Delivered jointly by UWS and the School of Forensic Mental Health (NHS), this course is the only Scottish Masters programme specialising in forensic mental health.
Graduates will be equipped with the confidence to excel in any forensic mental health setting. The course is designed for those who are currently, or who are looking to be employed in a forensic setting—such as a secure hospital, community based service for mentally disordered offenders, the Scottish Prison Service or Police Scotland.
It is suitable for professionals with backgrounds in nursing, social care, psychology, occupational therapy, psychiatry, criminal justice and security.
Our innovative approach to learning and teaching ensures students benefit from the latest thinking and best practice. The course is delivered online by a combination of experienced forensic clinicians and academic staff.
The course is assessed using a range of different methods including: essay, case study, annotated bibliography, presentation, reflective diaries, treatment plan and peer review.
There is an expectation that the MSc can be completed within three to five years. In order to complete the course modules it is recommended that one day a week is required to fulfil study requirements. Please contact us for more information.
Modules
The course consists of core modules set within a framework of interrelated themes, that is, assessment, treatment and management of patients within a forensic mental health context.
For the award of Pg Certificate in Forensic Mental Health (60 credits), students must undertake:
For the award of Pg Diploma in Forensic Mental Health (120 credits), students must successfully complete the Pg Certificate in Forensic Mental Health and further undertake:
In order to progress to MSc Forensic Mental Health (180 credits), students must have normally progressed to the Research and Enquiry Dissertation with a maximum of one module having been successfully achieved on second attempt.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing is designed for well motivated individuals looking for a rewarding and challenging career.
As a Mental Health Nurse, you should be patient and compassionate in order to recognise individual needs and the appropriate interventions for them. It is all about helping people make positive changes to their lives and supporting them on their journey of recovery.
Read third year student Raymond Leemoon’s monthly blog to find out why he choose to study mental health nursing at City, his experiences on the course and advice for anyone considering studying mental health nursing at City.
City’s Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing offers you the opportunity to train in one of London’s leading and most well-established departments for nursing education. Our priority is to ensure that you graduate with the skills and knowledge to enter the mental health nursing profession, which can often be a stressful and challenging environment, with confidence.
As a student at City, you will combine theoretical study with clinical experience, working with London's diverse population in leading hospitals and community settings. We will prepare you for all aspects of the profession including supporting people working towards recovery, dealing with crisis and emergency situations, improving the effect of patients’ physical health, detecting deterioration and how to approach, assess and provide the most appropriate care and treatment in differing situations.
On successful graduation you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which provides an internationally recognised professional qualification enabling you to practice in the UK and overseas.
Additional qualifications may be required in some countries.
Half of your time as a student will be spent gaining practice experience through clinical placements and simulated practice. Placements are a vital factor in promoting understanding and development of professional skills. They help you become fit for practice, fit for purpose and fit for award by the time you complete your programme.
Each placement provides you with educational opportunities to develop your professional skills and allows students to explore the journeys of service users including older people, the severely ill, those in recovery and those detained in secure (forensic) settings. The majority of placements are with the East London NHS Foundation Trust which includes the boroughs of Newham, City & Hackney and Tower Hamlets. There are also opportunities for a 2 week elective placement outside the Trust.
Students are supported in practice by practice experience staff who liaise between the Institution and the Trust, Mentors and Link Lecturers. At City we also use an innovative method of group work to support students and help them to develop the ability to understand and process the emotional impact of working in mental health.
The teaching on the Mental Health Nursing course includes lecture sessions, workshops, small group activities and discussions and whole class discussion.
We are also using an innovative method of group work to support students and help them to develop the ability to understand and process the emotional impact of working in mental health.
Assessments are varied to meet the practice and academic challenges of the Postgraduate Diploma, while recognising the need for motivating, realistic and relevant activity. The practice element is assessed by the development of a record of achievement in practice and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations. Modules are also assessed through essays or seminars.
Your learning will draw on areas including nursing, psychology, sociology and biology in order for you to develop your communication and evidence based clinical skills.
Our curriculum focuses on relationship centred care and will support you to develop effective working relationships with patients, service users, families and professional colleagues.
The programme is organised into three parts and you must successfully complete each part to move into the next part of the programme. Each part includes theory modules, simulated practice and clinical placements.
