The Department of Educational Psychology’s training facility is on the first floor of the Aldoel Building, Groenkloof Campus. The department offers a postgraduate programme (MEd Educational Psychology) accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). MEd, the Educational Psychology programme, is committed to training competent, ethical and professional psychology students of the highest standard to serve the multicultural and diverse populations of South Africa. Students are involved in clinical work and community projects at the training facility on campus and schools in the community. The training facility offers practical opportunities for honours and master’s students who actively engage with distinguished and leading academic and private supervisory educational psychologists and case managers. The training provides an opportunity for students to engage with their expert supervisors and case managers, who are leaders within psychology.  Students are theoretically and practically trained in the assessment, diagnosis, case formulation, and intervention in various learning and development contexts of young children through to young individuals.

Thus, by training master’s students, the training facility provides psychological services to the community by allowing the students to gain insight into all aspects of development and learning.  Trainee master’s students use their solid practical and theoretical knowledge to inform how they work with various clients on developmental psychology; neuroscience and psychology; developmental psychopathology; learning theory; resilience theory; family intervention theories; career guidance, and counselling, and on using a bio-ecological theoretical lens. Through frequent consultations with clients, families, schools, and communities, the facility aims to train high standard educational psychologists to promote children’s development and psychological well-being, ensuring that every child reaches their full potential. The training facility offers the following services to the public:

• Assessment: psycho-educational evaluation, school readiness and placement, career and subject choice planning and resilience.
• Intervention and counselling: individuals, group and family therapy and therapeutic interventions such as psycho-education for various neurodevelopmental disorders. 
• Training: in various therapeutic approaches like play therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, resilience interventions, parental guidance, and psycho-education, learning support to study skills, to mention a few.
• Psychotherapy: emphasising early diagnosis and intervention.

Exposure and involvement at the practical training facility provide each master’s student with solid theoretical and foundational knowledge to provide the highest standard psychological services.

1. After complying with all the academic programme requirements, students are ready to begin their professional careers by undergoing an HPCSA approved internship programme.  It is offered at the various internship sites partnering with the University’s Department of Educational Psychology. The internship coordinator will assist the student in designing the programme.  
2. The internship programme should conclude after 12 months of 40 hours a week (full-time), which has to be approved by the HPCSA.
3. After completing the internship, a student psychologist can register with the HPCSA to write the board exam.
4. A successful pass of the board exam allows one to register with the HPCSA as an educational psychologist.

Contact Educational Psychologist at the Clinic:

The University of Pretoria, Faculty of Education

Groenkloof Campus

Mrs Elsie Mahlangu-Komane

Email: [email protected]

Office No: 012 420 5501