Clinical Applications of Psychology MSc

Course Overview

The MSc in Clinical Applications of Psychology is designed for those who plan to apply for admission to doctoral training programmes in Clinical Psychology and can help to strengthen your credentials for the competitive entry process. The taught components of the course include modules on research methods tailored to clinical applications, evidence-based practice in adult, older adult, and child/adolescent populations, and clinical case analysis. Teaching provision is shared between academics with research interests in the relevant topics and practising clinicians with current experience in Psychology services within the NHS. The practical component of the course is a six-month research placement in a local NHS trust that maintains a training relationship with our doctoral programme.

This course is not open to Overseas students.

Teaching and Assessment

The taught components of the course include modules on experimental design, data collection and analysis tailored to clinical applications, evidence based practice in adult, older adult, and child/adolescent populations, and clinical case analysis. Teaching provision is shared between academics with research interests in the relevant topic areas and practising clinicians with current experience in Psychology services within the NHS.

Teaching is delivered though lectures and seminars. You will have an average of 8-10 hours of lectures and 2-4 hours of seminars per week in term 1. In terms 2 and 3, students complete their seminar study and undertake a six month NHS research placement, three days a week in a local NHS Trust that maintains a training relationship with our doctoral programme. Students are assigned to placements, where they will work with Clinical Psychologists on clinical audit and service evaluation, as applicable to the specific setting of the placement. Every effort is made to match students' interests with the available placement opportunities. The formal output of the placement is a written dissertation comprising a literature review and a report of the audit or service evaluation work carried out during the placement. Support and guidance is provided by an academic supervisor, while on-site supervision is provided by a clinical supervisor.

We typically assess modules through a mix of assessment types, which include written clinical case evaluation reports, design exercises focusing on clinical research, statistical analysis, qualitative analysis, open book examinations and a service related literature review and project.

Skills from this degree

• opportunity to combine academic and practical experience in the field of Clinical Psychology
• research design and analysis
• develop an understanding of evidence-based practice in child, adult and older adult settings and the role of Clinical Psychology in the NHS
• clinical case analysis
• time-management skills, which are crucial when training to be a clinical psychologist and beyond

Careers

Graduates from this course have gone on to work as Assistant Psychologists in the NHS, IAPT, charitable organisations such as the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust, and the private sector, for example The Family Psychologist. They have also undertaken clinically relevant research roles.

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year.

Previous examples of workshops and events include:

• Careers with Children and Young People
• Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
• Meet the Psychologist