Make a meaningful impact on people’s lives and mental well-being.
Take your passion for psychology to the next level on this career-focused course. You’ll learn from practising clinical psychologists and leading mental health researchers. Together, we’ll explore clinical theory, the wider context of mental health care, and the practical and technical skills psychologists use in real settings.
This course prepares you for further clinical training or research careers. Many graduates go on to roles such as assistant psychologist or psychological wellbeing practitioner. It also provides a strong foundation for a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, PhD programme or a career in clinical psychology research.
About this course
Gain a deep understanding of the psychological models, scientific principles, and research that shapes clinical psychology, psychiatry, and related mental health disciplines.
You'll learn how to apply this knowledge to real-world challenges, developing practical skills through case studies and evidence-based interventions. Our research has strong links to local organisations, public representatives, charities, clinicians and industry.
Supported by our academics, you'll undertake a substantial piece of research in an area linked to clinical psychology. Previous student projects have explored topics such as access to therapy for eating disorders, burnout and compassion-fatigue in healthcare professionals, and the impact of depression and anxiety on autobiographical memory.
You’ll also have the opportunity to complete a 50-hour placement with a local organisation, gaining experience in child or adult mental health or educational settings. You could work with services supporting older people with neurological conditions or individuals experiencing substance use challenges. With our support, you’ll find and secure our own placement, building confidence, contacts and practical experience.
While this course does not provide a licence to practise, it offers an exceptional foundation in the psychology of mental health. This opens the door to a range of careers across the mental health sector. Our links with the NHS and local health providers ensure your learning remains current and sector relevant. You'll also hear from guest speakers who are practitioners in the field.
A day in the life at Hull
2 mins
Module options
For a full Masters degree, you'll study 180 credits over the duration of your course. Some programmes offer a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) qualification or a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) qualification. For a PGDip, you'll study 120 credits, and for a PGCert, you'll study 60 credits.
Filters
Theories of Mental Health
Explore key philosophical, theoretical, ethical and practical issues relevant to contemporary mental health practice. You'll gain the confidence to debate historical and current issues in the field and acknowledge the role of the wider context in shaping research directions, policy, stigma, and prevalence of common mental health conditions.
core
20 credits
Research Methods for Postgraduates
Gain a practical grounding in the tools used across contemporary psychological and health research. You'll work with both quantitative and qualitative approaches and learn how to choose, apply and report the right method for your question.
On the quantitative side, you'll learn how to run and interpret core analyses such as linear regression, ANOVA, logistic regression, and power calculations. On the qualitative side, you'll gain hands-on experience with thematic analysis and focus group analysis.
Weekly workshops support you step by step. You'll practise running analyses, interpreting the output, and writing up results to the standard expected in postgraduate research and publications. By the end of the module, you'll feel confident planning analyses, carrying them out, and communicating your findings clearly.
core
20 credits
Psychological Interventions
You'll be introduced to the evidence-based treatments most commonly used in mental health services, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Practical role-playing exercises help you gain experience and skill in managing an assessment session with a client, while student-led seminars focus on the evidence base for CBT and a range of other psychological therapies.
core
20 credits
Case Studies in Mental Health
You will be introduced to a variety of common mental health problems including mood disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders and substance abuse. Using fictional case histories, you will develop skills at clinical formulation based in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, even when cases are complex and incomplete.
core
20 credits
Professional Practice and Communication Skills
Explore the skills, issues, and topics surrounding professional and ethical practice and development in Psychology. You'll examine topics such as ethics in research and clinical practice, social media use, professional communication, writing and disseminating research, self-reflective professional evaluation and development, and data protection.
core
20 credits
Mental Health in Practice
Explore the range of services that support people experiencing mental health difficulties or disability.
As part of the module, you’ll complete a 50-hour placement with a local organisation. Guest speakers working in the sector will share their experiences, helping you understand what it’s really like to work in mental health services.
Employability content will encourage you to reflect on your skill development needs, in line with the NHS knowledge and skills framework. You’ll also complete a systematic literature review on a topic relevant to a local service provider.
core
20 credits
Empirical Dissertation
Enhance your independent research skills for designing, planning, conducting, analysing and writing up a research project relevant to mental health. You'll develop your critical, in-depth knowledge of a specific area of mental health; and increase your academic analytical and writing skills.
core
60 credits
Our academics
Hull has been teaching psychology since 1928. We were here when high-tech brain scanners were introduced and before the psychopharmacology revolution. And we’re here at the forefront now.
Our academics carry out research that’s making a real difference to people’s lives.
Dr Bernice Wright
Lecturer
Bernice’s research areas include mental health, cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and individual differences.
Dr Emma Lewis
Academic Tutor
Emma is a qualified cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) practitioner as well as one of our tutors. She works as a Principal Clinical Psychologist in the Hull Integrated Community Stroke Service, carrying out psychological assessments and interventions.
Entry Requirements
What do I need?
When it comes to applying for this Postgraduate Taught degree, you'll need an Undergraduate degree (or equivalent). For this course, you'll need a 2:2 from a relevant bachelor's degree.
The programme is designed for graduates who have a studied a subject that is relevant to this course.
If you’re an undergraduate student at Hull, you’re guaranteed a fast-track route to this postgraduate degree, as long as you meet the entry requirements.
In order to ensure our students have a rich learning and student experience, most of our programmes have a mix of domestic and international students. We reserve the right to close applications early to either group if application volumes suggest that this blend cannot be achieved.
Typical offer
2:2 in a relevant subject area
Typically, an Honours degree in Psychology (2:2 or above) that is recognised by the British Psychology Society (BPS) as providing Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC).
Fees & Funding
How much is it?
Scholarships
We offer a number of awards, bursaries and scholarships for eligible students. They’re awarded for a variety of reasons including academic achievement and/or to help those on lower incomes.
Scholarships and bursaries are separate to student loans. And the best bit is, you don’t pay a penny back.
Alumni Postgraduate Scholarship
University of Hull undergraduates progressing to a taught masters course may receive a 20% discount on the cost of their tuition fees.
Find out if you’re eligible by visiting the University of Hull Alumni Postgraduate Scholarship page.
See more Scholarships
We offer a range of scholarships and awards to students at the university to help with their financial load.
To view all of our scholarships and determine whether you're eligible, please visit our Scholarships and Awards page.
Our facilities
Future prospects
Designed around the core competencies of clinical psychologists, this course develops you as a mental health practitioner. Our students go on to a variety of careers working with a range of presenting mental health challenges including anxiety, depression, psychosis and eating disorders.
You’ll cover employability skills – such as CV writing and interview techniques – to further enhance your career chances after you graduate.
Our graduates go on to work as assistant psychologists, clinical psychologists in training, counselling psychologists in training, psychology wellbeing practitioners, research assistants, counsellors in primary care and public health practitioners. Others progress to PhDs or a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Take your career to the next level
Like what you’ve seen? Then it’s time to apply.
Make your application online now, and our admissions team will get back to you as soon as possible to make you an offer.
Not ready to apply yet?
We regularly deliver virtual and on-campus events to help you discover your perfect postgraduate course, whether it’s a subject you already love or something completely different. Our events are an opportunity for you to chat to tutors and current students and find out about the career options a postgraduate degree could lead to.
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All modules on this course page are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.