Hi guys!
I was looking at the psychological sciences at monash, and the pathway went by: bachelor -->honours --> masters/PHD (both in the same box but separated by a line).
My question is, does that mean both a Master or a PHD can be studied without having to do a masters first (which I thought normally was the case).
As such, what are the benefits of doing a PHD or a masters. Because wouldn't it be better to choose a PHD in clinical psychology than a masters in psychological counselling? It sounds to me both can be done in a clinical setting but PHD is regarded as a 'better' degree and has more opportunities for further studies in research or to become a professor.
thanks alot guys ! 
I'm not too familiar with the psychology pathway itself but hopefully my answer will help
Masters degree generally takes 2 years (but this can vary by what course it is, and whether you decide to take part-time and full-time). As for PhD, there's technically no limit. Generally the minimum is 3 years (but it's not exactly impossible to do it under the 3 years, though certainly difficult), and it can take many years. I've heard of people taking about 7 years to do their PhD (in immunology) but that's definitely on the longer end of the scale. Basically it comes down to how hard you work and how much you push yourself.
A PhD will give you the qualifications to do your own research. Masters is just one route that can let you move on to do a PhD (but this isn't always the case, e.g. if you do honours you can directly apply to do a PhD) and other things, especially if it's an accredited degree.
I'm assuming you're still far away from deciding on your post-graduate pathway, but just to give a heads-up, doing a PhD isn't something to be decided for any reason such as to obtain higher qualification or because it's the next step that you just naturally take in your education. You really should give it heaps of consideration. It's a lot of hard work and there are many students that drop out of their PhD halfway through, either because they realised they hate research or because they just aren't getting the funding they need for their project. Yes it does give you 'higher' qualifications, but the thing is, once you finish your PhD, there's no going back. It might not seem like a big deal now, but if by chance you change your mind and want to pursue a related career pathway that doesn't require a PhD, you're not likely to even be considered because they don't want someone with such high qualifications. There's no formal way to retract your PhD, and in fact I've been told by a lot of current PhD students that it's common for people to remove it from their CVs because of it affecting their employability which is quite unfortunate considering the amount of years and effort they put in to obtain their PhD. But don't let this turn you off! In fact I've been told countless of times by researchers, PhD students and friends not to do a PhD, and while the responses weren't what I expected compared to what the lecturers always told us, it's certainly still an option that I'm considering. Basically just give it a lot of thought. You're not expected to go straight to a PhD after your undergraduate degree anyway (most people don't actually).
Anyway, this is just what I know of post-grad-related stuff and it's mainly in the context of biology-related sciences!
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