Clinical and research expertise are blended in the delivery of this multidisciplinary programme where high standards of clinical care are emphasised and students are encouraged to apply their critical and analytical thinking skills to theory, policy and practice in child and adolescent mental health.
The programme will develop your ability to identify and analyse principles of policy, planning and management in child and adolescent mental health. You will gain professional, academic and research skills and understand how their application can improve clinical practice. You will increase your understanding of the impact of culture and diversity upon clinical theory and practice, and experience enhanced personal and professional development.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of five core modules (75 credits), three optional modules (45 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits, one year part-time, flexible two to five years) is offered. The programme consists of five core modules (75 credits), and three optional modules (45 credits).
A Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits, one year part-time, two years flexible) is offered. Three core modules (45 credits) and a choice of one of the two remaining core modules (15 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
Dissertation/report
All MSc students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 to 12,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is taught through a combination of lectures, workshops, discussion, project work and independent and group study. Assessment includes written assignments, unseen written examinations, projects, oral presentations, group work, and the written dissertation.
Placement
We are able to offer a limited number of clinical placements in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in various NHS Trusts. Places are not guaranteed and are based on availability.
The placements are a minimum of one day a week for a period of eight weeks and will be supervised by medical and non-medical consultants within the service.
Placements are observational only and will not be formally assessed but may offer opportunities to participate in research studies and other academic and teaching activities in the host trust.
The cost of the placement is in the range of £75 to £200.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Child and Adolescent Mental Health MSc
The programme provides career development training for doctors, psychologists and practitioners in social work and education who intend to focus and develop their careers in the areas of child mental health.
This is a relatively new programme and only limited career destination data is available. However, recent graduates have gone on to Clinical Doctorates in Psychology or had opportunities for progression in their current careers.
Recent career destinations for this degree
This programme attracts psychology graduates who wish to enhance their opportunities for progression to further clinical psychology training, and trainees in child psychiatry who wish to supplement their basic training with a higher degree; the MSc programme is closely aligned to the Royal College’s recommended curriculum. Students from social work, nursing and education will benefit from the acquisition of advanced skills in the theory and practice of working with young people with mental health difficulties. Clinical placements are available as an extracurricular option for students who aim to develop their career in a profession related to clinical practice.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
The UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health pursues an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to enhance understanding, diagnosis, therapy and prevention of childhood diseases. Our research and our educational portfolio covers a broad range of paediatric issues, from molecular genetics to population health sciences.
Our close relationship with the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children means that much of our research and teaching is carried out on a joint basis. Students benefit from excellent facilities in both laboratory and non-laboratory subjects.
This programme blends academic theory and research with clinical knowledge to enable professionals to deliver a high standard of clinical care.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
80%: Clinical Medicine subjects; 81%: Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care subjects rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
This multidisciplinary course aims to promote an advanced level of knowledge and understanding in the area of child and adolescent mental health. It is designed for practitioners from health, social or voluntary services who work in some capacity with children and young people with mental health problems at first or second tiers of service provision.
Graduates of psychology and other cognate disciplines, social and behavioural sciences, education and related fields would also benefit from this programme. Some voluntary or professional experience of work with children and adolescents is desirable, but not essential.
You can choose to graduate with either a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Postgraduate Diploma by completing designated modules or you can complete all of the recommended course modules and be awarded with an MSc.
The course explores child and adolescent mental health problems. Students will develop their understanding of child development and mental health difficulties in children and adolescents and will consider the implications of theory and research work with children and young people. The course is taught by a multidisciplinary team, to ensure students engage with a diverse range of perspectives. Child and adolescent mental health is understood in its developmental and social context and the course explores both theoretical and practice related issues. Research skills are also developed through a taught module and dissertation.
Modules are taught by practitioners and academics from psychology, social work, nursing, psychiatric nursing, law and psychiatry and as such engages with a diverse range of perspectives. Children and adolescents’ mental health is understood in its developmental and social context and the course explores both theoretical and practice related issues.
