Developmental Psychology and Clinical Practice

This MSc aims to encourage an integrated understanding of child development and a range of childhood disorders, and to give students an opportunity to apply this understanding in a clinical setting through a supervised placement in the second year within a mental health service.

The programme draws together theory, research and therapeutic thinking from a range of perspectives, including clinical and cognitive psychology, systemic thinking, psychoanalysis and neuroscience. In a workshop setting, students develop competencies in engagement, assessment and evaluation, and practical skills necessary for therapeutic work with children and families. These are then put into practice during the clinical placement.

This two-year MSc has a total value of 270 credits. Each year students complete modules to the value of 135 credits.

Year one: taught modules (135 credits). Year two: clinical skills modules (35 credits), a clinical practice in context module (15 credits) and the research dissertation (85 credits).

Year one core modules

• Multiple Perspectives on Development Psychopathology I
• Multiple Perspectives on Development Psychopathology II
• Research Methods I (formative)
• Research Methods II: Introduction to Statistical Analysis
• Research Methods III: Introduction to Qualitative Research (formative)
• Evaluating Clinical Interventions
• An Introduction to Psychoanalytic Theory
• Building and Maintaining Therapeutic Relationships
• Assessment and Planning Clinical Interventions
• Parent-Infant Observation

Year two core modules

• Clinical Practice in Context
• Clinical Skills I
• Clinical Skills II
• Research Dissertation
• Research Workshop

Dissertation/research project

All MSc students undertake a research portfolio which may include both a developmental and a clinical focus, such as the evaluation and understanding of clinical and therapeutic services for children and young people. This culminates in a dissertation made up of an 8,000-word journal paper and a poster.

Teaching and learning

In year one students attend weekly lectures complemented by small group seminars. Modules focusing on clinical skills are classroom based. In year two, as well as taking further modules, students move into a 2-3 days per week placement in a child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) setting, supervised by an experienced clinician. Assessment is by a mixture of coursework, examinations and the dissertation.

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university in Psychology, or in another relevant social, clinical or life science discipline, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. It is highly desirable that students have obtained relevant experience working with children or adolescents prior to application.