University of Surrey
Surrey, England, UK
36mths full-time
The PsychD Practitioner Doctorate Programme is a three-year full-time Programme which leads to eligibility for registration with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and for chartered status with the British Psychological Society (BPS).
The Clinical Psychology training programme at Surrey promotes the NHS values which are enshrined within the NHS constitution. These are: Everyone counts, respect and dignity for all, improving people’s lives, compassion, working together for patients and a commitment to the quality of care. The programme team is dedicated to recruiting graduates whose individual values and behaviours align to those of the NHS.
Programme overview
Clinical psychologists aim to reduce psychological distress and to enhance and promote psychological wellbeing. This means working with individuals, couples and families presenting with mild to severe and enduring difficulties. This can be within the community mental or physical health contexts. They work with people throughout their lifespan and with those with learning disabilities.
The Practitioner Doctorate provides high-calibre professional clinical psychology training based on a coherent synthesis of psychological theory, research and practice. The Programme integrates three elements:
- Academic: a comprehensive review of the major academic areas of clinical psychology;
- Research: the development of theoretical and research skills, generating novel research, development and evaluation of all aspects of clinical practice;
- Clinical: high-quality training in clinical skills.
Programme content and structure
The Programme is a three-year full-time Programme which consists of an academic and research taught and experiential component with associated workshops to support the integration of the research knowledge.
Clinical skills are taught at the University as well as on health and social care practice placements. Half the time is spent on the academic and research elements of the programme, including some self-directed study time, with the remaining time being spent acquiring professional and clinical skills. The Surrey approach is to provide an applied psychology training that has an integrative basis for practice in psychotherapy as a registered clinical psychologist. Time is spent both clinically and academically addressing the integration of theory and practice. In clinical practice this is undertaken in supervision, whilst within the University environment a number of learning experiences have been developed to foster reflectivity, e.g. skills groups and the personal and professional learning discussion groups, which are further supported by meetings with tutors and mentors. There is a series of lectures and workshops, grouped together in teaching units, which provide the theoretical context for understanding the presenting clinical or organisational issues or dilemmas.
As the Programme is a degree by research, all academic assignments need to be individually passed at D level with a viva voce examination of the major research element of the training. All the clinical placements need to be passed. There are no compensatory systems in place. The time distribution for academic / research work and clinical skill development has formally been set by the BPS to ensure that there is sufficient time to integrate the two aspects of the course. At Surrey, the philosophy is to support the trainees’ considering themselves as applied scientists within the domain of clinical psychology, and not as practitioners who consume other’s research.
Entry requirements
Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) from the BPS; a minimum of a 2.1 degree in psychology is typically required; at least nine months’ (whole time equivalent) sustained, recent experience in clinically related areas. As the programme is training professionals for the NHS, we cannot accept applications from non-EU countries. Entry to this programme is conditional on a satisfactory check by the Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS), formerly known as the Criminal Record Bureau (CRB).
Applicants are required to hold a current, valid UK driving licence and have access to transport for work purposes.
How to apply
For more information on the course and how to apply please visit the course website.
Postgraduate Admissions Enquiries:
+44 (0)1483 686 509