Teaching
The taught component of this course is approximately 140 hours. Module content is reviewed every year to ensure contemporary relevance. Key topic areas in Clinical Psychology are taught including:
critical awareness of models of mental health and the social and cultural context that contribute to our understanding of mental health and well-being across the lifespan;
psychological assessment, formulation, and interventions tailored to clients’ presenting difficulties;
a range of psychological models, along with their core therapeutic principles, techniques, and processes; implementation of culturally and socially informed interventions;
core generic therapeutical frameworks, concepts and skills relevant to the role of a Clinical Psychologist
clinical governance in health and mental health care with a global focus including regulatory frameworks, ethics, and core competencies relevant to the practice of Clinical Psychology;
public health approaches to mental health including epidemiology of mental health; social determinants of mental health across the lifespan; complexity of gene-environment interactions; life stressors and how they affect negative and positive mental health outcomes; and intersectionality of mental health disorders;
evidence-based therapy outcome measures in relation to recovery, values and goals and as informed by service user experiences as well as clinical indicators. The importance of self-awareness and working as a reflective practitioner within ethical and professional practice frameworks.
computational research and statistical skills;
critical appraisal of behavioural research including how how scientists are incentivised; how beliefs influence inferences; methodological, statistical, and systematic issues that challenge the robustness of scientific claims; and initiatives to address the credibility crisis in the social sciences.
| One to one supervision |
Students will have approximately forty-five minutes every other week of Research Supervision/Academic Advisory contact throughout the academic year. This is supplemented with informal supervision with the course faculty and with your research lab. An additional approximate 1.5 hours of Clinical Supervision is provided every other week during the term in which students are on their Professional Placement. |
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| Seminars & classes |
Approx. 40 hours of the taught component of the course will be provided in small seminar groups across the academic year. |
| Lectures |
There are approximately 100 hours per academic year of lectures. |
| Journal clubs |
Student-directed elements (in which students will contribute towards the selection of topic) will include journal club presentations and discussions, each focused around a research paper, controversial topic or state-of-the-art technique. These will be supported by more experienced researchers from the host department, including experienced PhD students, who will act as facilitators to provide guidance, structure and assurance of integrity, accuracy and quality of discussions. A minimum of 10 hours of journal clubs will be available across the academic year. |
| Literature Reviews |
As part of their Extended Research Project, students will be required to complete a literature review of the field (max 5000 words), providing the background to, and context for, the research project. |
| Posters and Presentations |
As an integral part of the research project, students will present their findings with a poster presentation. The presentation will be assessed for presentation of scientific findings including layout of the poster, clarity of data presentation, and overall ability to deliver a clear and engaging oral presentation of the poster. |
| Taught/Research Balance |
Equal Taught/Research
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Placements
Students will have the opportunity to work in professional services, for example, in the NHS, Cambridgeshire County Council, and third sector organisations. Placements will include 2day/week over the course of the second or third term. Placement activities will include, for example, undertaking a service-related audit using service data; co-leading group therapy with a registered professional; scoring neuropsychological assessments and helping to prepare assessment reports; compiling developmental histories; and other activities that provide the experience of mental health related services first hand. Students will be given the opportunity to rank their preferred professional placement before the academic year starts though placement on a ranked placement cannot be guaranteed.
Feedback
Students will receive ongoing feedback from supervisors and advisors. In addition, the principal supervisor will write termly online reports which can be accessed by the student. Students will receive face-to-face supervision throughout each term, with the duration and frequency depending on the nature of the project.
The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
The Research Project. The research project will begin in October and run for 28 weeks. Students will have approximately 7 hours per week during term time for their research project. This includes time based in the lab of their research group -- attending meetings, collecting and analyszing data; and time for reading and writing relating to the project. Students are expected to spend approximately 75 hours each term working on their research project, though this time allocation will vary depending on which term students are completing their professional placement alongside their research and taught components.
Research project topics are varied and have included, for example, Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease; Drug Addiction; Experience of Self-Harm Study; Decoding Solutions to Emotionally Based School Avoidance; Cognition, Emotion, and Mental Health Programme: Cognition and the menstrual cycle; Autism Research; Psychedelic Research; Child & Family Mental Health: Children with social work involvement. Students will have the opportunity to rank their preferred research placements before the academic year starts and every effort is made, though can not be guaranteed, to match to a ranked choice. Students will be given time and support in the first 4 weeks of Michaelmas term to meet with course supervisors and lab-based research leads to discuss potential projects, and to develop a research project outline. The research project is submitted as three components:
A literature review of the field (max 5000 words), providing the background to, and context for, the research project
The project outcomes: Aims, methods, results, data analysis and discussion (max 5000 words)
A Poster and Oral Poster Presentation: 10 minute oral presentation and Q and A of printed poster to a small group
Other
Assessment will be through a range of formats which may include coursework, written and oral examinations, posters, presentations and projects.