Exemptions from the Scholarly Project

This page outlines when you may be eligible for exemption from the Scholarly Project and how to submit an exemption application. 

You may be exempt from undertaking a Scholarly Project if within the past 10 years you have completed a thesis, journal publication or substantially comparable project relevant to the field of psychiatry or mental health.

Exemption pathway 1: Thesis

If you have completed a doctoral, research Masters or Honours thesis within the past 10 years that is relevant to the field of psychiatry or mental health, you may be eligible for exemption from the Scholarly Project. 

A project completed in an undergraduate medical degree (including postgraduate entry degrees) will not be accepted for exemption, unless it can be demonstrated it was completed as a part of a separate research-specific year. 

Requirements

Along with your application, you will need to provide: 

• A certified copy of your academic record, certifying you successfully completed your degree.
• A digital copy of your full thesis.

Thesis not published in English 

If you project was originally published in a language other than English, it must be translated for your application. 

Translations must be prepared and signed by the translator, along with the translator's ID number or seal, name, address, phone number and signature on each page. 

Translators must be accredited by a translator accredited by one of the following accreditation bodies: 

• Australia - National Accreditation of Translators and Interpreters
• Aotearoa New Zealand - New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters
• Other countries - local authority.

Exemption pathway 2: Journal publication

You may be eligible for an exemption if you were a major author of an article that was: 

• relevant to the field of psychiatry or mental health
• published in a recognised peer-reviewed English-language journal
• published in the last 10 years.

Requirements

Along with your application, you will need to submit: 

• A digital copy of your article, or a certified copy of the letter of acceptance for publication if not yet published.
• A declaration statement that this project has not been submitted to the College before, including as an exemption application along with multiple authors.

If you weren’t the sole author

You must submit a signed statement which provides comprehensive detail about your contribution to each domain of the project, as per the authorship requirements specified. This statement must be co-signed by another author.  

If you weren’t the first author

You will need to submit a letter from the first author which confirms and outlines your contribution to each domain of the project. 

• Scholarly Project exemption contribution form [PDF; 960 KB]

Exemption pathway 3: Substantially comparable project

You may be eligible for exemption if you completed a research project that is deemed substantially comparable to the Scholarly Project. 

Requirements

You need to demonstrate that your project meets the standards of the Scholarly Project. 

As part of your application, you need to provide a brief statement as to the reasons why you consider the project to be substantially comparable to the Scholarly Project. 

If you were part of a team

If you weren’t the sole member of the project team, you need to complete and sign a statement of contribution. 

If you weren’t the project leader

If you weren’t the project leader, your project leader will need to complete a statement of contribution. 

• Scholarly Project exemption contribution form [PDF; 960 KB]

How to apply for an exemption

Submit an  Application for Exemption Form via email to scholarly.exemption@ranzcp.org with all required documentation. 

• You may submit up to 4 items of work for consideration.
• There is an exemption fee of $508.
• There are 5 exemption submission rounds during the year. Submit your exemption application by the final submission date to have your application considered in that round.
• Results letters are sent out two months after submissions close.

Exemption assessment criteria

Full assessment criteria available in the Scholarly Project exemption pathway policy and procedure document [PDF 188 KB]. 

Application rules 

Key rules when applying for an exemption.

• If you apply for an exemption and have your application rejected, you must complete a Scholarly Project. You can't apply for an exemption again.
• You can't submit more than 4 items for consideration per exemption application form.
• You can't apply for an exemption if you have submitted a Scholarly Project and are waiting for your result.
• If the Branch Training Committee has already approved your Scholarly Project proposal when you decide you want to apply for an exemption instead, you need to write to your BTC to formally withdraw your proposal before you can apply for the exemption.
• Applications for exemption are valid for 12 months from the date of submission.