Research skills are also developed through a taught module and dissertation. Students of Child and Adolescent Mental Health can graduate with either a Postgraduate Diploma or an MSc.
Students completing an MSc will undertake an individual research project and submit a thesis. This is not required for the postgraduate diploma.
-Understanding Mental Health in Children and Young People
-Core Skills for Working with Children and Young People
-Working with Schools and Communities
-Therapeutic Interventions with Children, Young People and Families
-Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
-Dissertation & Research Methods
Lectures, workshops, one-to-one sessions, private study, group work, role play.
Each 30 credit module involves approximately 70 hours formal teaching with some additional placement attendance where relevant. Formal teaching takes place on approximately one day each fortnight for part time students and one to two days each week for full time students.
The full MSc runs for one year full time or two to four years part time. The programme begins in September.
The assessment strategy is designed to include a broad range of assessment methods, in order to ensure that students have the maximum opportunity to demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes for the programme. These include: essays, case studies, self-reflective log books, critical reviews, video recorded role plays and oral presentations. There are no examinations. The Research Methods and Dissertation module supports the students in completing a supervised but original and independently undertaken piece of research and it is assessed through a 12,000 to 15,000 word dissertation.
-Promotes advanced understanding of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH).
-Multi-agency and multi-disciplinary staff and student group provides students with an exciting and varied learning environment.
-Strong theory into practice focus.
-Specialist training for primary mental health workers.
-Dedicated laboratories and computer suites.
-Sensory deprivation room.
-Biological testing suite.
-Observation suite.
The course is intended to develop specific mental health knowledge and skills in students from a range of backgrounds, to enable them to work more effectively with children and young people.
The course is for professionals from a variety of sectors, including healthcare, education, social care, nursing, allied health professions or the voluntary sector who would like to advance their careers within services for children, young people and their families / carers.
This MSc prepares you for a fulfilling and rewarding career in child and adolescent mental health. You will learn to provide collaborative and compassionate care and support for children and adolescents promoting their mental health, identifying needs and recognising which therapeutic interventions are appropriate and why.
You will gain the skills, knowledge and awareness of child and adolescent psychological development, early identification, managing risk and resilience, assessment and evidence-based psychosocial interventions and contemporary issues in child and adolescent mental health.
The course uses a sound evidence-base to prepare you to participate in a specialist workforce, where the development of ethical and culturally-sensitive practice and the placement of the child, young person and their carer are at the centre of decision-making and service re-design. You will enhance your ability to critically evaluate and reflect on your work or the work of others who care for individuals and families where there are significant concerns and vulnerability.
You will also develop capacities to maintain the balance between working collaboratively while maintaining safe professional boundaries.
Our specialist Clinical Skills Centre at City’s Northampton Square campus has been specially designed for teaching and reflects clinical environments and working wards, so you can familiarise yourself with equipment and practices before commencing your placement.
Simulated practice enables you to practise your skills in a safe environment, in preparation for transferring these skills to a 'real life' setting.
A blended approach to learning and teaching is adopted, including institution-based taught modules, e-learning and work-based learning. Modules are run by experienced practitioners and leading researchers, using a variety of direct and interactive teaching methods.
You will learn in large and small multi-professional and multi-disciplinary groups and will be supported and encouraged to participate in independent learning.
Assessments are varied to meet the practice and academic challenges of a Masters-level course, while recognising the need for motivating, realistic and relevant activity. Assessment is diverse and includes essays, reflective practice, objective structured clinical examinations, practice-based assessments, poster presentations, case studies, data analysis, and seminar presentations with supporting papers.
Core modules
Discipline specific modules
Elective modules
Two elective modules must be chosen from the following:
You will be able to influence the mental health of children and young people at both a direct and indirect level through the development of services and the application of inter-professional practice and research.
