London, Bloomsbury
The course aims to train psychology graduates to become skilled professional Clinical Associates in Psychology (CAP), working within Adult Mental Health. This Master's programme provides the formal apprenticeship training required as part of the student's employment within the NHS. Students on this programme qualify as Clinical Associates in Psychology.
Important information for January 2023 applications
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Please use this link to apply!
UK students International students
Study mode
Part-time
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
See Fees Note
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
See Fees Note
Duration
18 months
Programme starts
January 2023
Applications accepted
All applicants: 17 Oct – 12 Dec 2022
Applications closed
January 2023 applications: Please use this link to apply!
Entry requirements
A minimum of a second-class Bachelor's degree in Psychology from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard which confers Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS).
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The English language level for this programme is: Level 1
UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses
Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.
Equivalent qualifications
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.
About this degree
The teaching and training will focus on the knowledge and clinical competencies required to work as a Clinical Associate in Psychology with adults with mental health problems in inpatient and community mental health services.The broad purpose of the occupation is to provide high quality, evidence-based psychological support within the community, with formulations derived from rigorous psychological measurement and assessment tools to work with populations from different backgrounds, cultures and contexts.
Who this course is for
Applicants will be nominated by their NHS employer and are required to show evidence of ability to study successfully at postgraduate level.
Unfortunately, this programme is not open to international students. As this is an apprenticeship programme international students would need to meet the following requirements: A non-EEA citizen is eligible for funding if they have permission from the UK government to live in the UK (not for educational purposes) and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship.
Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL
What this course will give you
The UCL programme is run and taught by experienced practitioners in the field, and therefore a balance is achieved between the teaching of the theoretical knowledge needed and the practical skills necessary in training as a Clinical Associate in Psychology.
Students will receive employment and practical experience in a relevant service alongside this formal training needed in order to become a qualified Clinical Associate in Psychology.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme
The foundation of your career
The Clinical Associate in Psychology is a new occupation within the NHS. The course will train students to work in adult mental health settings. The occupation addresses an unmet need in mental health provision as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan and Community Mental Health Framework. The training is provided in partnership with NHS Trusts, who are committed to supporting the long term development of the CAPs role.
Employability
The Master's programme is the formal apprenticeship training required as part of the student's employment as a Clinical Associate in Psychology who upon successful completion of the programme will move to being qualified CAPs. It is anticipated that apprentices will stay in these positions after completing the programme, working as a qualified CAP.
For further details, please visit the NHS Careers website.
Options for career development include progression to working as a qualified CAP. Other options include moving into related fields such as teaching, social work and clinical psychology.
Teaching and learning
Students will be taught via lectures, practical workshops, and clinical seminars. Teaching will include both university and service-based supervisory practice.Students will also have access to Moodle resources, tools, forums and activities, and undertake independent study.
Assessments will be conducted in a number of ways: group and individual presentations, case studies, essays, objective structured clinical examination and dissertation.
Teaching will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays with teaching taking place from 10 to 5. Approximately 50% of the time will be spent in lectures, 25% in workshops, 15% in clinical seminars, and the remainder in independent study.
Modules
Compulsory modules
Social and Healthcare Context
Assessment and Engagement
Psychological interventions: Fundamentals
Psychological interventions: Implementation
Quality improvement and audit
Psychological interventions: Advanced
Developing as a practitioner
Research Dissertation
Clinical portfolio and End Point Assessment
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Clinical Associate in Psychology (Adult Mental Health) apprenticeship programme.
Placement
Students are employed by and complete their apprenticeship with their participating NHS Trust.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the .
Fees and funding
Fees for this course
UK students International students
| Fee description | Part-time |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees (2023/24) | See Fees Note |
| Tuition fees (2023/24) | See Fees Note |
Fees are funded by the NHS
Additional costs
There are no additional costs associated with the course.
For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.
Funding your studies
Tuition fees on this programme are fully funded by the NHS.
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Next steps
When we assess your application we would like to learn:
- why you want to study Clinical Associate in Psychology (Adult Mental Health)
at graduate level - why you want to study Clinical Associate in Psychology (Adult Mental Health) at UCL
- what particularly attracts you to this programme
- how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
- where you would like to go professionally with your degree
Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.
Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.
This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.
Got questions? Get in touch
Division of Psychology and Language Sciences
caps_msc@ucl.ac.uk
UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.