MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical)

University of Reading

United Kingdom, Reading

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Home/United Kingdom/Reading /University of Reading/MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical)

University of Reading

United Kingdom , Reading

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

C801

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 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 30,650 / year

Next Intake September-2026

MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical)

About

Receive specialist clinical training and develop your scientific knowledge of psychology on our MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical) course.

This course will qualify you for employment as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) within the National Health Service (NHS), and will provide you with a masters-level qualification. It combines elements of the University's BSc Psychology and the Postgraduate Certificate in Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments run by the world-renowned Charlie Waller Institute.

The degree is also an ideal stepping-stone for postgraduate studies in clinical psychology. 92% of students in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences said our teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things (91.8% National Student Survey, 2023).

The first year of the course will introduce you to the concepts required for British Psychological Society (BPS) qualification, including:

cognition
neuroscience
development
personality
social psychology.

You will then cover these subjects in far greater depth during the second year.

In the third year of the course, you can develop your knowledge by exploring the areas that interest you most. The vast majority of modules in this year are optional and are regularly revised in order to incorporate the latest developments in psychology. Recent modules have included subjects such as:

autistic spectrum conditions
behavioural economics
nutritional psychology
cognitive behavioural theory and therapy.

During the fourth year you will receive specialist clinical training and carry out a placement within an NHS Talking Therapies service. This experience will link directly into practical modules, which are designed to develop your clinical skills around assessing and treating common mental health difficulties.

Throughout the course you will gain practical experience, and learn how to devise and run your own experiments. During the third year you will carry out an original piece of research on a topic of your choice. You may have the opportunity to present your work at conferences, and a number of past projects have won awards from the BPS and British Neuroscience Association.

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

Placement

You will carry out your fourth year placement within an NHS Talking Therapies service. This will normally involve conducting assessments and interventions for mild to moderate anxiety and depression under the supervision of NHS staff. The placement is a direct extension of the practical work taught during course modules.

You may also decide to carry out placements during the second year of the course, or during vacations. These can take place at an outside organisation such as a charity, or with one of our in-house NHS clinics. These include anxiety, speech and language therapy, and dementia. Alternatively, you can volunteer as a research assistant on a range of projects within the Department of Psychology.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

As part of the application process for this programme, you will be required to attend an interview.

Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.

Typical offer

AAA

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

International Baccalaureate

35 points overall, including 4 in standard level English, Mathematics and Science

GCSE

English, Mathematics and Science at grade B (6)

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDD

Additional requirements

Applicants will have sufficient relevant experience from working and/or volunteering in clinical practice, or the equivalent duration of time working in a setting that has provided transferable skills. These settings could include retail, hospitality, events, mentoring, or other settings that promote and develop skills in communication, problem-solving, reflection, managing difficult situations, and team-working. These transferable skills are in line with Health Education England's values-based recruitment.

Firm drop grade

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.

Learn more about our International Foundation programme

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

English Program Requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

Career

As a graduate of this course you will be able to work as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) within the NHS. PWPs work with clients who have mild to moderate depression and anxiety disorders, and carry out short evidence-based interventions using a variety of techniques. The role was set up to improve access to psychological therapies.

Additionally, this MSci is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and provides you with the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), which is the first step to becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

This course will provide you with a range of transferable skills, including analytical qualitative abilities, writing experience, presentation skills and the ability to think and analyse scientifically.

You could go on to work for organisations such as the NHS, the Civil Service, schools or charities. Skills learned on the course also open up many doors within the private sector, in areas such as HR, recruitment, management consultancy, publicity, finance and journalism.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 30,650

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.