Masters Degrees in Health Psychology, London, United Kingdom

Promoting the scientific study of health, illness and healthcare to improve health outcomes for patients and the public.

Who is it for?

The course is for highly motivated students who have intellectual curiosity to learn about complex problems of health and healthcare and the ambition to conduct research that may lead to a solution to these problems. The programme is especially suited to students who want to go on to do doctoral studies – either a DPsych Health Psychology (for practitioner training) or a PhD (for research training).

The Health Psychology course is also for those who have an undergraduate degree that is accredited by the British Psychological Society. If you are an international student and would like to undertake a Masters degree in this subject but do not have the BPS accreditation, we offer the MSc Psychology and Health as an alternative programme (with identical modules) for students who have not achieved the Graduate Basis for Registration with the British Psychological Society.

Objectives

Health psychology explores the psychological and behavioural processes that influence the development of illness, the promotion of health, and the delivery of healthcare through rigorous research that feeds into evidence-based practice.

Teaching at City promotes the scientist-practitioner model in which research influences how we practice, while allowing our experiences in practice to shape the research questions we ask.

We recognise that great research will not make a difference to people’s lives unless the insights feed into evidence-based practice. You will therefore learn how to make research evidence accessible to help maximise its impact. Taught by a team of leading research-active academics, who are members of the Centre for Health Services Research (CHSR), the MSc Health Psychology programme is designed to give you the foundations that will propel you to an exciting career in the discipline.

Here are some examples of the kinds of questions the course poses:
-How can we help people cope with a diagnosis?
-What are the main challenges facing individuals living with long-term conditions?
-What is psychological theory and how can this be used to understand health and illness behaviours?
-How can we make complex interventions more effective by using theory and empirical evidence?

Academic facilities

City University has recently opened the TECS Lab, a dedicated ‘smart home’, to showcase some of the exciting technologies that are being implemented around the UK to support patients with long-term conditions and complex health and social care needs.

This is a one-of-a-kind resource that is already being used for teaching and research purposes. You will visit the TECS Lab in the spring term and the resource will be available to conduct your own dissertation research on a related topic. As part of the University of London you can also become a member of Senate House Library for free with your student ID card.

Teaching and learning

The course uses a range of teaching methods including classroom teaching, seminars and workshops. You will be assessed through a varied combination of formats throughout the programme including coursework, examination, a diary component, online discussion forums and a significant piece of empirical research.

The assessment for the Doctorate includes:
-A reflective report (3,000 words) detailing how supervised practice has enabled you to fulfil the generic professional competence.
-A report (1,000 words) summarising the involvement of service users and/or carers in your training.
-Log of experiences that enabled you to gain competence in each component of all core units over the equivalent of two years’ full-time supervised practice (this should include a record of your attendance at core CPD workshops)
-A case study (3,000 words excluding appendices) with supporting evidence in appendices.
-A contract and working agreement conditions document (3,000 words, excluding appendices) with supporting evidence in appendices.
-Two teaching and training case studies (1 x 1,000 & 1 x 2,000 words, excluding appendices) with supporting evidence in appendices. One of the populations must be health care professionals and an observer’s report (500 words)
-A case study describing the process of conducting a psychological intervention that has been implemented through face-to-face work with an individual client (3000 words, excluding appendices) with supporting evidence in appendices.
-A case study (2,000 words, excluding appendices) describing the process of conducting a psychological intervention that has been delivered through a medium other than face-to-face with an individual client with a reflective report on delivering this intervention included in the appendices.
-A research thesis (approximately 15,000 words, excluding appendices) to be written to a standard acceptable for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals.
-A systematic review (6,000 words excluding appendices) to be written to a standard acceptable for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals.

You will also be able to learn from our on-site TECS lab. This is a dedicated smart home equipped with tele-health and tele-care applications and an adjacent monitoring system.

The purpose of the TECS lab is to enable researchers to monitor long-term conditions, and use technology to track an individual’s health in real time. For example seat and bed occupancy sensors enable health psychologists to monitor physical movement and intervene when routine behaviours are disrupted.

Modules

The programme consists of eight compulsory modules and all the teaching takes place in the first two terms. In term one you will be introduced to behavioural medicine, lifestyle, gender and culture, theoretical foundations of health psychology and research design and statistics. In the second term you study understanding and managing long term conditions, developing complex interventions, professional practice and contextual issues in health psychology and advanced research design and statistics. The third term is dedicated to the dissertation.