Part 1
In part 1 the module is ’Relationship centred care and concepts of biology for health’ (HSM 001).
This module accounts for 25% of the total assessment.
Part 2
In part 2 the two theory modules cover ‘Acute care, diagnostics and treatment’ and ‘Long term care’.
Together, these two modules account for 50% of the total assessment.
Part 3
Part 3 involves preparation for registration through the leadership and management module (HSM 051).
This module accounts for 25% of the total assessment.
On successful graduation you will gain registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which provides an internationally-recognised professional qualification enabling you to practice in the UK and overseas. Some countries require additional local registration.
Nursing is a life-long career where you can develop your skills and interests within a range of specialisms and career paths. As well as a career as a mental health nurse, you can move into areas within the health and social care sector including advising on policy and quality of care and academic teaching and research. You will also be able to go onto further study at MSc level, including an MSc Advanced Practice degree at City.
You will receive careers support from your personal tutor during the course and are encouraged to explore your personal career aspirations.
Nursing is one of the most rewarding careers to enter, and more importantly it is a privilege. Mental Health Nurses work with children and adults. As a specialist nurse you will be able to assess, plan and develop individual packages of care designed to provide the appropriate levels of physical, emotional and psychological care for people while meeting the challenges of a changing healthcare environment.
This Masters degree provides the exciting opportunity for graduates to enter the nursing profession. You will gain a comprehensive education in nursing and develop into a confident, autonomous, compassionate and research-aware practitioner, specialising in mental health nursing. The programme includes an innovative exploration of leadership and management in healthcare and will enable you to critically evaluate evidence to inform decision making and apply analytical and creative problem solving approaches to complex situations. You will be fully equipped with the skills, knowledge and practical experience required to deliver excellent care as a modern-day nursing professional.
Year 1 provides the opportunity to achieve national generic and field specific competency outcomes. These include professional values, communication and interpersonal skills, nursing practice, decision making, leadership, management and team working. The programme will immerse you in health promotion, prevention strategies and best practice for service users and their families. A comprehensive introduction will also be provided to the research process.
Year 2 continues the development of field-specific competencies, with a particular focus on the more challenging aspects of contemporary mental health nursing, such as self-harm, suicide, addictive behavior and personality disorders. In addition to this, you will develop the leadership and management skills required for the transition to professional practice.
This programme adheres closely to the NHS’ six core values. These values, enshrined within the NHS Constitution, have been developed by patients, the public and staff to inspire passion in the NHS, guide it in the 21st century, and provide common ground for cooperation in achieving shared aspirations. Further information about the core values can be found at http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-constitution-for-england.
You will be taught using a combination of seminars, lectures, tutorials, work-based learning and technology enhanced learning. The theory part of the programme is delivered during the normal working week (Monday to Friday).
You will spend 50% of your time in practice which will be undertaken in hospitals and community settings within the NHS, local authority, independent and voluntary organisations. You will be supported by a practice placement mentor/supervisor and a practice education facilitator.
Placements include weekend, early morning, evening and night work to ensure access to a full range of practice experiences across 24 hour care. There may also be the opportunity to undertake a practice learning experience outside the region, either within the United Kingdom or internationally.
Assessment in both theory and practice is continuous, assessed against national outcomes and generic and field competencies, with students required to demonstrate evidence of their achievement. A range of assessment of theory procedures is in place including assignments, seminar presentations, advanced notice examinations, online learning activities, case studies and portfolio work.
All lectures are delivered by professionals within the field of nursing as well as specialists in other areas. The pathway team represent a range of qualified, research-active professionals with extensive experience of working within the health and/or social care sector. Most importantly service users, carers and their families will be involved in facilitating learning so that an understanding is gained about the impact care has on individual groups.
The complex and dynamic landscape of modern nursing requires nurses who can work creatively and innovatively, who can lead and inspire, who can make decisions in challenging situations and who can contribute to the advancement of nursing.
Career opportunities are excellent. NMC registration is recognised the world over, and following registration as a Mental Health Nurse, you can pursue a career in a wide variety of settings and specialisms including general psychiatry in hospital and community settings such as: adult and older adult specialist services including addictions, children and young people, and forensic services.
