terminology becomes much easier once you stop thinking about the numbers and start with one question:

What psychology study have you already completed?

APAC Level 1 vs Level 2: what matters most?

Level 1 and Level 2 aren’t competing options.

They are different sequential stages of the same broader psychology journey.

Level 1 gives you the accredited foundation. Level 2 builds the advanced, pre-professional capability expected at fourth-year level. What comes after that depends on where you want psychology to take you.

And that’s the useful question to keep coming back to.

Not simply:

“Which course should I study?”

But:

“Where am I in the pathway now, what career opportunities am I working towards and what do I need my next course to unlock?”

Once you know that, Level 1 and Level 2 stop looking like accreditation jargon and start becoming a much clearer map of what comes next.

Frequently asked questions