You may have the opportunity to interact directly with patients or healthcare professionals at the dissertation stage of this Masters degree. You will be conducting your own independent research and this may, for example, involve interviewing patients or professionals about a particular subject, or delivering behaviour change interventions.

To become a qualified researcher and practitioner, you will need to be able to understand and critique published research and to understand practitioner issues, so you can conduct your own research from scratch. At City we will encourage you to conduct research on the front line working on projects that require ethical approval, where you are engaging with real people so you can have a direct impact on their lives.

Core modules
-Theoretical foundations of health psychology (15 credits)
-Behavioural medicine (15 credits)
-Understanding and managing long-term conditions (15 credits)
-Lifespan, gender & culture (15 credits)
-Developing complex interventions (15 credits)
-Professional and contextual Issues in health psychology (15 credits)
-Introduction to research design & statistics (15 credits)
-Advanced research design & statistics (15 credits)
-Dissertation (60 credits)

Career prospects

Health psychologists work in academia as researchers and within the NHS and the wider healthcare sector. The nature of the work means you will be trying to influence public health policy in terms of the way that health care is practised. You will also be evaluating how health care professionals do their work while adhering to the best clinical standards.

As a UK student, because the Health Psychology MSc is accredited, it is known as Stage 1 of the standard training in healthcare psychology. By successfully completing this course you will be able to move on to Stage 2 training (a doctoral level qualification in health psychology). This leads to becoming a fully recognised health psychologist whereby you can apply for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Full membership of the Division of Health Psychology means you will also be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Chartered Health Psychologist. You can only use the protected title ‘Health Psychologist’ by registering with the HCPC, the statutory regulator.

Graduates of the MSc in Health Psychology and MSc in Psychology & Health take a variety of career paths across the NHS and wider public sector. Here are some examples of the kinds of roles our graduates go on to do:
-A PhD student studying a Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology.
-A research assistant in higher education, NHS or the private sector.
-An assistant psychologist in an applied setting.
-An NHS or third sector healthcare professional, such as a smoking cessation officer, or a public health and health promotion practitioner.

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New Scholarships Available

The BPS-accredited Health Psychology MSc is specifically designed for graduate psychologists who wish to obtain BPS recognition as a charted health psychologist. Our Health Psychology programme combines classroom teaching, individual study, and practical work in statistics, supervised research project and a 100-hour health-based clinical placement.

Come along to our Postgraduate Open Evening in Psychology, Mental Health and Neuroscience on Wed 1 Feb to discuss your study options with world-leaders in the field. Book your place now https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/postgraduate-taught-open-evening-health-subjects-tickets-29980971894

Key benefits

- Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
- Pioneers of postgraduate training in this discipline since 1987
- Leading research centre in clinical health psychology
- Collaborations within many NHS services across King's Health Partners
- Visiting lecturers who are world class in their fields
- Access to first-class dedicated facilities
- 100-hour supervised placement opportunities within the NHS, third section and industry
- Small class sizes

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/health-psychology-msc.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

The Health Psychology course provides up-to-date and thorough grounding in the theories, concepts and empirical findings in health psychology. It will prepare you for a subsequent research degree or professional training in health psychology (i.e. PhD and/or BPS Stage 2 training in Health Psychology).

The clinical placement takes place in the second semester and is organised by a dedicated member of academic staff in NHS departments across King’s Health Partners, in industry and health related charities and public services. Placements consist of a dedicated piece of work completed by the student in their host department coupled with shadowing and observing health and clinical psychologists. Previous placements included auditing patient experiences in an NHS outpatient department, designing an information leaflet on health psychological measurement for allied health professionals and interviewing patients about their experiences of psychological therapy among others, some of which have led to academic and professional publication.

You will also be required to undertake a significant piece of empirical work (a research project). All research projects are conducted in collaboration with a supervisor. While you will be encouraged to develop your own research proposal, you will also have the opportunity to work on projects developed by academic staff in their areas of expertise.

- Course purpose -

The course will equip you with the skills to apply the scientific and theoretical basis of health psychology using scholarly and critical approaches. We also provide formal training in quantitative and qualitative research methods so that you are able to evaluate, plan and conduct research. Clinical placements provide the opportunity to observe health psychology in practice and to learn basic clinical skills.

