MSc Behavioural Therapy

Closing date for applications: 21 days before the start date of the course. Suitably qualified applicants will be invited for interview.

Why study with us?

The University of Cumbria has provided high quality training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for many years to students wishing to gain a qualification in CBT.

We have built up excellent working relationships with our clinical partners in Lancashire and Cumbria in supporting students in the development CBT practice.

Small group sizes mean students benefit from direct support and feedback on progress both academically and practically.

There are also entry points for the PgDip Advanced Practice in CBT and PgCert Evidence Based Psychological Approaches (CBT).

Finance

If you are employed within NHS North West and course is to be funded by your Trust, the next step is to contact your CPD Lead (Training Manager). They will then ask you to complete the CPD-Apply application. Once this has been authorised by your trust, the University will contact you with further information.

If you are self funding or intend to fund this by other means, please follow the University’s ‘apply now’ link on the left hand side of this page.

What can this course lead to?

Completion of this course assists graduates in being able to apply for accreditation as Cognitive Behaviour Therapists with the British Association of Behaviour and Cognitive Psychotherapists and apply for employment as Cognitive Behaviour Therapists or join the NHS workforce as High Intensity Workers in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Services.

The MSc also offers the opportunity for students to undertake a supervised research project which will be written up as part of their studies. If appropriate students may then wish to consider publication of their work in appropriate academic journals.

Resources and facilities

We are amongst the UK’s leading health and wellbeing faculties and are proud of the high level of support we are able to offer to our students. We provide a wide range of high-quality courses supported by expert academic and clinical practice staff. If you join us you will enjoy great facilities and learn alongside caring, committed and experienced professionals. Our employment record is excellent.

Entry requirements

1st or 2nd class honours degree

Students with other qualifications may be admitted to the course via APL procedures

More about levels and credits

Credit and UCAS requirements Credit: 180 credits Selection criteria

This award is suitable for practitioners who are involved in the delivery of health and social care/psychologically focussed interventions across a range of disciplines, roles and service areas.

Normally, applicants are required to hold an Honours degree, classification 2ii or above, in a cognate discipline or have a core profession acceptable to the BABCP. For applicants who do not meet these requirements, non-standard entry criteria will apply. It is expected that non-standard applicants will have evidence of successful study at level 6 (or equivalent) within the preceding 5 years.

Applicants will meet criteria for acceptance through previous mental health training in a core profession or equivalent Key Skills Assessment (KSA) and post-qualifying experience.

Successful completion of the programme requires students to achieve a minimum of 128 CBT practice hours with clients on placement, and 50 non-clinical hours of supervised practice-related activities.

Students will be monitored and reviewed during the course through weekly supervised practice, with BABCP accredited supervisors, in practice settings and through monthly supervision in the University setting with BABCP accredited tutors.

Students are responsible for gaining appropriate supervised practice and producing evidence of this. Evidence of having met the professional requirements for supervised practice is demonstrated by the submission of a supervision log, signed by the clinical supervisor, by supervisor's reference and by formal assessment of a recorded clinical session.

Students must aim to have weekly external CBT supervision, and a minimum of 2 hours per calendar month whilst in practice.

Students must also undertake a minimum of 10 hours personal CBT either with a course peer (who must have completed the first supervision module successfully) or other qualified CBT therapist.

Modules

Modules carry 20 credits at level 7 unless otherwise indicated:

• HLLT7001 Fundamentals of CBT
• HLLT7002 CBT for Anxiety Disorders
• HLLT7003 CBT For Depression
• HLLT7004 Advanced Supervision of CBT Practice 1
• HLLT7005 Advanced Supervision of CBT Practice 2
• HLLT7006 Anxiety, Depression and Transdiagnostic Practice
• HLLT9001 Qualificatory Practice Unit (non-credit bearing)
• HLLT9002 Qualificatory Practice Unit (non-credit bearing)

Choice of-

• FHWG7000 Research Methods - 20 credits at level 7 plus HLLG7040 Dissertation - 40 credits at level 7

OR

• Prior research methods module plus HLLG7003 Dissertation - 60 credits at level 7

To be awarded the MSc Advanced Practice in CBT, students also need to complete the Qualificatory Practice Units (QPU) HLLT9001 and HLLT90022. The aim of the QPUs is to recognise completion of the Practice Assessment Portfolio identifying the practice elements required to meet the BABCP minimum training standards for accreditation.

Course summary

This postgraduate programme offered by the University of Cumbria is a High Intensity Psychological Therapies course. It aims to prepare students to meet professional standards; to seek accreditation by the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP); to create practitioners who are able to act as a specialist resource in keeping with employers’ clinical governance targets and benchmarks such as Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), NICE Guidelines and the Layard Report. Students completing this course are eligible to seek accreditation with the BABCP.

Programme specification

The MSc Advanced Practice in CBT is a Masters level programme for suitably qualified individuals working within health and social care settings who wish to develop their skills in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The programme is grounded in the belief that theory and practice are inexorably linked to and critically inform each other; as such the programme aims to enable participants to conceptualise underpinning theories and principles with practices in their own work setting.

Applicants must have access to clients who would benefit from CBT and will also need access to a BABCP accredited supervisor.

Accreditation information

This programme is mapped against the BABCP minimum training standards and individuals who successfully complete this programme may be eligible to apply for BABCP accreditation.