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Developmental Neuroscience and Mental Health MPhil/PhD
The UCL-Yale Doctoral Training Programme in Developmental Neuroscience and Mental Health is a unique graduate program for exceptional students in the field of developmental psychology, neuroscience, and mental health. It brings together two of the world’s leading research universities, with an outstanding track record of research across these domains in partnership with the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families and the Child Study Centre at Yale.
Key information
Programme starts
September 2021
Modes and duration
Application dates
Tuition fees (2021/22)
Note on fees:
The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees. Fees are funded by UCL-AFC-Yale
Entry requirements
Applicants must offer one of the following: i) an upper second-class Honours degree of a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard obtained after a programme of study extending over not less than three years in a university (or educational institution of university rank), in a subject appropriate to that of the programme to be followed; ii) a registrable qualification appropriate to the programme to be followed awarded by a UK university; or a qualification of an equivalent standard appropriate to the programme to be followed awarded by a university (or educational institution of university rank) outside the UK; iii) a Master's degree from a UK University in a subject appropriate to the programme to be followed; iv) a professional or other qualification obtained by written examinations and approved by UCL as an appropriate entrance qualification for the MPhil or PhD degree in question.
English language requirements
If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.
The English language level for this programme is: Good
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.
International students
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.
Select your country:
Overview
The programme provides students with a PhD track in which they can conduct collaborative research between two laboratories, one at UCL, the other at Yale. Students are registered with UCL and will work towards receiving a PhD in Developmental Neuroscience and Mental Health from UCL in four years or less. The programme offers some flexibility, with the schedule for each student dictated by the demands of their research, and students will spend approximately the same amount of time in their UCL and Yale labs.
Research areas
The research environment is situated within UCL’s Division of Psychology & Language Sciences (PALS), the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, a leading UK child mental health charity and the Child Study Centre at Yale. As such it brings together two of the world’s leading research universities, with an outstanding track record of research across these domains in partnership with. Both PALS and the Child Study Centre have a faculty of leading developmental psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists and experts specialising in mental health in developmental populations. PALS has access to a wide range of different neuroimaging facilities (BUCNI’s 1.5 and 3T brain imaging scanners; EEG at PALS and the Anna Freud) and state of the art lab set-ups for behavioural testing. There is a wide network of researchers with infrastructure of recruiting developmental populations and contacts and recruitment facilities for specialist developmental populations. The Child Study Centre boasts equally well-developed research facilities.
About this degree
Additional costs
With the studentship, covering both a student stipend as well as UCL fees comes a budget for travel to and from Yale, health insurance for the US as well as research expenses.
For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.
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.
Funding
Fees are funded by UCL-AFC-Yale.
Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed below.
UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship
- Value:
- UK rate fees, a maintenance stipend, conference costs and professional development package (3 years)
- Eligibility:
- UK
- Criteria:
- Based on both academic merit and financial need
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Careers
Psychology doctoral graduates progress to a range of career paths in: academia (both as university teachers and researchers); local and national government contexts supporting work related to education and psychology in the fields of policy and planning; school leadership; public sector research or clinical professions.
Employability
Graduates of this programme are expected to go on to areas including further academia, research, clinical work, or further professional training e.g. doctoral training / DClinPsy.
Networking
All three institutions involved in this programme offer regular seminar series on a wide range of topics and each of the centres have separate specialist seminars. Doctoral students participate in active student seminar groups and we also hold specific support working seminars for doctoral students to enhance presentation skills before upgrades and vivas. Opportunities for networking are ample and supported.
Why study this degree at UCL?
For the first two years the programme is based at UCL’s Division for Psychology and Language Sciences and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in London, a world-renowned centre for research, training and clinical practice in the field of child mental health. Distinctive features include teaching by highly experienced clinicians and researchers working in the field of child mental health; the opportunity to develop clinical skills for working with children; practical training in conducting research in clinical settings.
Students on this programme will spend Years 3 and 4 with a mentor and secondary supervisor at Yale’s Child Study Centre, a world-leading centre for research on developmental psychopathology and partner institution of UCL and the Anna Freud Centre. Students will be able to benefit from a highly collaborative international research context.
At both UCL and Yale, students will work closely with one or more supervisors and in some cases, be part of a group (Lab or Centre) which will support them to develop each stage of their research; have access to specialist research seminars across all UCL and Yale departments; and join a vibrant and active community of doctoral students.
Department: Division of Psychology & Language Sciences
Application and next steps
Applications
For specific queries about prospective supervisors and proposals please contact UCL-YalePhD@annafreud.org.
This programme requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found in our How to apply section.
Application deadlines
- All applicants
- 31 January 2021
For more information see our Applications page.
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Page last modified on 11 June 2021