You will have gained a deep understanding and knowledge of child and adolescent mental health to enable them to work effectively and collaboratively across professional agencies and boundaries.
Successful completion of the MSc fulfils the requirements for higher-grade, senior advanced practice posts in health and social care and qualifies you for research posts and to conduct independent research.
Sign up to the King's Postgraduate Health & Life Sciences Open Evening - Wednesday 14 March 2018.
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This is a unique course for international and UK-based psychiatrists, paediatricians and psychologists, as well as allied professionals leading to enhanced clinical and research skills in child and adolescent mental health. Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health course is taught by leading figures in the field and offers comprehensive content with strong research and clinical focus.
We are proud to have been awarded an IoPPN Excellence Award in 2017 for student satisfaction in the Postgraduate Taught Education Survey (PTES).
Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health course is specifically designed for international and UK-based psychiatrists, paediatricians, and psychologists, as well as allied professionals who wish to develop their knowledge, skills and research methodologies in child and adolescent psychiatry, child development, therapeutic interventions and service models. You will develop clinical skills and be able to contribute to culturally-sensitive and clinically-effective services through relevant research, including health service development research.
You will be taught research methodology and statistics, issues relating to child development, aetiology of child and adolescent disorders, the psychological and physical treatments for emotional, behavioural and developmental disorders in children and young people. You will complete a research project, which could use quantitative or qualitative methodologies. You will also develop your skills in diagnosis, formulation and planning therapeutic interventions, service design, monitoring and evaluation. Clinical placements within CAMHS teams may also be arranged.
You will be taught through a mix of lectures, seminars and tutorials.
You will be assessed through a combination of coursework and examinations.
Regulating body
King’s College London is regulated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England
UK and international graduates return to clinical practice with enhanced skills and knowledge in child mental health.
The course is designed for practitioners from Health, Education, Social Care and Voluntary care services with some experience of working with children and adolescents. Students need to be a practitioner in relevant area of practice such as education or health and social care. You may have completed a core professional qualification i.e. nursing, social work, occupational therapy, health visiting, or school nursing and wish to advance your knowledge, although this is not essential.
The course is studied over three years with two pathways in your final year of study; a full research pathway or a taught research pathway. Teaching will involve a broad range of teaching methods including role play and experiential learning, structured reflection, seminar presentations, small group work and video assisted learning.
You will need to have access to working with children and/ or young people and families throughout the course and you will need support for study leave from your line manager to attend scheduled teaching sessions.
Course leader Sharon Pagett has 15 years clinical experience within CAMH. Sharon’s professional background is mental health nursing and she has a range of clinical experience within CAMH services within Day Units and community services. Sharon has led the University’s Graduate Diploma in CAMH for 15 years, which was commissioned by the NHS. This course has consistently evaluated well since its inception. Members of the teaching team also have a range of clinical experience within CAMH services; Simon Baverstock has experience within in-patient child and adolescent inpatient services and violence reduction. He has an MSc in Personality Disorder and has interests in emerging personality disorder, trauma and mindfulness-based interventions.
Dr Karen Whittaker (Reader in Child and Family Health) leads the Child and Family Health research theme group referred to as SEaRCCH, (Supporting Evaluation and Research in Child and Community Health) within the School of Nursing. She is an Institute of Health Visiting Fellow and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Karen’s professional background is in nursing and health visiting, previously practicing as a health visitor in the city of Salford and later in Lancashire. Her own doctorate and post-doctorate research has involved the application of realist evaluation methods to examine parenting and family support.
The course will develop students’ knowledge in the area of child and adolescent mental health, developing skills that are transferrable in a range of settings from social care to education and also within a range of health services specific to children and adolescents. With the emphasis on early intervention and raising awareness of mental health issues in children and young people, the range of settings where this award could be used is constantly developing.
Modules within the course look at a range of areas such as issues around attachment, normal childhood development, parenting and trauma informed care. Areas specifically related to children and young people’s mental health are considered in depth from assessment to interventions, covering specific areas of concern such as ADHD, ASD, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm and emergent personality disorder.
