Description
Programme Specification for the 2021/2 academic year
MSc Psychological Therapies Practice and Research (Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Therapy)
1. Programme Details
| Programme name | MSc Psychological Therapies Practice and Research (Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Therapy) | Programme code | PTS2PSYPSY11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study mode(s) | Part Time |
Academic year | 2021/2 |
| Campus(es) | Streatham (Exeter) |
NQF Level of the Final Award | 7 (Masters) |
2. Description of the Programme
The MSc Psychological Therapies Practice and Research (Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Therapy) programme has been developed to equip you with the ability to assimilate and understand psychological therapeutic practise in general and in Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic Therapy in depth. This includes an appreciation of the relationship between different forms of psychotherapeutic practice.
The programme is particularly suited to people working in Health and Social Services and in the independent or third sectors who work with people experiencing mental health difficulties. The programme is intended to help mental health professionals, counsellors and those with suitable experience to use psychoanalytic and psychoanalytically-informed ideas to augment or develop their clinical understanding, skills and practice within their existing field of work. If you do not have an existing mental health background you may still be accepted onto the programme if you have acquired suitable experiences prior to application; this should include experience within a psychiatric/mental health service setting.
The programme may be undertaken as a free-standing programme but is also designed to constitute the foundation for a qualifying programme to become an accredited independent professional practitioner. Subject to additional training requirements being met, on completion of further clinical and academic work you will be eligible for membership of the British Psychotherapy Foundation which confers registration with the British Psychoanalytic Council (please note that you should enquire with programme leads as to the particular additional training requirements that you need in order to qualify).
Therefore, after successful completion of two years you will be eligible to apply for further training leading to professional qualification as a psychotherapist within your chosen modality; alternatively, without further training, you will be equipped to apply the competencies/understanding and clinical experience you have acquired to enhance your practice within your existing areas of professional practice. During this two year period you will be training, and supervised, as psychological therapists in clinics. You will undertake academic study and research concurrently.
3. Educational Aims of the Programme
In this programme we aim to help you develop a range of competencies in your chosen therapeutic modality which falls short of qualification as an independent practitioner. We also aim to encourage you to develop your intellectual capabilities within an institution that is committed to advancing research, scholarship, learning, and to disseminating knowledge.
It is our aim that you will, on completion of the programme, be able to:
- Integrate theoretical understanding of psychoanalytic ideas within your clinical practice in psychodynamic psychotherapy.
- Be familiar with the classic psychoanalytic literature, its context and its relevance or otherwise to contemporary psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy practice.
- Appreciate the main analytic theories and theoreticians and recognise the ways in which they converge and diverge.
- Develop an understanding of unconscious processes, psychological defences and developmental psychopathology.
- Understand and work with psychodynamic processes in group settings.
- Acquire the capacity to undertake therapeutic work under supervision.
- Appreciate both qualitative and quantitative research in relation to psychological therapies and in particular psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
- Assess patients for psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, know when it is indicated and contra-indicated, and have an awareness of other forms of potentially appropriate therapies.
- Develop an ethical approach to the clinical practice of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and an understanding of the issues of confidentiality and ethics in relation to psychodynamic/psychoanalytic theory and practice.
- Make use of your experience of personal therapy and how this can enhance understanding of countertransference and projective identification, and the extent to which factors personal to the therapist may enhance or confound his or her ability to work effectively with patients.
- Understand the social context in which psychoanalytic ideas developed and consider ways in which sexism, racism, sectarianism, ageism, and other forms of discrimination may affect the practice of psychotherapy.
