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Application and selectionThe Application Process (2010 Entry) All UK applications for entry onto the 3 year doctorate training programme MUST be made via the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC)'s online application system. The final deadline for submission of all UK applications and references to the CWDC - for September 2010 entry onto the programme - was 11 December 2009.
All applicants considering UCL as one of their (maximum of 3) course centres during future application cycles should read this website thoroughly, paying particular attention to our entry criteria below. We have also added UCL specific notes to the generic CWDC Educational Psychology Training Entry Handbook below - please see the notes on pages 7 and 15: Click here to download the most recent UCL Specific CWDC Educational Psychology Training Entry Handbook (pdf): We are unable to offer individual advice to potential candidates by telephone or email - all the information you need is on this site and http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/educational-psychology/. If you need further online application help click here - or alternatively, contact: Liz Robinson Tel: 0113 390 7767 For information about whether your qualifications are eligible for entry onto the course please contact the British Psychological Society (BPS) who accredit educational psychology courses in the UK: British Psychological Society Tel: 0116 254 9568 Details about accredited psychology courses can also be found on the BPS website. The CWDC also operates a Qualifications Hotline - Entry Criteria Competition for places is very strong. The following advice is offered to assist candidates in improving their chances of securing a place. Please note that the number of applications received each year (last year 374 applications for 12 funded places) precludes the provision of advice to individual applicants or campus visits. Applicants are expected to show independence in applying this advice to their own situation and making a judgement. Please do not call or e-mail for individual advice, for example, on types of work experience, as it is not our policy to provide for anyone what we cannot provide to all. • Good honours degree in Psychology that confers Graduate Basis for Registration with the British Psychological Society. A 2:1 generally provides a better indication than a 2:2 that an applicant possesses the academic competencies required for doctoral level study. Applicants with a 2:2 will be well advised to attain some higher qualification. A Masters qualification which advances knowledge of psychological theory and research relevant to the practice of educational psychology and involves experience with children would be a good choice. • Experience of work with children in education, child care or community settings. The main purpose in requiring relevant work experience is to ensure that applicants understand what the role of an educational psychologist involves and have demonstrated suitability for training. A three year course of professional training is a big commitment from an applicant, and requires substantial public funding. It is important to select applicants who: • ...have a realistic appreciation of what the role and work of an educational psychologist involves • ...have demonstrated competence and professionalism in working in contexts and with client groups that are frequently encountered by educational psychologists in their work • ...have demonstrated commitment in acquiring and, where appropriate, applying relevant skills and knowledge preparatory to training Relevant work experience may be gained in a whole range of roles (see below for some examples; please note that these are not exhaustive). Some work experience or combinations of work experience allow applicants better opportunities to acquire the necessary appreciations and competencies. • Educational Psychology Assistant • Teacher • Portage Worker • Learning Support Assistant • Speech and Language Therapist • Care Worker • School or Children's Nurse • Assistant Clinical Psychologist working with children • Connexions Advisor • Social Worker • Family Worker • Play/Art Therapist • Educational Social Worker • Child Psychotherapist • FE Lecturer (16-19 years) • Assistant Occupational Therapist • Assistant Physiotherapist • Counsellor • Children's Centre Worker • Youth Worker • Research Work • Learning Mentor Working as an Assistant in an educational psychology service is an example of work experience that is likely to allow applicants good opportunities to gain a realistic appreciation of the role of work through working alongside a number of EPs over a period of time. Work will be undertaken with clients in contexts where the EPs in their service are also working and will require a high level professionalism and competence. Such experience should allow candidates to provide evidence that they have acquired and applied skills and knowledge of direct relevance to preparing for training as an educational psychologist. Assistant Educational Psychologist posts are usually advertised in the Times Educational Supplement. Work experience will be less valuable where it has: • ...not brought applicants into contact in any significant way with the work of educational psychologists. • ...not involved contexts and client groups frequently encountered by educational psychologists. • ...not required application of psychological theory and research or further acquisition of knowledge