About Us

Welcome to the Psychology Reference Portal.

The Psychology Reference Portal allows applicants for postgraduate psychology courses/programs at Australian Higher Education Providers (HEPs) to obtain up to four references to support their application. These references are then provided direct to the HEPs nominated by the applicant.

The service is co-delivered by HoDSPA (Heads of Departments and Schools of Psychology Association) and the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC).

One payment per subscription period is required to use the Psychology Reference Portal. Each subscription period is around 11 months and typically runs from early July until mid-June of the following year.

After payment, applicants are asked to nominate:

• Up to four people they would like to obtain a professional and/or academic reference from; and
• The HEP(s) to which they would like the complete reference(s) sent.

Once a reference request is submitted, referees receive an automated email inviting them to provide a reference via the Psychology Reference Portal.

The completed references are sent directly to applicants nominated HEP(s) three times per week via a secure file transfer.

Applicants are notified when their referees have completed their references, or if they have declined the invitation to provide a reference.

Tips for using the Portal and more information

• Read the Applicant Guide and FAQs before using the Portal.
• Before submitting your reference request form check the reference requirements for your desired HEPs. The number and type of required references (academic/professional) differs between HEPs.
• Contact the Psychology Reference Portal Support Team via the Virtual Assistant in the bottom right-hand corner of this page if you require further assistance or advice with submitting your references.