MSc Cognitive Behavioural Therapy PGCert

Each applicant must have:

• Evidence of academic capability to complete this award (2ii or above in related subject OR satisfactory completion of academic screening task as part of the interview process)
• A relevant core professional training such as mental health nursing, social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy OR
• A KSA portfolio demonstrating that they satisfy the knowledge, skills and attitudes requirement as specified by the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies.
• Access to a work setting in which they can practice individual CBT with clients experiencing common mental health difficulties for at least one day per week
• Access to a current BABCP accredited or accreditable practitioner who can offer individual or group supervision in addition to the group supervision that is offered as part of the award.
• Access to a work setting that will allow the audio/video recording of client work to be assessed in an academic setting
• For applicants with English as a second language - IELTS 7 and clear evidence of communication skills through the medium of English. This is an essential professional requirement, as the students will be completing placements in which they will offer talking therapy to vulnerable individuals
• Personal suitability as assessed by interview and employer references
• Applicants must show evidence of having passed an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before registration on this course.
• Membership of BABCP at the start of the programme.

Applicants who have completed PHP4301 and PHP4400 during the period 2015-2025 will be able to accredit this prior learning for the Certificate.

To train in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy you will need to have a 'core profession' as defined by the BABCP. Applicants who do not have a core profession might be eligible via the KSA Portfolio route.  Please visit the BABCP website for more details.
 

Successful completion of the Post Graduate Certificate will equip graduates with core skills in applying evidence-based formulations and interventions for clients experiencing depression or an anxiety disorder. The course content provides graduates with some of the evidence that they would need if they wished to apply for practitioner accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).

Successful completion of the Post Graduate Diploma will provide graduates with advanced skills in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, equipping them to formulate and provide interventions where clients have complex or co-morbid mental health difficulties. The course content is aligned with the BABCP Minimum Training Standards and Core Curriculum therefore graduates will be in a strong position to apply for practitioner accreditation upon completion.

• Work as a qualified CBT therapist
• Employment in hospitals, community mental health teams, and private practice settings
• Roles in social care, education, and third-sector organisations such as charities and community wellbeing services
• Career progression toward senior therapist, clinical supervisor, or service lead roles
• Pathway to accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)
• Alumni have secured roles in NHS Trusts, specialist mental health clinics, prisons, and employee assistance programmes (EAPs)

We have designed the course in a way that will help trainees build their skills in CBT systematically.  In Year One, we focus on helping them develop clinical competence and understanding of how to work with common mental health problems. Firstly, they will learn the generic and core competencies of how to structure clinical sessions and how to elicit pertinent information from their clients during assessment.  This will be informed by the Roth and Pilling competence framework and the widely used skills measure the Cognitive Therapy Scale-Revised (CTS-R).

In Year Two, eligible candidates will enroll on the PG Diploma where we will look to consolidate their knowledge and skills in treating common mental health problems whilst considering how we adapt these core models and methods when working with more specialist populations.  Transition to Year Two will depend on passing all elements of Year One and available funding.

These modules will help to develop ‘meta-competencies’ where trainees will gain a deeper understanding of the shared processes across clinical presentations (transdiagnostic factors). Trainees will also learn advanced skills to be able to work with specific blocks in treatment or when there is considerable co-morbidity or chronicity.