曼徹斯特大學

Programme description

The Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a three-year full-time initial professional training programme for educational psychologists.

The five programme units are designed to provide effective coverage of the required core curriculum for training in educational psychology provided by the British Psychological Society (BPS). These units are:

Professional skills;
Development (Age 0-25);
The context of children's learning;
Research in educational and child psychology;
Mental health and well-being programme.

Graduates can apply to the HCPC to be registered to practise as an Educational Psychologist. A practitioner is not legally allowed to practise using the title Educational Psychologist without being registered with the HCPC.

An MPhil exit award may be made for candidates who do not complete the full programme, but this award does not confer eligibility to apply to the HCPC for registration as a practitioner psychologist.

Teaching and learning

Practical work is a central component of the programme and learning outcomes specific to fieldwork activity are identified.

You will undertake supervised practical placement activity, overseen by programme staff, for one day per week in Year 1 until December and then two days per week in Year 1 thereafter. These placements are normally within the North West. There is a requirement for 130 days' placement in Years 2 and 3.

Further details about how you may pursue assistant educational psychologist posts or bursary placements are provided before accepting a place on the programme.

Coursework and assessment

For assessment purposes, the programme is divided into four parts:

three research-based assignments of 10,000 words each;
a professional practice portfolio of 20,000 words, submitted in Year 3, and a professional practice viva;
three practice placement supervisor reports and four tutor observations of placement practice;
A written thesis comprising two academic papers, plus a dissemination evaluation with satisfactory oral defence (viva voce).

Career opportunities

All trainees who have successfully completed the programme and wished to work as educational psychologists post-qualification, have gone on to successfully gain employment as educational psychologists.

As a postgraduate researcher, you'll have access to a dedicated Researcher Development Team who will support your professional development throughout your professional doctorate journey and beyond.