MSc/PgDip/PgCert Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy

Introduction

In a nutshell

International applicants: please check the international intakes page for the latest information and application dates.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has a crucial role to play in health and social care provision today. This course is delivered by a highly qualified team of psychotherapy and counselling staff from a variety of professional backgrounds.

On this course, you will gain insight into how to use CBT creatively and collaboratively with clients and how to assess, formulate, provide interventions and evaluate your own practice.

Please note: Due to the structure of this programme, it is not available to applicants who require a Tier 4 visa.

You will:

Study new developments in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Focus on interventions with clients who have anxiety and depression right through to people with personality disorder and schizophrenia as well as other complex needs

Placement

options available

International

students accepted

Course accreditations

This is for you if...

1.

You have one year's experience in a mental health setting and an active interest in cognitive behavioural work

2.

You have the ability to understand people's reactions

3.

You have patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations

Course details

All about the course

You will gain insight into how to use CBT creatively and collaboratively with clients and how to assess, formulate, provide interventions and evaluate your work with clients. This course focuses on interventions with clients who have anxiety and depression right through to people with personality disorder and schizophrenia as well as other complex needs. There are opportunities to study new developments in CBT, related to mindfulness and compassion focused therapy.

MSc: one year full-time; two years part-time
PgDip: one year full-time; two years part-time
PgCert: one year part-time

This course involves a range of half day and full day sessions. Optional modules on the part-time route may be delivered in a series of block sessions. You will also have the chance to exit with the following awards:

Depending on your level of experience and professional interests you can choose to study a variety of modules.

Full-time study option:

The course requires the completion of:

Semester 1: one module

Semester 2: two modules

Semesters 1 and 2: one module spanning both semesters

Semester 3: Dissertation

For module descriptions, please see below:

Part-time study option:

The course requires the completion of two modules in year one, two modules in year two and the dissertation in year 3.

Year 1, Semester 1

Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (30 credits)

Year 1, Semester 2

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Anxiety Disorders and Addictive Behaviour (30 credits)

Year 2, Semester 1

CBT Protocols and Skills Part 1

Year 2, semester 2

CBT Protocol and Skills Part 2 plus

Choose one of the following modules:

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Complex Cases (30 credits)

Compassion Focused Therapy (30 credits)

Military Veterans and Emergency Service Personnel (30 credits)

Mindfulness-based Approaches with CBT (30 credits)

CBT for Children and Young People (30 credits)

Year 2, semester 3

Dissertation (60 credits)

Semester one

Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Develop a comprehensive understanding of the theory and practical application of CBT, together with the critical evaluation of its use in addiction and associated depression and anxiety disorders.

CBT Protocol and Skills Part One

This module will provide you with a rigorous theoretical and evidence based understanding of specific protocols related to key disorders where CBT can be demonstrated as a therapy in a practice area. It will enable you to critically assess the use of cognitive behaviour therapy skills for practical application.

Semester two

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Anxiety Disorders and Addictive Behaviour

Assess treatment methods for clients with anxiety disorders and/ or addictive behaviour, and use a conceptualisation methodology to evaluate courses of therapy.

CBT Protocol and Skills Part Two

This module will build on 'Part One' to further develop your understanding of specific protocols related to key disorders where CBT can be demonstrated as a therapy in a practice area.

Choose from one of the following optional modules:

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Complex Cases

Develop and enhance your skills in the use of CBT, enabling you to work with clients with complex and/ or long-term needs.

Compassion Focused Therapy

This module aims to focus on the development and use of compassion in therapy. It uses work from Paul Gilbert, Chris Irons and Elaine Beaumont; focusing on the principles of compassion towards care and understanding.

Mindfulness Based Approaches with CBT

Explore your practice of mindfulness with the context of CBT.

CBT for Children and Young People

Enhance your knowledge, skills and interpersonal awareness in order to provide CBT for children and young people. You will be required to use CBT within your work/ voluntary placement setting and you will need to access CBT supervision for at least one hour per month.

Semester three

Dissertation

Provides you with the opportunity to pursue an area of Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy that directly relates to your own work or interests.

Please note that it may not be possible to deliver the full list of options every year as this will depend on factors such as how many students choose a particular option. Exact modules may also vary in order to keep content current. When accepting your offer of a place to study on this programme, you should be aware that not all optional modules will be running each year. Your tutor will be able to advise you as to the available options on or before the start of the programme. Whilst the University tries to ensure that you are able to undertake your preferred options, it cannot guarantee this.

What will I be doing?