4. Programme Structure
5. Programme Modules
http://cedar.exeter.ac.uk/programmes/
Stage 1
90 credits of compulsory modules
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| PYCM012 | Clinical Seminars and Reflective Practice | 15 | No |
| PYCM051 | Psychological Therapies Research Methods | 15 | Yes |
| PYCM058 | Psychodynamic Clinical Practice I | 15 | Yes |
| PYCM059 | Psychodynamic Observation Seminars | 30 | Yes |
| PYCM060 | Psychoanalytic Theory Seminars | 15 | Yes |
Stage 2
90 credits of compulsory modules
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| PYCM001 | Psychological Therapies Research Project | 60 | Yes |
| PYCM061 | Psychodynamic Clinical Practice II | 15 | Yes |
| PYCM062 | Contemporary Psychoanalytic Practice and Applications Seminars | 15 | Yes |
6. Programme Outcomes Linked to Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
Intended Learning Outcomes
A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
1. Develop working therapeutic alliances with clients: this may include individuals, referrers, and other service providers, in order to carry out assessment, develop a formulation based on psychodynamic theories and knowledge, carry out psychodynamic interventions, evaluate their effectiveness and appropriateness, and communicate effectively and actively with clients, referrers and others, orally, electronically and in writing. | Workshops; lectures; seminars; tutorial and discussion groups; clinical placement and supervision; presentations; experiential group learning; institutional observation. Assessment: essays, video and critical commentaries; oral presentations; clinical linking papers (linking clinical work to research and theory), observational thesis and log of self-reflective process, research proposal and project; supervision reports and assessments. | Practice portfolio including supervisor feedback (ILO 1-6). Case reports (ILOs 1-6). Evidence-based theory essays (ILOs 2-6). Use of diverse communication strategies to demonstrate understanding of key concepts (e.g. infographics; oral presentation skills) (ILOs 3-6). Observational essay and reflective process log (ILOs 3-6). Research proposal and dissertation (ILOs 3-6). |
Intended Learning Outcomes
B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
7. Make an independent, critical methodological analysis of research and theory and produce coherent argumentation, both written and oral. | Workshops; lectures; seminars; tutorial and discussion groups; institutional observation, clinical placement and supervision, presentations. Assessment through essays, clinical linking papers, oral presentations, video presentations and commentary, observational thesis and log of self-reflective process, research proposal and project; clinical supervision reports and assessments. | Evidence-based theory essays (ILO 7-8). Practice portfolio including supervisor feedback (ILOs 7-8). Case reports (ILOs 7-8). Use of diverse communication strategies to demonstrate understanding of key concepts (e.g. infographics; oral presentation skills) (ILOs 7-8). Observational essay and reflective process log (ILOs 7-8). Research proposal and dissertation. (ILOs 7-8). |
Intended Learning Outcomes
C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
9. Search key literature effectively. | Workshops; lectures; seminars; tutorial and discussion groups; clinical placement and supervision, presentations. Assessment through essays, clinical linking papers, oral presentations, video presentations and commentary; observational thesis and log of self-reflective process, research proposal and project; clinical supervision reports and assessments. | Evidence-based theory essays (ILO 9-14). Practice portfolio including supervisor feedback (ILOs 9-14). Case reports (ILOs 9-14). Use of diverse communication strategies to demonstrate understanding of key concepts (e.g. infographics; oral presentation skills) (ILOs 9-14). Observational essay and reflective process log (ILOs 9-14). Research proposal and dissertation. (ILOs 9-14). |
7. Programme Regulations
Programme-specific Progression Rules
You must pass all the modules in the table above. The pass mark for these modules is 50% with an additional requirement to pass all individual assessments within individual modules. If you fail any modules you will not be permitted to continue with the programme and your registration as a student will be terminated with immediate effect.
Programme-specific Award Rules
You are not permitted to exit with a PGCert or PGDip on passing 60 credits or 120 credits, respectively.
Classification
8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning
Within Psychology there is a well-equipped suite of PCs dedicated for postgraduate use, with further support provided by a dedicated IT and statistics helpdesk.
A range of services is available to support your study both from within Psychology. These include:
- Team development programme.
- Personal and professional development planning.
- Student handbooks and programme guides.
- Range of specialist advisors, including for: women students, non-school leavers, and overseas students.
- Computing and Statistics Help Desk.
- Virtual Resource Room and other web-based learning materials.
- Clinically focused seminars, the ‘Think Tank’, provided by the Mood Disorders Centre.
9. University Support for Students and Students' Learning
10. Admissions Criteria
Undergraduate applicants must satisfy the Undergraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Postgraduate applicants must satisfy the Postgraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Specific requirements required to enrol on this programme are available at the respective Undergraduate or Postgraduate Study Site webpages.
Applicants must normally have completed a recognised professional clinical training or relevant undergraduate degree. Non-standard applications will be considered where applicants can demonstrate the required academic ability alongside existing knowledge, experience and skills developed in the workplace, relevant to this programme. Please contact the Programme Director if you would like to explore whether your prior learning, experience and skills would be acceptable. Candidates will need to undertake an interview and confirmation of appropriate registration to practice (eg Health Professions or Nursing and Midwifery Council Registration) and evidence of a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards
12. Indicators of Quality and Standards
The programme is not subject to accreditation and/ or review by professional and statutory regulatory bodies (PSRBs).
13. Methods for Evaluating and Improving Quality and Standards
14. Awarding Institution
University of Exeter
15. Lead College / Teaching Institution
College of Life and Environmental Sciences (CLES)
16. Partner College / Institution
Partner College(s)
Not applicable to this programme
Partner Institution
Not applicable to this programme.
17. Programme Accredited / Validated by
0
18. Final Award
MSc Psychological Therapies Practice and Research (Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Therapy)
19. UCAS Code
N/A
20. NQF Level of Final Award
7 (Masters)
21. Credit
| CATS credits | ECTS credits |
|---|
22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group
23. Dates
| Origin Date | 20/05/2015 |
Date of last revision | 08/09/2017 |
|---|