MSc Theory and Practice in Clinical Psychology (with clinical or research placement)

University of Reading

United Kingdom, Reading

University RankQS Ranking

173

Apply Now!

Go to Official Website

Home/United Kingdom/Reading /University of Reading/MSc Theory and Practice in Clinical Psychology (with clinical or research placement)

University of Reading

United Kingdom , Reading

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 12 month(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 31,650 / year

Next Intake September-2026

MSc Theory and Practice in Clinical Psychology (with clinical or research placement)

About

Our MSc Theory and Practice in Clinical Psychology programme provides you with a sound scientific understanding of the nature of modern clinical psychology, and can prepare you for clinical, educational, health and research careers.

You will be equipped with clinical skills through an extended placement either in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, or one of our clinical partners. Supervision and training will be given to support this placement. Develop your knowledge and understanding of clinical topics, including evidence-based treatments and common mental health problems across the lifespan. You will learn valuable research skills and conduct your own clinically-relevant research. It is intended that graduates of this course will greatly enhance their employability in clinical settings, either in the UK or internationally.

The clinical placement gives experience in one of our working clinics (e.g. Anxiety and Depression in Young People; Centre for Autism; Speech and Language Therapy) or with local NHS and private partners. The clinical placement programme is for students who wish to develop their skills and knowledge of working with clients further.

The research placement gives experiences within a broad range of research placements relevant to clinical psychology which often involve clinical populations. The research placement programme is aimed at students who wish to study applied psychology and undertake a placement to develop their research skills.

Overall, 100% of graduates from Psychology are in work or further study within 15 months of the end of their course. (Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022-2024, Graduate Outcomes Surveys 2019/20-2021/22; includes Postgraduate (Taught) and Postgraduate (Research) Psychology responders only.

For more information, please visit the School of Psychology's website.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

IELTS: 7.0 overall with no element less than 6.5

Entry requirements: Typically a good undergraduate honours degree (2:1 or above) in psychology. As part of your degree you should have completed/ be completing an empirical project. An understanding of the realities of clinical work is highly desirable.

For the Clinical Placement option, experience in a clinical setting or direct work with clinical psychologists is not required. However, it is important for you to have relevant hands-on voluntary or paid work in a community, clinical, or clinical-academic setting prior to applying. Such experience might be with older adults in a care setting, children with special educational needs in a school, or with adults with mental health difficulties.

As part of the application process for the MSc with Clinical Placement, you will be required to attend an interview.

For the Research Placement option, clinical or other relevant hands-on experience is not required but is highly desirable.

When making a decision we consider all the information provided as part of an application and in particular that the required course-specific questions are answered in the personal statement. Please do ensure that you have read the questions on the form thoroughly, and have followed the instructions before submitting your responses.

Due to the popularity of our programmes and our restricted numbers, we recommend applying as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Pre-sessional English language Programme

Our Pre-sessional English Programme is for international students who need to meet their degree programme English language requirements.

Our courses equip you with the skills and language needed for academic success, including critical thinking, self-reflection, learner autonomy, research skills and integrating sources. The Pre-sessional English Programme is accredited by the global association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes, which guarantees you will receive a high-quality student experience.

To find out more, visit Pre-sessional English.

English Program Requirements

IELTS: 7.0 overall with no element less than 6.5

Career

The MSc Theory and Practice in Clinical Psychology prepares students for further training in a variety of branches of applied psychology. The structure and content of the course is particularly suitable for those seeking a place on a clinical doctoral training course in the UK (or its international equivalent). The programme is also highly suitable for those wishing to progress directly into jobs in psychological clinics or clinical research in the UK or worldwide.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 31,650

Application Fee

GBP

How to Apply

1. Check our entry requirements

Please see our postgraduate subject finder for minimum entry requirements for the programme you are interested in; entry requirements can vary from one programme to another. International students can consult our country-specific pages for information and guidance on alternative qualification equivalencies for master’s study.

If English is not your first language, you will also need to meet our English language requirements. You can find the IELTS requirements on each course page. We also accept a range of alternative English language qualifications.

If your English ability is not at the required standard, you can choose to apply for one of our Pre-sessional English programmes. The programmes will equip you with the study skills and preparation needed for academic study in English. The length of your Pre-sessional English programme is determined by your current level of English against the English language requirements of your chosen master’s programme.

2. Application and funding deadlines

Although most master’s programmes do not formally close for applications, some programmes do have application deadlines; if your programme has a deadline it will be specified on the course page under the ‘Entry requirements’ section. For programmes that do not have a specific application deadline, places may be limited and programmes may become full. We recommend that you apply as early as possible (particularly if you are an international student) to allow time not only for us to process your application, but for you to ensure that you can meet any offer conditions, arrange your accommodation and, importantly, funding for your studies. For admission in September, we do recommend that you apply by 1 August (if you are a UK applicant) and 1 July (if you are an international applicant requiring a visa to come to the UK) however, we are happy to still consider applications after these dates.

International applicants should also see our advice and guidance on visas and immigration.

Funding deadlines

We require an offer of study for many of our master’s scholarships and bursaries. You should check deadlines for applications carefully, and each scholarship or bursary will have specific application instructions. We may add scholarships throughout the year, so it is a good idea to re-visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

3. Submit your application

You can apply for master’s programmes directly through our online application system, RISIS. For our PGCE/Teacher Training programmes, applications must be made via the Department of Education's Find Postgraduate Teacher Training portal. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automatic confirmation.

Various documents are needed to make your application. You should electronically upload:

full transcripts of all degree programmes taken. If these are not in English, a certified translation into English is required. Please do not mail original copies; we only require PDF copies via electronic upload,
an English language certificate (for example IELTS or TOEFL), if English is not your first language (this can also be provided after you submit your application),
contact details for two academic/professional references. Your references will automatically be invited via email to upload their reference directly once you have submitted your application. Please remind your references to check their junk/spam filters for the email and let them know that the link to the form is only valid for 20 days,
statement of purpose. Your personal statement should outline your academic performance, interest in applying to master’s study, any relevant work experience and skills gained,
a copy of your passport (for international students).

Application fee

We do not charge an application fee to apply for our master’s programmes.

4. Track your application

You can track the progress of your application using our applicant portal, Me@Reading, a personalised resource including information about your programme of study, student stories and what's happening here at Reading. It has everything you need to know, all in one place. When we have made a decision on your application, we will contact you via email. If we are able to make you an offer for a place to study, your offer will contain information about what to do next, including how to accept your offer, pay a deposit (if applicable), and any conditions you must meet to study with us.