The UCL Division of Psychiatry is pleased to offer this programme focused on clinical practice in mental health and its evidence base. The Clinical Mental Health Sciences MSc integrates biological, psychological and social perspectives on mental health and caters both for psychology graduates and for clinicians wishing to undertake a broad-based, rigorous and flexible higher degree.
Students will develop an in-depth understanding of current evidence regarding mental health problems and the interventions provided to address them, as well as enhancing their research skills. A wide range of options from across the School of Life and Medical Sciences at UCL allows students to tailor a programme that fully fits their needs.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of 1–2 core double modules (30–60 credits), 4–6 optional modules (60–90 credits) and a dissertation/report (60 credits).
A diploma may be awarded to students who complete the equivalent of 8 taught single modules, amounting to 120 credits.
A certificate may be awarded to students who complete the equivalent of 4 taught single modules, amounting to 60 credits.
Core modules
Students who are unsure whether they should take Clinical Mental Health should discuss it with the course team. It is in general unsuitable for those who are already qualified clinicians.
Optional modules
Students who take the Clinical Mental Health module will take four optional modules, including at least one from the Division of Psychiatry. Students who do not take this module will take six optional modules, including at least three from the Division of Psychiatry.
NB: due to timetable clashes only one UCL Institute of Child Health module may be taken by each student.
Research project/report
All students undertake a final project. This may be a research project, to be reported as a paper of up to 7,000 words ready for submission to a specified journal, a blog of 1,000 words and a 20-minute talk, or a clinical project of 10,000 words reporting on a clinical topic or service evaluation.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through lectures, seminars and workshops, with considerable use of supporting online learning. Assessment methods include one unseen examination, coursework including designing questionnaires and protocols and analysing data, giving talks and presenting posters, and a final report in the format of a journal paper or brief for clinicians or service planners.
Placement
The programme team support students in obtaining volunteer placements in relevant mental health care and research settings, but this is not a formal part of the course and is entirely optional.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Clinical Mental Health Sciences MSc
For non-clinicians, the programme will be an excellent grounding for clinical training, such as in clinical psychology, or for embarking on a research career in mental health. Many graduates go on to research assistant, clinical support worker or assistant psychologist posts as a first destination. The programme is also intended to prepare students for PhD studies, also a major onward route. For clinicians, this is a great opportunity to gain a higher qualification through a programme based in a leading university department which can be closely tailored to your interests across clinical, research and management fields.
Employability
Students will be taught by leading experts in their fields, will gain a strong clinical understanding of mental health, and will be able to develop their skills in research, service design and evaluation, and writing and presenting. Previous Division of Psychiatry Master’s graduates have been enthusiastic about their career enhancement, both through their programme and the connections they have made through it. We offer to find all students a placement (if they wish) for one day a week in which relevant clinical and/or research experience is obtained. A large proportion of our first cohort of graduates have gone on to paid employment in relevant areas of mental health, especially research assistant, clinical support worker, psychological wellbeing practitioner and assistant psychologist posts. Others have embarked on PhD studies.
The MSc Children and Young People's Mental Health and Psychological Practice (Online Distance Learning) offers a unique perspective: that children and young people’s mental health and well-being is influenced by developmental processes at multiple levels, from individual to socio-cultural and that approaches to working with mental health and well-being need to be informed by this dynamic and interactional system.
By drawing on the knowledge and clinical experience of a world-class department of clinical and health psychology, the programme aims to equip students with the knowledge necessary for understanding children and young people’s mental health and well-being from this unique perspective. The programme will also draw upon many other theoretical areas, including early intervention, health promotion, public health, health and social inequalities, critical psychology, developmental psychopathology and resilience.
The programme is part time, fully online, and has been designed with professionals in mind; the online delivery format and part-time study options allow for professionals from a range of disciplinary backgrounds to develop knowledge and practice whilst continuing to meet individual life and work demands.