- Course format and assessment -

Assessment of coursework including: Systematic review, research protocol, qualitative & quantitative data analysis, critical reviews, placement report, essays, written examinations and a research project on an approved topic, (and oral examination, at the examiners discretion).

A full list of required and optional modules are available on our website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/health-psychology-msc.aspx

Career prospects

Our graduates continue to complete BPS Stage 2 and practise as a health psychologist in clinical settings, research assistants, PhD study, jobs in behaviour relevant to health, illness and health care delivery, such as smoking cessation adviser.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 20 universities worldwide (2015/16 QS World Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/study/prospective-students/Masters-Scholarships.aspx

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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Health Psychology plays a key role in improving the health and wellbeing of the population. This course, based in the heart of London, was one of the first Masters in Health Psychology and has been accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) since 1999. It includes an innovative portfolio of assessments geared to developing transferable skills, and relating directly to the world of work. The course also provides the opportunity to gain work experience and apply your knowledge in a health psychology setting, whilst considering future career plans. The course is taught by a core team of enthusiastic and supportive research-active staff, with collaborative links to external institutions in London and beyond. Successful completion of the course (Stage 1) is a prerequisite for the further training (Stage 2) to become a health psychologist registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC).

In addition to the core taught programme, we work with a range of practitioners to provide additional professional training in areas such as resilience, coaching and clinical practice.

Course content

The course will give you an in-depth understanding of the theoretical and applied bases of health, illness and disease. The main aim is to help you to develop the theoretical and methodological skills essential for conducting independent research and applying health psychology in practice.

We provide a coherent programme of study covering the content, methods and application of health psychology. In particular, the course emphasises the importance of an evidence-based approach to health psychology, and develops the core skills needed for Stage 2 training. Within the core modules, there is considerable flexibility for you to choose particular areas of study of interest.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.

Core modules include two introductory modules:
-HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY: A LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE
-THEORIES AND PERSPECTIVES IN HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

Followed by:
-DATA HANDLING AND RESEARCH METHODS FOR APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
-HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY IN PRACTICE
-INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, HEALTH, STRESS AND ILLNESS
-RESEARCH BASED PROJECT: HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
-SPECIALIST TOPICS FOR APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY

Option module
-WORK EXPERIENCE IN A PSYCHOLOGICAL SETTING

Associated careers

The course is a prerequisite for those wishing to pursue Stage 2 training leading to Registration with the HPC as a Health Psychologist. However, it also serves as a precursor to those wishing to pursue a PhD in Psychology, and other areas of applied psychology such as clinical or counselling. The majority of our graduates work in the health-related professions.

Professional recognition

This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

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This unique programme accredited by the British Psychological Society aims to equip students to apply the scientific and theoretical principles and ideas of health psychology using a scholarly and critical approach, and to develop the practical skills and knowledge required for employment or research in the field.

Degree information

The programme is regularly reviewed by an advisory board including world-renowned experts in health psychology. It provides a thorough grounding in theories, concepts and empirical findings central to current health psychology. Students are encouraged to develop their own area of specialisation, and are given formal training in quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of eight core modules (120 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits). Please see departmental website for more details. There are no optional modules for this programme.

Core modules
-Effective Research Practice
-Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods 1
-Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods 2
-Health-related Behaviours and Cognitions
-Individual, Social and Cultural Perspectives in Health Psychology
-Stress, Mental Health and Ageing
-Chronic Illness from the Health Psychology Perspective
-Health Care and Intervention Delivery

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation written up as a mock paper submission to the British Journal of Health Psychology.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, class exercises, project work, training workshops, journal clubs and hands-on computer-based teaching on statistical analysis techniques. Assessment is through coursework (including critical reviews and essays), one unseen examination and the research project. Students are also offered a short work placement.

Careers

Many graduates of the programme continue with PhD studies, or find work as researchers and other positions allied to psychology, health, illness and healthcare delivery.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Civil Servant, Home Office
-Assistant Health Psychologist, NHS University College London Hospital
-Community Psychologist, Ministry of Health
-Senior Research Nurse, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
-Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, City University London

Employability
Given the academic nature of the programme, our students tend to do exceptionally well securing funded PhD studentships or clinical doctorates. As the focus of the MSc is on improving health care and delivery, many students also take up positions within the public or private healthcare sector.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The Health Psychology MSc is run within UCL Epidemiology and Public Health, which houses 13 research groups, of which two – the Health Behaviour Research Centre (HBRC), and the Psychobiology Group – provide direct support to the MSc.

