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Child and Adolescent Mental Health MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This multidisciplinary programme is delivered through a blend of clinical and research expertise with a focus on delivering high standards of clinical care. You will be encouraged to apply your critical and analytical thinking skills to theory, policy and practice in child and adolescent mental health.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£14,100
£7,050
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£32,100
£16,050
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2023
Applications accepted
All applicants: 17 Oct 2022 – 30 Jun 2023

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

Normally medical registration or an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, nursing, education or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants should preferably have experience in a mental health, paediatric or educational setting.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

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


Through the programme, you will gain clinical, professional, academic and research skills in child and adolescent mental health and their application to underpin clinical practice.

In addition, you will gain skills in analysing principles of policy, planning and management in child and adolescent mental health and you will increase your understanding of the impact of culture and diversity on clinical theory and practice. 

Throughout the course, our aim is for you to experience enhanced personal and professional development.

Who this course is for

The programme is designed for:

  • postgraduate doctors seeking to specialise in psychiatry or child health
  • graduate psychologists with counselling or other mental health qualifications
  • Teachers wishing to enhance their knowledge of Child Mental Health 
  • UK practitioners from the fields of nursing, social work and occupational therapy 
  • International medical practitioners who wish to gain experience or further qualifications in the UK.
Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health pursues an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to enhance understanding, diagnosis, therapy and prevention of childhood diseases. Our research and educational portfolio covers a broad range of paediatric issues, from molecular genetics to population health sciences.

Our close relationship with the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children means that much of our research and teaching is carried out on a joint basis. You will benefit from excellent facilities in both laboratory and non-laboratory subjects.

This programme blends academic theory and research with clinical knowledge to enable professionals to deliver a high standard of clinical care.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

This programme attracts psychology graduates who wish to enhance their opportunities for progression to further clinical psychology training, and trainees in child psychiatry who wish to supplement their basic training with a higher degree; the MSc programme is closely aligned to the Royal College's recommended curriculum. Students from social work, nursing and education backgrounds will benefit from the acquisition of advanced skills in the theory and practice of working with young people with mental health difficulties.

Employability

The programme provides career development training for doctors, psychologists and practitioners in social work and education who intend to focus and develop their careers in the areas of child mental health.

Recent graduates from this programme have gone on to apply for Clinical Doctorates in Psychology or had opportunities for progression in their current careers.

Teaching and learning

The programme is taught through a combination of lectures, workshops, discussion, project work and independent and group study. Assessment includes written assignments, projects, oral presentations, group work, and the written dissertation.

Each module requires students to attend lectures or lecture related activities for a minimum of 3 hours a week. Each module will require 7 hours additional personal study time per module.

This time is made up of formal learning and teaching events such as lectures, seminars and tutorials, as well as independent study.

A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits, one year part-time, flexible two to five years) is offered. The programme consists of five core modules (75 credits), and three optional modules (45 credits). A Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits, one year part-time, two years flexible) is offered. Four modules (15 credits) can be chosen.

Modules

You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
This programme is offered full time (1 year) or part-time/modular flexible (2 years +). The content includes a focused set of five compulsory modules including an introduction to child mental health, treatment in terms of both psychological and pharmacological therapies, neurodevelopmental disorders and basic research methods and statistics in child mental health. We review the optional modules on this course to ensure they fit the remit of this programme and to reflect the current interests of Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (GOS ICH) and the current research standings in the field of child and adolescent mental health. You will select three of the optional modules. Optional module choices may include but are not limited to Adolescent Mental Health, International Child Mental Health, Mental Health and Schools and Adaptations in Child Mental Health or a further module in Research Methods and Statistics. You will also undertake a dissertation module that is linked with a supervisor with expertise in a specific topic area to undertake a literature review in a current area of interest. There may also be the opportunity to join an existing research team project for the dissertation when such opportunities arise within GOS ICH. You will be, in addition, offered the option of a virtual clinical placement module as an added value activity.

The 2 year part-time option consists of 4 modules which must be taken in year 1, and a further 4 modules plus the dissertation in year 2.

The Modular/Flexible option can be taken within 2-5 years and you generally have the flexibility to choose the number of modules you choose each year.

Compulsory modules








Optional modules







Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Placement

We currently offer an optional virtual clinical placement module. This virtual clinical module offers students an opportunity to enhance their skills for working in a clinical setting.

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.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health

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Join our Virtual Graduate Information Session to find out more about our MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health. This session will be led by the Programme Lead, Prof Helen Bruce. There will be an opportunity to ask your questions in the live Q&A and find out if this MSc programme is right for you.

Online - Open day

Leading into the Future: GOS ICH Postgraduate Research Showcase

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Interested in studying at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health? Join our free postgraduate research showcase to find out more about our postgraduate degrees. What to expect: keynote speech from Dr Pia Hardelid who has been at the forefront of ground-breaking research in child health informatics; hear from our postgraduate students as they discuss their innovative research projects; meet with our programme teams and ask your questions.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £14,100 £7,050
Tuition fees (2023/24) £32,100 £16,050

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

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

There are no additional costs for this programme.

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

Visit the funding and studentship pages of the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health (GOS ICH) website for details of funding available to students, including the GOS ICH bursary.

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

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Child and Adolescent Mental Health at graduate level
  • why you want to study Child and Adolescent Mental Health at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

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.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2023-2024

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
UCL GOS Institute of Child Health

camh@ucl.ac.uk

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