Psychological Therapies MSc

Each year, mental health problems such as anxiety and depression will affect 1 in 4 people, including 1 in 10 children, at an anticipated global cost of $6T by 2030. Psychological therapies, especially cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), provides a safe, effective solution to many of our most common mental health problems.

The programme offers two options:

• a two-year, full-time, 240 credit option
• a part-time, 180 credit option

Full-time programme

The full-time programme is aimed at applicants who are recent graduates or those looking for a change in career who do not hold a core clinical qualification or equivalent.

We take applicants from graduate status and provide general clinical skills training and specific CBT training.

The programme incorporates a clinical placement based at the Centre for Psychological Therapies which is led by applied psychologists with extensive clinical experience.

The first 60 credits of the full-time programme provide explicit training which covers the Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (KSA) requirements.

You will be required to attend an interview as part of the selection process.

Part-time programme

The part-time programme is aimed at applicants who already hold a core clinical qualification or equivalent and provides practitioner training in CBT and other therapies.

With a special, but not exclusive, focus on childhood and adolescence, the programme is suited to practitioners working with children, youth and adults.

For students who do not have access to their own clinical caseload the Centre for Psychological Therapies is able to provide placements and supervision at the on campus clinic for an additional fee.

Teaching and community links

Although the programme is not currently professionally accredited, individual courses are accredited by UK professional bodies, ensuring high quality standards and recognition by employers post-qualification.

Teaching and supervision are provided by experienced clinicians and clinical academics.

The programme has close links with the NHS and community organisations, ensuring that students learn in a clinically-informed context.

Accreditation

Graduates of the programme are eligible to make individual applications for accreditation with British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP).

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

Full-time Programme - Two years - 240 Credits

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent in psychology, health or related subject. Your transcript should show evidence of learning in developmental psychology.

Your application must include evidence of basic experience of working or volunteering in a health, social care or justice setting.

You will be required to attend an interview to assess your personal competencies, experience, and suitability for the programme as part of our selection process.

Prior Learning and Exemptions

If you have completed postgraduate study in a related area elsewhere, you may be able to use your credits towards a programme of study here. Please contact the admissions team to discuss any prior learning.

Part-time Programme - 180 Credits

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent in psychology, health or related discipline.

You should be in possession of a UK-recognised core professional qualification (e.g. nursing, special education teacher, doctor, practitioner psychologist, social worker), with substantial current, or recent, work experience with relevant populations in mental health settings, and have access to a clinical caseload. You will be responsible for accessing an appropriate placement and supervisor, which meets clinical governance standards set out by the programme.

If you do not meet the academic entry requirements, we may consider your application on the basis of your relevant professional qualifications.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

Protecting Vulnerable Groups

All successful applicants will be required to join Disclosure Scotland's Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme before starting the programme. In addition, all applicants who don't live in the UK, or who have spent more than a year abroad, will need to provide equivalent verification from the relevant national authority.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE, or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT.)

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Graduates can expect to gain employment in clinical services or private practice as mental health practitioners.