The HBRC is one of the largest health psychology research groups in the UK, and undertakes research aimed at advancing understanding of behaviours that have a major impact on health, and contributing to the development of interventions to promote healthy lifestyles. The Psychobiology Group is a multidisciplinary group concerned with the pathways through which sociodemographic and psychosocial factors influence physical disease processes.

This environment provides students with unique networking opportunities, being taught by specialists in their field, and completing relevant placements in clinical, academic or policy-related settings. In addition, students are also encouraged to integrate themselves into the research groups and networks closely associated with the programme which can provide invaluable real-world research experience and potential collaborations with national and international leaders in health psychology and related disciplines.

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Interest in health and health-related disciplines has increased greatly in the past decade. However, most MSc programmes in health psychology in the UK are only open to students who wish to become Chartered Health Psychologists and who have a British Psychological Society-approved first degree in health psychology.

This MSc is designed for students who do not wish to become UK Chartered Health Psychologists and so is particularly attractive to international students and health professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, medical doctors and many others. It seeks to help the student understand health and illness, and provides knowledge and research skills applicable to the health arena. The course will guide the student through a journey of health, illness, adjustment and rehabilitation. Areas such as health behaviours, beliefs and coping will be covered.

Who is this degree for?
This course is aimed at a variety of graduates, including: people working in the health professions who wish to further their understanding of the psychological aspects of health and illness; international students who do not fulfil the British Psychological Society’s registration requirements; UK psychology graduates who wish to gain skills to help them to obtain a place on a Clinical Psychology Doctorate or to continue to other PhD level study; and those who have first degrees in related disciplines such as sociology and anthropology.

Course Content
Modules are subject to variation and students are advised to check with the School on whether a particular module will be running in their year of entry. At the time of printing, modules were drawn from the following areas: Understanding Health; The Psychology of Managing Illness; Multidisciplinary Approaches to Health; Health Research and Research Methods.

Assessment
Assessment is by coursework (including term papers and poster/oral presentations), and a dissertation of up to 15,000 words.

Careers
The MSc in Psychology, Health, and Behaviour will be a valuable precursor to any future research degree or clinical doctorate. Skills learnt on this course will also benefit those working within health settings who wish to further their careers.

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Course Summary

This course meets the stage one Health Psychology training requirements developed by the Division of Health Psychology of the British Psychological Society. Our graduates are successful in working/studying in industry, academia, charitable organisations and the NHS.

The course provides a complete grounding in the theory, themes, professional issues and practical skills central to stage one Health Psychology training. The course has established links with health organisations where students gain work experience and carry out research.

Students can carry out health psychology research with the School of Pharmacy at University College London (UCL): research is jointly supervised by Chartered Health Psychologists at UWL and UCL. UCL School of Pharmacy is one of the most highly rated pharmacy schools in the UK.

You will be encouraged to present your work at health psychology conferences. Students who successfully complete the course have fulfilled the stage one training requirements which are a first step towards Chartered Psychologist status and registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Health Psychologist.

When does the course run

The full-time course runs on Monday and Tuesday each week for two semesters followed by time to complete the dissertation. Part-time students attend on Mondays or Tuesdays depending on which stage of the course they are at. We offer you the flexibility to switch from full-time to part-time.

Modules

Biopsychosocial Issues in Health Psychology
Individual Differences in the Psychology of Health and Illness
Chronic Disorder and Health Psychology Interventions
Advanced Research Methods
Practice and Professional Issues in Health Psychology
Supervised Research Project

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How do people stay healthy, why do people become ill and what happens when people become ill? This engaging course addresses these questions by examining the psychological influences on health and wellbeing. Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and meeting its standards for stage 1 of the training to become a health psychologist, the MSc takes a scientist-practitioner approach, giving students an excellent grounding in both research methodology and professional and practical skills.


Why study Health Psychology MSc at Middlesex?

We focus on supporting your future employability by helping you develop a range of professional, research and transferable skills through teaching, workshops and a placement. An exciting combination of health psychologists, clinical psychologists, other health professionals and leading researchers teach this course. You will learn how health psychologists apply psychological research and methods to promote health, aid the prevention and management of illness, help with the identification of psychological factors contributing to physical illness.

