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Foundations of Clinical Psychology is no longer accepting new applications.
Teaching
The taught component of this course is approximately 140 hours. Taught component assessments count for 40% of the final mark. Modules offered include:
- Biostatistics/Bio-informatics (32 hrs):
- Data Analysis and Scientific Computing: This module consists of 4 sessions and covers Introduction to a scientific programming tool (either R or Python); Basic data analysis and manipulation; Introduction to programming and automation; Introduction to data visualisation commands
- Core Statistics: 1 and 2 sample tests, both parametric and non-parametric;; 1-way ANOVA, Kruskal Wallace and relevant post-hoc testing; Simple linear regression; 2-way ANOVA; ANCOVA and regression on grouped data; Linear models and interactions; Power analyses.
- Reproducible research skills: Issues surrounding reproducibility; Data organisation and management; Literate programming and version control
- Visual Data Presentation: Background to good data visualisation practices; Advanced plotting techniques; Presentation and discussion of effective visualisation
- Robust Behavioral Sciences (16 hrs): This module will encourage students to think critically about how behavioural research is conducted and how conclusions are drawn; how scientists are incentivised, how they publish and how their beliefs influence the inferences they make; multiple methodological, statistical, and systematic issues that could impair the robustness of scientific claims and new initiatives that are reinventing the foundations of our field.
- Mental Health and Well-Being: Definitions, Diagnosis, and Differences (20 hrs): This is an introduction to psychological theoretical frameworks with an integrative, multimodal, perspective as appropriate and adapted to circumstance and context.
- Psychological Therapy and Clinical Psychology: Theoretical Frameworks (20 hrs): Students will develop an understanding of formulation and the implementation of psychologically informed interventions, as appropriate to the presenting problem and to the psychological and social circumstances of the client. Therapeutic techniques will be introduced, and processes as applied when working with a range of different individuals in distress.
- Governance of Clinical Practice (20 hrs): Introduction to the legislative and national planning contexts for service delivery and clinical practice in the UK with some attention to these issues in other countries. Leadership qualities will be considered.
- Public Mental Health (20 hrs): Covers key clinical and epidemiological concepts that influence mental health epidemiology and public health according to place, time and person; the principles of social determinants of health along the life-course in mental health; how genetics influences mental health and the complexity of gene-environment interactions in psychiatry; life stressors and how they affect negative and positive mental health outcomes; intersectionality of mental health disorders and the problems that most mental health classifications systems present.
- Evaluating Practice: Process, Outcomes, and Experience (20 hrs): Covers 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 will be discussed.
| One to one supervision | Students will have approximately 44 hours of supervision and tutorials throughout the academic year as follows:
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| Seminars & classes | Approx. forty hours of the taught component of the course will be provided in small seminar groups across the academic year. |
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| Lectures | There are approximately 100 hours per academic year of lectures. |
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| 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 experience 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. |
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| 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. The literature review comprises 50% of the research project final mark. |
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| 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. This assessment contributes to the Research Project outcomes mark which is 50% of the total Research project final mark. |
Placements
Students will have the opportunity to work in clinical services in Cambridgeshire County including NHS and County Council statutory and third sector organisations. Placements will include 2day/week over the course of the second or third term. Placement activities will include, 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 will enable to student to experience mental health services first hand.
Feedback
Students will receive ongoing feedback from supervisors and tutors. 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 comprises 40% of the final mark. The research project will begin in November and run for 32 weeks. Students will be based one day/week during term time in the research group of the research programme in which their research project is embedded. Students are expected to spend approximately 75 hours each term working on their thesis.
Students will be given a list of potential projects to choose from. The course will have an assigned advisor to meet with students and guide them through the available projects. 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. They will be required to submit a brief project plan prior to beginning work on the project, for approval by the course leadership team. This will allow the Course Directors to give guidance to students and supervisors on the scale and scope of this project to ensure that it is deliverable within the timeframe and meets the high standards expected. Students will write up their research project as two components:
- A literature review of the field (max 5000 words), providing the background to, and context for, the research project (50% of final mark)
- The project outcomes: Aims, methods, results, data analysis and discussion (50% of the final mark) (max 5000 words)
Essays
The taught component of the course compromises 40% of the final mark and will be assessed by the following written papers, essays and presentations:
- five case studies on topics announced by the Degree Committee for the Faculties of Clinical Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (by submission of papers no more than 750 words);
- a Public Health essay of no more than 2,500 words;
- an essay of no more than 2,500 words comparing three contrasting research papers, on a topic chosen from a specified list.
The Clinical Placement compromises 20% of the final mark and will be assessed by a short essay (1500 words) on one of the following topics:
- a Case Assessment, eg neuropsychological assessment; group therapy OR
- a Service audit.
Written examination
The following taught modules will be assessed, in part, by multiple choice question exam:
- Mental Health and Well-Being: Definitions, Diagnosis, and Differences
- Psychological Therapy and Clinical Psychology: Theoretical Frameworks
- Governance of Clinical Practice
The Biostatistics course will be assessed by a written examination.
Practical assessment
The module, Evaluating Practice: Process, Outcomes, and Experience, will be assessed by two oral case presentations each 20 minutes long. The student will be given case details in advance. Students will be asked to present the cases as though in clinical supervision. Presentations will be scored in relation to elements of formulation and diagnosis; treatment planning; outcome measures ; and planning for treatment review with the service user.