MSc Practitioner in Psychological Trauma
Elevate your knowledge of the specialist care required around trauma, with access to quality teaching and state-of-the-art facilities.
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Course overview
About the course
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The importance of trauma and its enduring effects, in the context of poor outcomes for service users, has led to significant interest in developing specialist trauma interventions, as well as ‘trauma informed’ frameworks and models of care.
Developing trauma informed services have become a key strategic and clinical aim within the NHS and healthcare sector based on the specialist trauma services increasing awareness of trauma and the needs of people requiring specialised care with traumatic backgrounds.
The Practitioner in Psychological Trauma MSc has been developed in partnership with our Centre for Developmental and Complex Trauma. This MSc is an accreditable postgraduate course by the British Psychological Society (BPS), which provides health professionals the theoretical understanding and professional competences to provide psychological services to those who require specialised trauma care.
The MSc operates within a framework of understanding the idiosyncratic care needs of service users in order to provide an integrated and holistic approach to specialist trauma care whilst equipping students with skills to develop trauma informed practice within their organisations and team.
This is a taught part-time MSc, offered over two years. The course is primarily delivered online, with the exception of a few days requiring in-person campus attendance in year two. For internationally based students, alternative arrangements can be made for the three teaching days scheduled to take place on campus.
The structure and content of the MSc follow the level three ‘trauma expert’ competencies outlined by the British Psychological Society for working with people with psychological trauma related needs.
Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on the importance of increasing core skills of self-awareness, including an awareness of one’s own professional and academic needs, as well as promoting self-care and accessing appropriate supervision. In recognition of the challenges of working with traumatised and complex populations, students are assigned a personal tutor who will offer support during the course, with a minimum of two meetings per semester. Group reflective practice and support sessions also run throughout the MSc.
Additional benefits of the course
In addition to the technical competencies developed throughout the course, enrolment students will also receive training in an evidence-based therapy, to a practitioner level.
Students enrolled on the MSc will also have full access to the wider services and activities offered by the Centre of Developmental and Complex Trauma. Specifically, students will be able to access an international conference programme of events attracting global experts in trauma and research. They will also be welcome to increase their learning through our trauma CPD programme and special interest group events.
Students can also access the ‘research skills for clinicians’ series of workshops offered by the Centre for Developmental and Complex Trauma, that will further increase their understanding of and expertise in research methodologies.
Take a look at our Transferable skills document
Entry Requirements
- Candidates will need to hold current Professional Healthcare registration with either the HCPC, NMC or GMC; alternatively, they will need to hold a BABCP accreditation.
- Individuals with psychotherapy or BACP registration in the absence of Healthcare professional registration, are considered on a case by case basis.
- Individuals with undergraduate and masters-level psychology degrees, employed in substantive assistant psychologist or CAP posts (or similair) will also be considered on a case by case basis.
- Two references are required, one from the financial sponsor of the MSc / employer confirming suitability for the MSc and for organisational support to complete this programme of study.
- You must have access to patients and clinical supervision for the duration of the MSc in order to meet the case study assessments of the MSc.
If English is not your first language, please check our Postgraduate Language Requirements.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching for the MSc takes place at the Hunter Street Campus in Buckingham.
Assessments for the MSc are carried out throughout the course.
The course, taught over six modules, addresses:
- Module 1: Theoretical aspects of different trauma presentations assessment.
- Module 2: Idiosyncratic assessment and formulation of the whole person impact of trauma and treatment needs associated with trauma.
- Module 3: Idiosyncratic treatment of the whole person impact of trauma and treatment needs associated with trauma.
- Module 4: Working with different populations in different populations, including those marginalised within society.
- Module 5: Developing trauma informed frameworks in organisations, including the assessment of and development of leadership skills.
- Module 6: Research and service development skills including the completion of a dissertation.
Course team
The course is led by an award-winning team of registered clinicians and PhD researchers with expertise in different areas of psychological trauma.
Student outcomes and feedback
The course achieves positive student experience and satisfaction feedback, with ‘excellent’ ratings for outcomes including:
- Interesting lecture content
- Interactive sessions
- Clarity of learning objectives
- Safety for asking questions
Course fees
The fees for this course are:
| Start | Type | 1st Year | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Month Year Full-time (2 Years) | UK | £00,000 | £00,000 |
| INT | £00,000 | £00,000 | |
Month Year Full-time (2 Years) | UK | £00,000 | £00,000 |
| INT | £00,000 | £00,000 |
Where courses exceed one year in duration, the University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI). If the University intends to increase your course fees it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.
Course fees do not include additional costs such as books, equipment, writing up fees and other ancillary charges. Where applicable, these additional costs will be made clear.
Scholarships and bursaries
How to apply
Apply direct
Apply online from this page as:
- You can apply until shortly before the course starts.
- There are no application fees.
You can apply directly through our website by clicking the ‘Apply Now’ button.
You can apply directly using our online application form, alternatively you can contact Dr Deborah Morris, Director of Programme, for an informal discussion deborah.morris@buckingham.ac.uk