TEACHING

Learning is delivered via blended learning methods including seminars and master classes, critical analysis of case studies, relevant literature and research and reflection on practical applications.

Use of video/audio, role play and skills assessment are essential to this course in years one and two and the Blackboard as a learning resource is also an important element in all of the modules on the course.

It is anticipated that a generous part of your work will be focused on enhancing self-awareness and using CBT tools and techniques on the self-using self-help texts and interactive activities prior to using them with clients.

ASSESSMENT

Tutor and peer practical in-class assessment
Case studies
Reflective assignments and portfolios of learning

I chose to continue with my studies and complete my MSc Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy because the support received from personal tutors whilst completing the undergraduate course was fantastic.

My favourite project/piece of work was my dissertation as I had the opportunity to work with complex presentations and provide interventions and also evaluate the intervention to see how useful or beneficial it was to the service users. In addition to this, it also gave the opportunity to understand how secondary care NHS settings worked.

The course has enabled me to gain employment within a partner organisation of the NHS as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and I have now been able to further develop my career by applying for provisional accreditation from a professional body and also gain new employment in a specialist role working with long-term health problems.

Ramsha Butt

MSc Cognitive Psychotherapy Student

The School of Health and Society

The School of Health and Society is a forward-thinking, dynamic school with a commitment to lifelong learning and real world impact.

We live in a rapidly changing world, and we’re keen to leave a productive legacy of helping people at all stages of their lives, improving their physical, psychological and social wellbeing.

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Teacher profile

Do you want to find out more, or contact the programme lead? Jennifer Darling can be contacted on j.r.darling@salford.ac.uk, or click on the staff profile below.

Staff Profile

Employment and stats

What about after uni?

This Master's course has been designed to meet the growing need for people to have the skill set to work with clients with complex needs or mild to moderate mental health issues.

Many of our students are already in employment, but inform us that this course enhances their career prospects or offers a new career pathway.

Career Links

This course has been created after a request from the North West Strategic Health Authority. Some students will be able to use the Service Level Agreement to fund these modules. Other students will self-fund or request funding from their employer.

Requirements

What you need to know

Applicants must have one year’s experience in a mental health setting and an active interest in cognitive behavioural work. Applicants must have an active placement where they can work with clients and have the approval to use clients as part of their coursework. Overseas students must be able to complete placements and have access to clients.

Students should access supervision from someone with experience of CBT. If the student does not have a core profession, then the KSA (see BABCP guidance) will need to have been commenced and be available to support any application.

This course is accredited with the BABCP at level 1. We fulfill all the 200 teaching hours and case studies. The 200 clinical hours and 40 supervision hours can be completed after the course to complete accreditation requirements. We provide a portfolio of all tasks completed on the course.

Placements suggestions and advice are offered by the course as well as consultation with our industry links but we do not directly provide placements.

DBS equivalent for international students is required.

English language requirements

If you are an international student and not from a majority English speaking country, you will need IELTS 7.0 with no element below 5.5. We also accept a range of other English language qualifications. If you do not have the English language requirements, you could take our Pre-Sessional English course.

Please note: Due to the structure of this programme, it is not available to applicants who require a Tier 4 visa.

Standard entry requirements

Undergraduate degree

An upper second class honours degree in psychology or other health/social care related discipline, e.g. counselling, health sciences, nursing. Or
An honours degree (in any discipline) (2.2 or above) and a diploma in counselling or its UKCP or BPS equivalent.

International Students

We accept qualifications from all around the world. Find your country to see a full list of entry requirements.

Alternative entry requirements

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)

We welcome applications from students who may not have formal/ traditional entry criteria but who have relevant experience or the ability to pursue the course successfully.

The Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process could help you to make your work and life experience count. The APL process can be used for entry onto courses or to give you exemptions from parts of your course.

Two forms of APL may be used for entry: the Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) or the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).

How much?

Type of study	Year	Fees
Full-time home	2023/24	£8,550per year
Full-time international	2023/24	£15,750per year
Full-time home	2024/25	£8,820per year
Full-time international	2024/25	£16,380per year

Additional costs

You should also consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits.

Scholarships for international students

If you are a high-achieving international student, you may be eligible for one of our scholarships.

We have a range of scholarships available for students applying for courses in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. Our Global Gold Excellence Scholarship is worth £3,500 and our Global Silver Excellence Scholarship is worth £3,000 - both are available for students studying in our 2021/22 intakes.

See the full range of our International Scholarships.

Apply now

All Set? Let's Apply

Start Date(s): September

Duration: One year full time or three years part time

Enrolment dates

September 2023

September 2024

How to apply

Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy