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Clinical Psychology DClinPsy

London, Bloomsbury

The UCL Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) is a professional training course for Clinical Psychologists in the United Kingdom, and welcomes high-calibre candidates from the UK and abroad. The course provides a first-rate training in clinical psychology, leading to a doctoral qualification accredited by the UK Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS).

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£5,860
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£32,100
Duration
3 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2023
Applications accepted
All applicants: 09 Jan – 16 Nov 2022

Applications closed

Applications close at 1pm (UK time) on 16 November 2022.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a minimum of a good upper second-class Honours degree in Psychology. The degree needs to confer eligibility for Graduate Basis for Charted Membership. It is important that candidates show us that they can undertake work at a Doctoral level.

A “good” upper second-class Honours degree shall normally mean an average of at least 67% (or equivalent in other jurisdictions) across all years of study.

Applicants who have achieved an upper second-class Honours degree below this level will need to offer clear evidence of their academic capacity in their application, supported by an academic referee who has monitored your work and can clearly demonstrate that your academic achievements underestimate your academic abilities.

Applicants with a lower second-class Honours degree will not usually be accepted on the programme unless there is unequivocal evidence of subsequent academic achievement (in an appropriate scientific discipline) equivalent to a good upper second-class Honours degree.

It is essential to gain some relevant clinical experience in this field before applying to the programme.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The DClinPsy at UCL offers a uniquely broad range of clinical and research opportunities to trainees. Current research specialities include treatment outcome, psychotherapy processes, experimental psychopathology, addiction, psychopharmacology, neuropsychology, dementia, eating disorders, internet-based treatments, developmental psychopathology and psychosis.

Who this course is for

This course is for individuals who wish to practise as qualified Clinical Psychologists. It provides a comprehensive British Psychological Society (BPS) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) accredited programme of study in clinical psychology, incorporating clinical, academic and research components.

Read about what it takes to become a UCL graduate research student

What this course will give you

The DClinPsy programme offers a clinical training supervised by high calibre clinicians including those working in national centres of excellence. This is coupled with the opportunity to undertake research supervised by world-renowned academics who are research leaders in psychotherapy outcomes, psychoanalysis, attachment, psychopharmacology and cognitive behavioural therapy. Our aim is to train ‘thinking psychologists’ who can make significant national and international contributions to clinical psychology services and the development of clinical science.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

Clinical psychology training courses are the primary route to becoming a qualified clinical psychologist in the UK. The UCL DClinPsy is the largest course of its kind in the UK and will give graduates the skills required to become a clinical psychologist working in national and international healthcare settings.

Employability

Graduates on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology typically go on to become professional practitioners in the NHS, local councils, charities or other settings.

Networking

The department has research collaborations with many institutions including the Anna Freud Centre and Yale Child Study Centre. We also invite speakers from external institutions and professionals working for health services to give lectures to our students.

Teaching and learning

Research areas and structure

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychological Therapy
  • Society
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Children
  • Mental health

Research environment

The programme will prepare you to work with a range of patient groups from across the life span and with different abilities. Graduates work in a variety of mental health and health specialities, often at the most senior levels within the National Health Service, charity organisations and universities.

The programme runs over three years, and consists of a formal teaching programme for 2 days per week during University term and 3-4 days per week of supervised clinical practice within the health service or related mental or physical healthcare provider organisation. The teaching programme is organised developmentally, to reflect your needs and skills at each stage of the course. Year 1 focuses on providing you with the core clinical and professional skills and knowledge required to work effectively with, assess and treat adults with common mental health difficulties. This includes core generic clinical skills, in-depth training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and teaching on the foundations of ethical and safe practice. In Year 2, you will be introduced to work with children, older adults and people with learning disabilities and receive teaching in a number of additional therapeutic approaches including systemic therapy and the principles of health psychology. In the final year, you will be introduced to newer innovations in psychological therapy, and provided with teaching sessions and workshops designed to prepare you for your post-qualification professional life. Throughout training, the course holds termly conferences and clinical master classes. 

You will also undertake a doctoral research project, which begins in the second term of the first year and runs throughout the remainder of training. Preparation for research includes a formal teaching programme in research methods and statistics, workshops for developing the major research project and ongoing research supervision.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Compulsory modules








Compulsory modules







Compulsory modules






Placement

There are six placement periods of six months each.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.


Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £5,860
Tuition fees (2023/24) £32,100

Overseas students must pay a £2,500 Additional Fee Element (AFE or 'Bench Fee') in addition to the published fee.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

International students on the DClinPsy may be subject to an Additional Fee Element (AFE). The AFE (also known as a bench fee) is an additional cost, incurred by yourself or your sponsor. It is levied to cover the costs related to weekly clinical supervision within the NHS and private sector, placement travel and research fees.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

There are currently no UCL scholarships available for overseas students.

Currently, home fee status trainees are funded by the NHS - this includes a salary and payment of tution fees. Home fee trainees are paid on NHS Band 6. We do not accept home fee status trainees on a self-funding basis.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Home fee and international applicants must apply via the Clearing House for Postgraduate Courses in Clinical Psychology www.clearing-house.org.uk. Please note that Home fee applicants can apply to a maximum of four NHS courses, and international applicants can apply to as many self-funded courses as they wish via the Clearing House.

Detailed information about the application process is available at www.ucl.ac.uk/dclinpsy/applying.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Got questions? Get in touch

Division of Psychology and Language Sciences
Division of Psychology and Language Sciences

d.clin.psyenquiry@ucl.ac.uk

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