MSc Child Mental Health

The MSc Child Mental Health offers a uniquely rich learning experience through a partnership combining the expertise of world-renowned developmental psychologists and leading clinical psychologists. You will build critical insights, in-depth knowledge and practical skills as you learn about:

• The questions, theories and evidence behind our modern understanding of development and neurodevelopmental conditions
• The critical and the practical challenges involved in doing research in developmental science and in clinical psychology
• Working with children and adolescents, in clinical practice and in research on mental health intervention or treatment

Who is this programme for?

Those who wish to explore the dynamic processes shaping development and mental health and build the practical and research skills required for careers working with children and young people. The MSc in Child Mental Health is a route to professional training (e.g., Doctorate in Clinical Psychology) or to work with children and young people, in research on development or mental health, or in education and social care.

Looking ahead to employability

You will learn from expert teachers who are world-leading researchers in developmental psychology and in clinical psychology. You will:

• Learn how clinical psychology researchers design, develop, evaluate and deliver mental health interventions and treatments
• Deepen your knowledge and understanding of the nature of development and neurodevelopmental conditions
• Engage in stimulating debates to develop your critical insights into the important conceptual and ethical issues for policy, practice and research
• Develop your skills in using quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods
• Work with real examples of mental health research to highlight how these methods can be applied and developed to meet real-world problems

What to expect

Through a mix of seminars, activity-based workshops and lectures, you will learn about the important questions scientists are now exploring as we try to understand neurodivergent development, mental health, and how we can make a difference to the lives of children and young people.

You will learn how scientists working at the cutting-edge seek to understand human development, as we examine a range of neurodevelopmental conditions, their psychological and behavioural characteristics, how we make assessments and what we can do to develop interventions.

Explore the dynamic processes shaping mental health across childhood and adolescence, focusing on core individual factors like emotion regulation and executive function, and examining how they interact with family, school, peers, technology and experiences of adversity. Throughout our work together, you will learn about the practical concerns, experiences and questions that confront practice in the delivery of mental health interventions or treatments across the lifespan.

Your Master’s culminates with a dissertation project where you can contribute evidence to answering real research questions, as independent researchers, or working as part of research teams.

Three things we would like you to know

• You will learn from world-class developmental scientists and from experts in the theory and practice of clinical psychology
• Our staff are involved in internationally significant research on how to better understand and treat mental health difficulties like bipolar disorder
• Our developmental research facilities include a large Infant and Child Development Lab

Flexible study options

Study alongside work and other commitments by taking this course on a part-time basis. Running over two years, you take a selection of the modules each year.

We will liaise with you over your choice of optional modules and your schedule, so that you can successfully balance your work and other commitments alongside the Master’s programme.