Mental Health in Children and Young People: Psychological Approaches (Online Learning) MSc
Online
DURATION
2 up to 4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
GBP 15,200 / per course *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* Estimated total tuition fees for Mental Health in Children and Young People: Psychological Approaches (MSc) | PgCert: £5,070 | PgDip: £10,135
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Introduction
The MSc Mental Health in Children and Young People: Psychological Approaches (Online Learning) offers a unique perspective. It highlights that developmental processes at multiple levels, from individual to socio-cultural influence children and young people’s mental health and well-being. It also emphasises the need for this dynamic and interactional system to inform approaches to working with mental health and well-being.
By drawing on the knowledge and clinical experience of a world-class department of clinical and health psychology, the programme aims to equip students with the knowledge necessary for understanding children and young people’s mental health and well-being from this unique perspective. The programme will also draw upon many other theoretical areas, including:
- early intervention
- health promotion
- public health
- health and social inequalities
- critical psychology
- developmental psychopathology and resilience
The programme is part-time, fully online, and designed with professionals in mind. The online delivery format and part-time study options allow for professionals from a range of disciplinary backgrounds to develop knowledge and practice whilst continuing to meet individual life and work demands.
The core elements of the programme include both conceptual and applied courses. At the conceptual level, the programme will review different theories of children and young people’s mental health involved in the complex structure of typical and atypical development. At the applied level it will include the application of psychological knowledge to difficulties experienced by children and young people and the critical appraisal of psychological knowledge and practice.
Distinctive features of the programme, include:
- the integration of clinical and professional practice with current theoretical and empirical developments in the evidence base for, and delivery of, mental health programmes for children and young people
- flexibility of delivery
- opportunities for knowledge exchange between a range of graduates and practitioners from multi-professional backgrounds
- many opportunities for the synthesis of theory, evidence and practice
Graduates of the programme can expect to develop key skills and abilities, which are transferable to a number of professional domains, including:
- knowledge and understanding of the developmental and well-being literature
- research and enquiry skills
- personal and intellectual autonomy skills
- technical and practical skills
- communication skills
Online learning
All of the teachings on the MSc are delivered entirely online, allowing for flexible and responsive approaches to learning, assessment and support of our students and reaching a wide range of graduates and professionals from all over the world.
The online teaching methods include:
- video lectures
- online tutorials
- wikis
- discussion boards
- online conferences
- films and videos
- independent study and research
The University's full range of online learning resources will be available to students; for example:
- Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing software
- e-books and online academic journals
- Searcher (a unified platform to access all bibliographic databases available at the University).
As well as our online courses, students are welcome to enrol on our campus-based courses (up to 60 credits), if they can attend the University for teaching, thus increasing flexibility and choice. Please note that students enrolled on this programme would not be eligible to apply for a Tier 4 visa.
Rankings
The University of Edinburgh is a World Top 30 University (QS World University Rankings 2025).
Career Opportunities
The programme has been designed to enhance the career development of a range of professions involved in the provision of psychological health and care by improving awareness and application of psychological theory to clinical practice and by broadening the theoretical base from which professions practice.
Previous students have continued to work in, or entered, a range of professions including:
- Clinical practice
- Nursing
- Social work and social care
- Teaching
- Voluntary sector organisations
Recent graduates interested in working in the area of child and adolescent mental health would also benefit from this programme. The degree demonstrates a student's high level of commitment to working with children and young people.
Curriculum
The programme is delivered entirely online, which means that it is geared towards off-campus study. This programme has been developed as an approach to online learning that allows students from around the world to apply.
The programme is designed to be completed part-time. The minimum period the programme can be completed is two years, with a maximum completion time of four years. At least 20 credits of courses must be taken each year.
The approximate time commitment per 20 credit course is 10-15 study hours per week. Each course involves 8-12 sessions. The amount of study time you need will depend on how many modules you take at one time.
There are a number of qualification routes available; students enrol on the MSc programme pathway and can exit at any of the following qualification junctures:
- Postgraduate Certificate
- Postgraduate Diploma
- MSc
Courses offered as part of the programme include:
- Social Inequality and Child and Adolescent Mental Health
- Research Methods in Applied Psychology (OL)
- Applied Developmental Psychopathology (OL)
- Child Migration & Mental Health
- Typical & Atypical Child Development
- Trauma and Resilience in a Developmental Context
The dissertation project takes the form of a systematic review or meta-analysis, or empirical research, relating to an aspect of psychological theory, or a psychological model, with relevance to clinical practice in the field of child and adolescent mental health and well-being.