Overview

NFQ Level 10, Major Award

The D.Clin.Psych. is a full-time programme running for 36 months from the date of first registration for the programme. Candidates will be required to complete a three-year programme and accumulate 270 credits.

Placements

All placements will be supervised in a work setting relevant to the programme of study.

Where an alternate placement setting is required for both AP7003 and AP7004 students must undertake one of their elective placements in final year in an intellectual disability setting.

One opportunity may be provided to repeat one failed clinical placement or, in exceptional cases and at the discretion of the Programme Board, those elements of the placement (competencies), that have been failed. A fail grade on a repeat or subsequent clinical placement will result in the trainees being required to leave the programme.

Students failing or not completing a placement because of serious misconduct will not be permitted to repeat the placement and will become subject to the Fitness to Practise policy.

Programme Requirements

For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements. 

Programme Requirements

Module List

Code	Title	Credits
Year 1
Students take 90 credits as follows:
Core Modules
AP7002	Clinical Psychology Applied to Adults	25
AP7003	Clinical Psychology Applied to Intellectual Disability and Autism I	15
AP7008	Clinical Research Methods and Data Analysis I	10
Research
Students undertake work on the thesis to the value of 40 credits during Year 1 1		40
Year 2
Students take 90 credits as follows:
Core Modules
AP7004	Clinical Psychology Applied to Intellectual Disability and Autism II	15
AP7005	Clinical Psychology Applied to Child and Adolescent	25
AP7009	Clinical Research Methods and Data Analysis II	10
Research
Students undertake work on the thesis to the value of 40 credits during Year 2 1		40
Year 3
Students take 90 credits as follows:
Core Modules
AP7006	Elective Topics in Clinical Psychology	25
AP7007	Advanced Placement in Clinical Psychology	25
Research
Students complete the research work and continue to develop their thesis in consultation with the Supervisor. 2		40
Total Credits		270

¹

Progress will be formally assessed through annual postgraduate research progress review procedure and finally assessed by means of the thesis submitted during Year 3.

²

At the end of the year students present a thesis of approx. 30,000 words which will be assessed through a viva voce examination (see here).

Examinations

Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards Book and for each module in the Book of Modules.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes for DClinPsych (NFQ Level 10, Major Award)

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Integrate psychological values, knowledge and skills in responding to clinical situations;
• Synthesise and generalise psychological theory and knowledge, at the forefront and covering all core areas of clinical psychology, in assessment, formulation, treatment and evaluation;
• Display high-level communication skills in working effectively in multi-disciplinary teams with clients from a diverse range of backgrounds in a variety of health and community settings;
• Work effectively with appropriate levels of professional autonomy and accountability, including awareness of ethical, legal, organisational and governance responsibilities of Clinical Psychologists;
• Show professional competence relating to personal and professional development informed by awareness of the dynamic clinical, professional and social context of clinical psychology;
• Identify, review and critically appraise a substantial body of research evidence which is at the forefront of clinical psychology practice;
• Generate practice-relevant knowledge by applying appropriate research methods and techniques, including quantitative and qualitative approaches, to clinical research and service evaluation case studies;
• Design, carry out, and report advanced, independent, original research in clinical psychology.