There has been a significant shift in the current and future provision of care and support for people with personality disorder and those who work with them.
Our course will give you the opportunity to develop specialised knowledge about the needs of people with personality disorder in a variety of settings.
You will extend your:
This deepening of knowledge and understanding will allow you to support and meet the needs of the challenging experiences faced by people who are often stigmatised, isolated and rejected by society.
You will be taught by lecturers with a wide range of knowledge about personality disorder from diverse perspectives. In addition, an important contribution will be made from clinical experts in the School of Forensic Mental Health (SoFMH) and the health sector across Scotland.
On the subject of dealing with people who have personality disorder you will study three modules at SCQF Level 9:
The first two modules can be taken as stand-alone modules. If you wish to complete the Graduate Certificate you will need to complete all three modules.
Teaching & Assessment
You will be taught by lecturers with a wide range of knowledge about personality disorder from diverse perspectives. In addition, an important contribution will be made from clinical experts in the School of Forensic Mental Health (SoFMH) and the health sector across Scotland.
Teaching is through a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops.
Our Personality Disorder course is mainly assessed using a variety of assessment methods including:
Jobs
You will have broadened your knowledge of personality disorder and enhanced your professional credentials. This is particularly the case if you are employed in the following settings and roles:
Our MSc in Bioinformatics is a unique and exciting course. It bridges the interface between genomics, computing and healthcare. Students develop skills and competence to effectively analyse, interpret and use the vast amounts of the biological data generated by modern high-throughput technologies such as genome sequencing, next-generation sequencing and microarray expression technology to support and improve health care and health outcomes.
The course provides flexible full-time or part-time learning opportunities to develop your career in Bioinformatics. In the context of ethico-legal, social impact and healthcare the MSc in Bioinformatics course is designed to expose you to the skills, strategies, uses, analysis, interpretation, dissemination of genomics data.
The course covers principles, statistical, computing, knowledge management, skills and the technical know-how for analysing genetics and genomics data, and the underlying health and associations between gene variants, disease susceptibility and drug response.
This course provides you with the practical knowledge and skills to bridge the computo-healthcare interface in the context of genomics and bioinformatics.
We welcome students and professionals from a range of academic and employment backgrounds, including:
This course is ideal for graduates who desire to work in a role that integrates computing, biomedical science, medicine and healthcare to prevent diseases and illness, enhance treatment interventions and improve on quality of life.
Plus one optional module from:
NB: Optional Module availability is subject to cohort viable numbers
Our MSc Bioinformatics is aligned with workforce development needs in industry, healthcare, public research establishments and university research. Therefore our students follow careers in:
Study progression
On successful completion of this course you can pursue further study at MPhil and PhD level. See our Research and enterprise page to find out more.
Click the following link for information on how to apply to this course.
Information about scholarships and bursaries can be found here.
This course is for people already working in a healthcare setting (in areas including psychiatry, clinical and forensic psychology, occupational therapy, social work, nursing, general medical practitioners) who are interested in delivering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in clinical settings. It will provide sufficient theoretical and skills training and can develop your career as a therapist and the service you provide.
CBT is the model of psychotherapy most tested by research trials for a range of mental and even physical disorders, ranging from depression, anxiety and phobias to eating disorders, schizophrenia and chronic pain. Healthcare professionals are increasingly required to demonstrate a flexible, multidisciplinary approach to make the best use of skills and resources.
The NHS actively promotes provision of evidence-based management. CBT is the evidence-based psychotherapy par excellence. It can be effective as a stand-alone treatment and can also be used in conjunction with other medical or psychological treatments. The model is versatile and creative and its techniques can be used selectively in general medical, psychological and nursing practice, as well as informing whole courses of integrated treatment.
This course will help you refine your CBT skills, empower you to use the model in a range of clinical situations, and focus on the development of a respectful and pro-active relationship with patients. The therapeutic alliance is central to the delivery of CBT and the course will teach you to forge a positive collaborative relationship with patients as a means of improving and maintaining the patient’s mental health.
The teaching and learning methods used will encourage participative and independent learning and you will arrange to see patients one day per week. Assessment methods will include essays, audio recordings of therapy sessions, case studies and supervisor assessments. Class sizes are usually around 30 for the PgCert and 15 for the PgDip. The course is delivered by staff of NHS Lothian and Greater Glasgow.