and skills relevant to training as an EP. • ...not required the demonstration of competence and professionalism. These aspects are often more difficult to evidence through work experience which is exclusively part-time, short term or voluntary, or which occupies only a small number of hours per week. This is because requirements for commitment, perseverance and responsibility may be less clear and more difficult to demonstrate than in the case of sustained periods of paid employment occupying a substantial proportion of the working week. Please note that the CWDC application form requires the specification of part-time work in terms of 'whole time equivalents' (WTEs) e.g. 1 day per week = 0.2 WTE. Part-time work can not be considered unless it is fully specified in this way. Different applicants may be more or less successful in learning from similar work opportunities and in communicating the relevance of their experience in a convincing manner. It is important that ALL applicants present clear arguments in their 2 page personal statement for the appropriateness and relevance of their experience. We suggest that you specifically address each of the following points: • 1) Knowledge you have gained of the organisation and operation of schools and pre-school provision and of the most important current issues within children services. Be concise and stick to the most important points / issues but present a clear argument as to why you consider these to be most important. • 2) Knowledge of psychological theory and research on children's development and learning and the ability to apply it to practice contexts. It is better to focus on one or two clear and reflective examples where you have information from a specific recent research article than to make vague references, e.g. to 'using behaviourist principles'. • 3) Knowledge about the work of Educational Psychologists and evidence of commitment to the profession. You need to show that you have detailed knowledge about the range of work educational psychologist do, obtained from a variety of credible sources and that your commitment to the profession is sufficiently strong that you can be relied upon to invest the effort needed to complete a challenging and intensive 3 year training programme. In addition to reading relevant BPS and other publications applicants often contact Educational Psychology Services in the area in which they live to seek opportunities to talk to an educational psychologist. Due to the volume of such requests many services are unable to offer opportunities to 'Work Shadow' an Educational Psychologist although some services provide open evenings for this purpose. In some cases they may be more amenable to an offer to undertake voluntary work for the service for a one week period or more. Requests to services to meet with an EP, work shadow or undertake voluntary work should be made by letter or e-mail and should contain information which demonstrates that you have the right qualifications, have already done substantial research on the role of an EP and are a serious applicant for professional training. • 4) Ability to identify skills/ knowledge especially relevant to training as an educational psychologist and explain their relevance. These may have been developed through professional, voluntary or personal experience but you need to able to provide a clear description of the skills involved and a logical explanation of their relevance to training as an educational psychologist. • 5) Clear and coherent written communication skills. This will be judged from your personal statement. Word processed personal statements are to be preferred as they allow more opportunity for the level of re-drafting and editing that characterise the best applications. They are also easier to read. Please note that, in accordance with the UCL Child Protection Policy, admission to the DECPsy programme will be dependent on a full disclosure Criminal Records Bureau check, and/or clearance from the relevant overseas authorities. Candidates will be unable to begin practical placements until a disclosure has been received. This is in addition to all offers being subject to the UCL General Conditions for Entry, requiring original evidence of qualification, demonstration that there is no impediment in the provision of the training associated with this course due to any criminal conviction you might have, etc. Different arrangements for application, fees and placement in years 2 and 3 apply to overseas applicants - please visit the overseas applications page for information. In conjunction with the other London initial educational psychology training providers, UCL ceased running annual Open Evenings in 2007, as all the information needed for the application process and about the course can be found here on our website. However you may find it useful to download the final UCL open evening presentation (click on the icon below):
We hope that this is helpful. If you have any further queries about our course please visit our FAQs page. Site last modified 1st March 2010 |
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 News, Downloads and Useful LinksUCL completed shortlisting all UK applications by *10 February 2010 * - applicants should log in to the CWDC application website to see whether they have been invited to interview Overseas applicants for September 2010 entry onto the programme must apply directly through UCL by *28 May 2010* - please click here for how to apply |
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