University of Plymouth

Online Open Webinar Event

 University of Plymouth DClin programme will be holding a course Open Online Event. At the online event you can find out more about us, our ethos & values, facilities, placement locations and meet some of the programme team and current trainees. We do not require registration. There will be question function only and will not be recorded. 

Please go to the University of Plymouth DClin website for further details

Overview of the programme

The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology is a three-year, full-time professional training programme that integrates academic study, supervised clinical practice, and research. Throughout the programme, trainees develop the knowledge, skills, and professional values required to practise as qualified clinical psychologists within the NHS and wider health and care services.

Training is structured around three interconnected strands:

• Academic learning through taught modules, workshops, and some locally based dostance teaching events.
• Clinical practice through supervised placements across a range of services and client groups
• Research training leading to the completion of a major research portfolio

Each year begins with an intensive teaching block, followed by a combination of clinical placements and academic teaching days. Teaching is provided by the course team and clinical psychology and other specialist partners, along with service users from our Plymouth Consultative Group.

By the end of the programme, trainees will have developed advanced clinical, leadership, consultation, supervision, and research skills, preparing them for professional practice as registered clinical psychologists.

Academic and Research Modules

Academic teaching is designed to support trainees' development from emerging practitioners to independent clinical psychologists. Across the three years, trainees explore psychological theory, evidence-based practice, leadership, ethics, professional issues, and research methods.

Learning is delivered through lectures, workshops, problem-based learning, clinical skills teaching, and collaborative learning activities. Research training runs throughout the programme, enabling trainees to design, conduct, analyse, and disseminate clinically relevant research.

Clinical Placements

Clinical placements are at the heart of the programme and provide opportunities to apply academic learning within real-world healthcare settings.

During placements trainees gain experience working with a diverse range of service users, clinical presentations, and multidisciplinary teams. Placements are closely supervised by experienced clinical psychologists and are supported by academic teaching throughout the year.

Through placement learning, trainees develop expertise in:

• Psychological assessment and formulation
• Therapeutic intervention and evaluation
• Effective communication and partnership working
• Consultation and training
• Leadership and service development
• Professional, ethical, and reflective practice
• Supervision and continuing professional development

By the final year, trainees are expected to demonstrate advanced clinical competence and increasing autonomy in preparation for qualification and employment within health and care services.

Academic Modules

Stage 1

• CPSY 811Working Professionally and Ethically: Emerging Skills
• CPSY 812 Psychological Models 1
• CPSY 814 Core Clinical Skills

In the first year trainees will establish their knowledge in core principles, values, and psychological models underpinning clinical psychology practice across specific areas and clinical need.

Trainees will also gain a foundation level qualification in systemic family therapy (independently accredited by the Association of Family Therapy).

Assessment

• CPSY 811 Assessment is by Professional Issues essay.
• CPS 812 Assessment is by a Family Therapy essay and a Problem Based Learning (PBL) presentation.
• CPSY 814 Assessment is by Clinical Skills roleplay and a Reflective Statement.

Stage 2

• CPSY 821 Leadership Foundations
• CPSY 822 Psychological Models 2

You will develop further critical thinking in the core course themes and core course philosophy underpinning clinical psychology and extend knowledge about psychological model

Assessment

• CPSY 821 Assessment is by a presentation Problem Based Learning (Working with complexity & leadership)
• CPSY 822 Assessment is through a clinical study focussing on the cognitive-behavioural or systemic model.

Assessment

Assessment is through a Practice Based Learning Task based on clinical material.

Stage 3

• CPSY 831 Leadership and Ethical Practice: Complex Skills

You will develop further critical and reflexive thinking, analysis and synthesis within clinical psychology and prepare for commencing professional practice in the NHS.

There will be a focus on current legislation and policy with regard to the role of clinical psychologists in the National Health Service.

You will acquire competencies in supervision, consultation and leadership in line with current policy guidelines.

Assessment

• Assessment will be through a clinical study focussing on Organisational Change and a presentation of a Service Innovation project proposal

Clinical Practice Modules

Stage 1 CPSY 620

Core competencies in clinical practice and psychological therapy are developed through supervised clinical placements usually with children, young people and people with intellectual difficulties.

Emphasis is on the key themes of:

• establishing effective therapeutic relationships
• inter-disciplinary team working
• assessment and formulation
• intervention and evaluation
• communication
• training and consultancy
• professional practice
• supervision and personal development

Assessment

Assessment is through the completion of the Clinical Placement Paperwork, in-placement observation of clinical skills and supervisors’ reports on placement.

Stage 2 CPSY 820 Clinical Placement 2

You will consolidate the application of core psychological proficiencies.

Key themes are built upon from the first year and now includes organisational change.

Learning is through supervised practice in a range of services.

Assessment

Assessment is through the completion of the Clinical Placement Paperwork, in-placement observation of clinical skills and supervisors’ reports on placement.

Stage 3 CPSY 830 Clinical Placement 3

The application of core psychological proficiencies at advanced level are consolidated.

The key themes from the second year are developed.

Learning is through supervised practice in a range of services.

Assessment

Assessment is through the completion of the Clinical Placement Paperwork, in-placement observation of clinical skills and supervisors’ reports on placement.

Research Modules

Stage 1 CPSY813

This module introduces research for clinical psychology:

• public and service-user involvement
• practical aspects
• considerations and rigour in research
• introductions to quantitative (including statistical packages, and psychometrics)
• introductions to qualitative (including content and thematic analysis, narrative analysis, interpretive phenomenological analysis and discursive methods)
• indigenous research methods

Assessment

By a Major Research Project Full Proposal

Stage 2 CPSY823

In this module, time and consideration is given to the conducting of service evaluations, and practical aspects of the research process:

• supervision in clinical psychology research
• ethics and making applications to ethics committees
• conducting systematic literature reviews

These aspects should assist trainees in the further development and conducting of their major research projects.

Assessment

By presentation of a Service Evaluation Report or Quality Improvement Report and the preparation of a Systematic Literature Review.

Stage 3 CPSY628

In this module, full attention is placed on assisting trainees to complete and write up their major research projects, and to facilitate their submission and preparation for the examination of their portfolio of outputs:

• literature / systematic review
• draft journal article
• reflective statements

These aims are reflected in the architecture and focus of the taught sessions.

We start with helping trainees to:

• complete and write up literature / systematic reviews, which are to be submitted for assessment early in the module
• then working with reflective statements
• then, in a special day-long event held in November, third year trainees will be asked to present their research work to the first year trainees

We then turn our full attention to the writing up and completion of the research article component.

We complete this module with a final session on considering research into the future.

Assessment

The portfolio of outputs is assessed via written submissions and viva voce examinations. In preparation for this, third year trainees will have the opportunity to undertake a "mock viva" towards the end of this module (July).