During this programme, you will study health-related behaviour, addiction and treatment; public health, health promotion and behaviour change interventions; stress and stress management; chronic illness and its management; working with patients in the health care system, research methods and professional issues.

A £3,000 scholarship is available for September 2014 entry. Please see our scholarships page for more information.

Course highlights:

- The programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as providing stage1 of the training to become a Health Psychologist.
- It is one of only a few MSc Health Psychology programmes in the UK to offer a health psychology placement. Examples of the placements we currently offer include smoking cessation, addiction management, obesity management, cancer screening, chronic illness management, health promotion, stroke prevention.
- You will participate in teaching and workshops on practical aspects of health psychology such as smoking cessation and motivational interviewing.
- You will be taught by health and clinical psychologists and a range of other health professionals who are experts in their field through research and/or work as practitioners.
- Our purpose-built science building houses state-of-the-art computer and psychophysiology laboratories. Training is given in the use of psychophysiology equipment, in the science laboratories.

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Clinical Health Psychology fuses the treatment of physical and emotional illness. Focusing on the relationship between psychological variables and biomedical conditions, it deals with the response to physical illness of patients in the health care system. Our students develop skills in research methodology and professional implementation. The programme will be of interest to individuals who are interested in health or counselling psychology and those who have a background in a health care setting.


Why study MSc Applied Clinical Health Psychology at Middlesex?

This MSc provides you with the knowledge and skills relevant to understanding how psychology is applied to the care of the physically ill and how it can maximise the effectiveness of health care delivery. During the course you will study counselling skills; chronic illness and its management; working with patients in the health care system; health-related behaviour, addiction and treatment; public health, health promotion and behaviour change interventions; stress and stress management; and research methods.

This course is intended for those with or without a degree in psychology but without the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) (normally obtained through completing a psychology degree in the UK). Those with GBC may prefer to apply for our BPS accredited MSc Health Psychology, which includes a placement.

Course highlights:

- We have excellent employment results: over 90% of our psychology graduates are employed within six months of completing their degree.
- Our psychology teaching and research facilities are unrivalled. They include fully equipped lecture theatres and tutorial spaces; a pychophysiology laboratory; social observation laboratories; a video editing suite; a virtual reality laboratory; auditory cognition laboratory; and testing cubicles.
- You will benefit from the expertise of our teaching staff who are leading researchers in health psychology and qualitative research.

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The Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology is aimed at applicants who have already completed Stage 1 training in Health Psychology and who are seeking to become Chartered Psychologists.

The course offers research training of an equivalent standard to a PhD as well as training in the other core competencies in health psychology.

It enables you to develop skills in consultancy, teaching and learning and generic professional skills in health psychology. You also have the opportunity to acquire skills in developing, implementing, evaluating and reporting on interventions.

More about this course

Our Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology has been recognised by the BPS (British Psychological Society) as providing the Stage 2 requirements for Chartered Psychologist status and has been approved by the HCPC (Health & Care Professions Council) as a requirement for registration as a Registered Health Psychologist. Completion of the course enables you to apply for registration with these bodies.

On completion of the course, you will become a competent practitioner in all relevant areas of health psychology.

Assessment for the thesis portfolio consists of extended case studies, reflective commentaries, log books and a teaching evaluation. You also submit a systematic review and complete a doctoral level piece of research (30,000 words) which is assessed through a written thesis and a viva.

Modular structure

The course is structured around the five core competencies and therefore includes research, professional skills, consultancy, teaching and learning and behaviour change interventions. As part of the course, you are required to complete D-Level research training. The doctorate is completed via placement learning, group workshops, peer and one-to-one supervision.

After the course

Graduates usually progress to careers within the health service, charity, business or academic sector in a professional capacity as Chartered Psychologists.

The course is recognised by the BPS (British Psychological Society) as providing the Stage 2 requirements for Chartered Psychologist status, and has been approved by the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) as a requirement for registration as a Registered Health Psychologist. Completion of the course enables you to apply for registration with these bodies.

Attendance and time commitment

All teaching takes place in small groups, including presentations, visiting expert talks, seminars and workshops. The workshops provide knowledge and training to support trainees on their work placement and in completion of the core competencies. Trainees are expected to attend all workshops and to regular supervision.