You will attend a 10-day induction block followed by a four day teaching block in the first week of every month. Links with industry/professional bodies On completion, you can apply to be accredited by the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies) in due course.
15 credits: CBT for Anxiety and Depression/ Principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy/ Research Skills in CBT/ Advanced CBT for Anxiety Disorders/ Introduction to Complex Adaptation of CBT 30 credits: Application of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy If studying for the MSc, you will also complete a dissertation of a research project within a chosen specialist area of CBT. The components of the dissertation will include: a research proposal; a literature review; and a paper for publication.
There is a growing demand for therapists specifically trained in this field. This course will enable you to develop your career and the service you provide.
The MSc in Clinical Applications of Psychology provides modules in aspects of psychology relevant to clinical practice, for students who are intending to apply to doctoral programmes in clinical psychology. Whilst there is no guarantee that students will ultimately be successful in gaining entry to doctoral programmes, this course is intended to strengthen your CV and enable you to get the most out of your relevant experience.
It is expected that most students accepted onto the MSc will be currently working in clinically relevant posts, such as psychology assistants, nursing assistants or therapy aides.
Module Information
There are six taught modules, taught sequentially over two years:
• Research Methods in Clinical Psychology
• Adult Psychopathology
• Neuropsychological Assessment
• Professional Issues, Ethics and Diversity
• Clinical Forensic Psychopathology
• Childhood Psychopathology.
The dissertation can be studied in three ways:
• In year 1, with study across 2 years alongside taught modules
• In year 2, with study alongside the remaining taught modules
• In year 3, after completing the taught modules.
After completing three modules, you will be eligible to receive a Postgraduate Certificate, and after six modules a Postgraduate
Diploma. Successful completion of the dissertation leads to the award of the MSc.
The research methods module will further develop your knowledge of the breadth of methods used in psychological research,
and the legal and ethical implications of conducting research.
The adult psychopathology aspects of the programme will enable you to conceptualise, describe and differentiate between the various psychological disorders, and develop your awareness and critical understanding of empirically derived treatment systems.
Within the neuropsychological assessment module you will gain experience and knowledge of key neuropsychological tests, and how cognition is affected by neurological conditions. This is informed by studying the principles of neuropsychological assessment and disorders of memory, attention, executive function and language.
The MSc will also improve your understanding of professional issues, ethics and diversity, considering the current and developing structure of clinical psychology in the UK. You will engage with current debates in ethics and diversity and learn how to competently apply ethical principles to real and hypothetical case examples. You will also relate these experiences to your own professional development.
In the clinical forensic psychopathology module consideration will be given to perspectives on offending behaviour, approaches to assessment and treatment, particularly examining these issues with specific offender types.
The area of childhood psychopathology will be explored, and you will be expected to apply psychological theories, research and case studies to a range of childhood psychopathologies. You will examine behavioural disorders, emotional disorders and, developmental and learning disorders in childhood and adolescence including assessment, diagnosis and treatment.
Finally, the dissertation will provide you with the opportunity to select an area of particular interest relevant to the field of clinical psychology and to design, plan and execute an in-depth research project.
Attendance
This programme is delivered predominantly on-line, with some Newman-based workshops held at weekends.
Assessment
Throughout the course you will develop the skills to successfully disseminate information to both specialist and non-specialist audiences. You will be assessed using a range of techniques such as on-line quizzes, essays, journal article presentations and examinations.
Research Areas
Research in this area is fundamental to the mission of Newman University. The subject area welcomes applications from suitably qualified students who wish to pursue postgraduate research degrees (MPhil and PhD awarded by the University of Leicester).
“This course occupies a niche in higher education in psychology that does not seem to be filled elsewhere: a grounding in clinical psychology theory and research that can support and provide an additional dimension to the experience of psychology
graduates who are aiming to go on in the future to train in clinical or other related areas of applied psychology. The syllabus has been carefully designed to meet the course aims. The outcomes can be demonstrated in the level of performance of the students (and also in their reported success in gaining places on Doctorate courses).” External Examiner
For MSc please contact info.[email protected]