The core elements of the programme include both conceptual and applied courses. At the conceptual level, the programme will review different theories of children and young people’s mental health involved in the complex structure of typical and atypical development. At the applied level it will include the application of psychological knowledge to difficulties experienced by children and young people and the critical appraisal of psychological knowledge and practice.
Distinctive features of the course, include:
Graduates of the programme can expect to develop key skills and abilities, which are transferable to a number of professional domains, including:
All of the teaching on the MSc is delivered entirely online, allowing for flexible and responsive approaches to learning, assessment and support of our students and to reach a wide range of graduates and professionals from all over the world.
The online teaching methods include:
The University's full range of online learning resources will be available to students; for example:
As well as our online courses, students are welcome to enrol on our campus-based courses (up to 60 credits), if it is possible for them to attend the University for teaching, thus increasing flexibility and choice. Please note that students enrolled on this programme would not be eligible to apply for a Tier 4 visa.
This programme offers a flexible postgraduate degree designed for recent graduates and professionals who are interested in studying at an advanced level.
The programme is designed to be completed part-time. The minimum period the course can be completed is two years, with a maximum completion time of six years.
There are a number of qualification routes available; students enrol on the MSc programme pathway and can exit at any of the following qualification junctures:
Courses offered as part of the programme include:
The dissertation project takes the form of a systematic review or meta-analysis relating to an aspect of psychological theory, or a psychological model, with relevance to clinical practice in the field of child and adolescent mental health and well-being.
The programme has been designed to enhance the career development of a range of professions involved in the provision of psychological health and care by improving awareness and application of psychological theory to clinical practice and by broadening the theoretical base from which professions practice.
Previous students have continued to work in, or entered, a range of professions including:
Recent graduates interested in working in the area of child and adolescent mental health would also benefit from this programme. The degree demonstrates a student's high level of commitment to working with children and young people.
This course is aimed at qualified experienced professionals in mental health who wish to become approved mental health professionals (AMHP).
You complete three modules to gain the postgraduate certificate, which are • values, ethics and evidence informed practice
You study the application of values, ethics and dilemmas, mental health and wider associated law and policy. You also examine the current research that informs knowledge about mental health conditions and treatments. We encourage you to locate and evaluate research findings relevant to your practice.
Learning takes place in workshops, lectures, group and individual tasks and in practice as well as in private study.
During the course you develop
Placements are in your own agency, usually with an AMHP team. An allocated practice educator provides supervision while you shadow and then lead assessments with a range of AMHP colleagues.
This course is approved by The Health and Care Professions Council.
You are eligible to be approved by your local Social Services Authority as an approved mental health professional.
The postgraduate certificate (PgCert) is achieved by successfully completing 60 credits.
Core modules
This module explores values, ethics and the research base of current interventions in mental health practice. You gain up to date knowledge from a range of experts on how practitioners can provide effective and safe interventions helping patients towards recovery. You learn to apply interventions in a way which reflects sound value base, service user and carer involvement within a multi-disciplinary arena.
This module provides an opportunity to evaluate current law and policy initiatives in the field of mental health, explore ethical dilemmas and apply these to AMHP and other professional roles. You gain an in-depth knowledge of the AMHP role and law and policy issues as they pertain to multi-disciplinary working through the study of current law and policy, service user and carer perspectives and the roles of different professionals.
This module is only open to those sponsored students who are going on to be approved as approved mental health professionals. It provides a five month placement with opportunities to demonstrate application of the law, policy, values and evidence from research when undertaking AMHP duties under supervision of an experienced, qualified AMHP practice educator. You meet the regulatory requirements for competent practice in a supported learning environment with university support from a placement tutor.
Approved mental health professionals (AMHP) work in a variety of teams including
There are a number of roles in management positions in agencies that AMHPs can apply such as lead AMHP roles and AMHP consultant roles.