Workshops take place every three to four weeks on a Friday. Individual supervision sessions are arranged at the convenience of trainees and supervisors.

When you begin the course, it is expected that you will arrange with your employer suitable time off for attendance at workshops and supervision. It is a requirement of entry to the course that you inform your employer of your intention to begin training so that they can support you in your efforts.

Moving to one campus

Between 2016 and 2020 we're investing £125 million in the London Metropolitan University campus, moving all of our activity to our current Holloway campus in Islington, north London. This will mean the teaching location of some courses will change over time.

Whether you will be affected will depend on the duration of your course, when you start and your mode of study. The earliest moves affecting new students will be in September 2017. This may mean you begin your course at one location, but over the duration of the course you are relocated to one of our other campuses. Our intention is that no full-time student will change campus more than once during a course of typical duration.

All students will benefit from our move to one campus, which will allow us to develop state-of-the-art facilities, flexible teaching areas and stunning social spaces.

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This innovative MSc programme aims to provide students with a strong knowledge and experience base for progressing to health service careers, particularly those looking to become clinical psychologists and clinical psychology researchers- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/msc-clinical-psychology-health-services/

The Masters will equip you with an up to date knowledge of relevant theory and practical issues in UK mental health services, and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake research and development in healthcare settings, including service evaluations, clinical audits, and intervention evaluations.

This programme is intended for graduates in Psychology or related disciplines who are interested in progressing to careers in the health professions as practitioners, researchers or managers, and current health service professionals with a degree in Psychology or related disciplines who wish to enhance skills and knowledge in the areas covered by the programme as part of their continuing professional development. Please note, however, that the MSc itself does not lead to a clinical qualification.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Val West.

Modules & Structure

The programme comprises four core and three optional modules over one year of full-time study, or two years equivalent part-time study.

Core modules:
Understanding and Treating Psychological Disorders
Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology
Statistics
Clinical Research Design and Analysis
Research Project

Assessment:
Written and multiple-choice examinations, essay coursework, oral presentation, research dissertation.

Skills

The programme will provide you with knowledge of theory and practical issues relevant to practice in the UK mental health services, with a particular focus on clinical psychology. It will provide you with the knowledge and skills to undertake research in clinical settings and analyse data. You will have the opportunity to develop your own research and career interests by conducting a research project under the supervision of a member of staff and relevant external health services staff.

Careers

The programme is designed to provide a foundation for graduates who are interested in further developing the academic skills and experience needed to apply for UK Clinical Doctorate programs.

It would also help develop skills and knowledge for those who seek to develop careers in the NHS and with private healthcare providers more generally, including careers in various Allied Health fields and NHS management.

Lastly, the programme is designed to facilitate career progression for those already working in the health sector, by developing new academic skills and experience, particularly in relation to research design and analysis.

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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This new programme, a Department of Health initiative, aims to train a new workforce for CAMHS: Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners. Graduates of the programme will complement the work of existing CAMHS practitioners by building better links with communities and offering rapid access to low intensity evidence-based treatment interventions, for mild to moderate mental health difficulties as part of a stepped care model of service delivery.

Degree information

Students will learn evidence-based treatment techniques that can be delivered within low-intensity interventions for mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

Students undertake three core modules to the value of 60 credits.

Core modules
The programme is divided into three core modules which run in parallel over the year.
-Fundamental Skills: Children and Young People's Mental Health Settings: Context and Values
-Fundamental Skills: Assessment and Engagement
-Evidence-based Interventions: Theory & Skills

There are no optional modules for this programme.

Teaching and learning
Trainees will be expected to attend teaching for approximately one day per week. Teaching is a combination of lecture-style workshops and small group seminars delivered by leading practitioners in the field. Assessment on the programme will comprise of a combination of written, oral and video assessments.

Careers

All successful applicants will be undertaking this programme in conjunction with their service role in the CAMHS workforce as a Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The programme is based and taught at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, a national charity with a worldwide reputation.

We aim to equip students with the knowledge, attitude and competence to operate effectively in service that is inclusive and values driven. Our students will be taught the fundamental skills used to assess cases involving young people.

Students will develop insight and competencies in effective brief (low-intensity) interventions for children, young people and family systems, as well as a range of written and computerised interventions. They will also learn of the services available across Children and Young Person Agencies.

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