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Clinical Associate in Psychology (Adult Mental Health) apprenticeship programme MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The course aims to train psychology graduates to become skilled professional Clinical Associates in Psychology (CAP), working within Adult Mental Health. This Master's programme provides the formal apprenticeship training required as part of the student's employment. Students are primarily employed within the NHS, however may also be employed by charities or private mental health providers. Students on this programme qualify as Clinical Associates in Psychology.

UK students International students
Study mode
Part-time
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
See Fees Note
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
See Fees Note
Duration
18 months
Programme starts
January 2025
Applications accepted
All applicants: 01 Nov – 22 Nov 2024

Applications closed

For January 2024 entry, please use this link to apply

Find similar courses still open

Entry requirements

A minimum of a second-class Bachelor's degree in Psychology from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard which confers Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS).

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

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.

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 teaching and training will focus on the knowledge and clinical competencies required for Clinical Associates in Psychology to work with adults experiencing mental health problems in both inpatient and community mental health services. The broad purpose of this occupation is to provide high-quality, evidence-based psychological support in multi-disciplinary settings. This support will be based on a bio-psycho-social understanding of the individual derived from rigorous psychological assessment and formulation, enabling practitioners to work effectively with populations from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts.

Who this course is for

Applicants will be nominated by their employer and are required to show evidence of ability to study successfully at postgraduate level. Applicants will need to hold a minimum of a second class (2:2) Bachelor's degree in Psychology that is accredited by the BPS and confers Graduate Basis for Chartership. Applicants will need to hold level 2 qualifications in English and Maths (GCSE Grade C minimum/equivalent). If applicants do not have level 2 qualifications in English and Maths, they will need to complete these qualifications as part of their apprenticeship.

Unfortunately, this programme is not open to international students. As this is an apprenticeship programme international, students would need to meet the following requirements: A non-EEA citizen is eligible for funding if they have permission from the UK government to live in the UK (not for educational purposes) and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The UCL programme is run and taught by experienced practitioners in the field, and therefore a balance is achieved between the teaching of the theoretical knowledge needed and the practical skills necessary in training as a Clinical Associate in Psychology.

Students will be employed in an Adult Mental Health setting and receive practical experience in a relevant service alongside this formal training needed to become a qualified Clinical Associate in Psychology.

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

The foundation of your career

The Clinical Associate in Psychology is an occupation within the NHS. The course will train students to work in adult mental health settings. The occupation addresses an unmet need in mental health provision as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan and Community Mental Health Framework. The training is provided in partnership with employers, who are committed to supporting the long term development of the CAPs role.

Employability

The Master's programme is the formal apprenticeship training required as part of the student's employment as a Clinical Associate in Psychology who upon successful completion of the programme will move to being a qualified CAP. Apprentices are anticipated to stay in these positions after completing the programme, working as a qualified CAPs.

For further details, please visit the NHS Careers website and Psychological Professions website.

Options for career development include progression to working as a qualified CAP. Other options include moving into related fields such as teaching, management, social work and further training in psychological therapies.

Networking

We have a team of experienced tutors on board who provide individualised and focused career guidance to each apprentice. They provide personalised advice, action plans, and follow-ups. We have a module focusing on skills relevant to developing as a practitioner. We hold a yearly conference bringing together services employing CAPs, qualified CAPs and apprentices, which serves as an excellent networking opportunity. In addition, on site support is provided for career progression within the NHS.

Accreditation

This programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and meets the society’s standards for applied psychology training for Associate Psychologists. Graduates who are society members and have undertaken accredited Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP) training are eligible to apply for entry on to the society’s Wider Psychological Workforce Register.

Teaching and learning

Teaching will include both university and service-based supervisory practice. At UCL, you will be taught via lectures, practical workshops, and clinical seminars. Students will also have access to Moodle resources, tools, forums and activities, and undertake independent study. In your organisation you will complete practice-based learning tasks assigned by UCL and undertake clinical work supervised by practitioner psychologists.

Assessments will be conducted in a number of ways: group and individual presentations, case studies, essays, objective structured clinical examination and dissertation. 

You will have an End Point Assessment (EPA) which is an formal practical assessment of a students' performance against the Apprenticeship Standard ensuring they meet the requirements to complete the apprenticeship.

Teaching will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays with teaching taking place from 9.30am to 5pm. Approximately 50% of the time will be spent in lectures, 25% in workshops, 15% in clinical seminars, and the remainder in independent study.

Tripartite Reviews take place once a term between the apprentice, employer and UCL staff to help manage progress of the apprenticeship and review development of knowledge and skills required for the role.

Modules

This programme is 18 months long with a January start date. Your time will be split between academic and work-based learning. You will be employed throughout, gaining a higher level qualification from the University while earning a wage, and getting real on-the-job experience as a Clinical Associate in Psychology. You will spend 80% of your time learning skills on-the-job and for the remaining 20% you will be undertaking off-the-job training with UCL. The 20% off-the-job element is measured over the whole period of your apprenticeship and academic course instead of a traditional term-time/academic year. You should therefore expect to be undertaking off-the-job activities even when not attending the university.

Compulsory 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 Clinical Associate in Psychology (Adult Mental Health) apprenticeship programme.

Placement

Students on the programme are all in full-time employment in the service in which they undertake (the majority of) their clinical experience. The programme does not therefore allocate placements to students, instead, employers undertake to offer appropriate learning opportunities and experiences to their CAP apprentices when they establish the posts and reserve places on the training programme. 

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) See Fees Note
Tuition fees (2025/26) See Fees Note

Fees are funded by the NHS

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There are no additional costs on this programme. 

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

Tuition fees on this programme are fully funded by the employer through the apprentice levy.

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

Upon being offered and accepting an apprenticeship position by an employer, you will need to apply via Portico for the course and accept an offer of a place to study at UCL. Apprenticeship opportunities in the NHS can be found on the NHS Health Careers website.

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

caps_msc@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.