Postgraduate Programmes
Closing date for receipt of applications for the 2010-2013 programme has passed. We are no longer accepting applications for the 2010 programme.
Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology
Application FormApplication NotesThe D Psych Sc is a 3 year research degree and professional training programme in clinical psychology. The course is fully accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland.
Objectives
The central objective of the course is to train postgraduates to a level which will enable them to work safely, competently and ethically as a basic grade clinical psychologist and to provide a foundation for later specialization through continuing professional development. Postgraduates graduating from the course should be able toOrientation
Within the D Psych Sc programme the psychologist's role is conceptualized as that of a professional scientist-practitioner who works within a shared care model of multidisciplinary health service delivery. The psychologist as a professional is guided by codes of ethics and practice such as those laid down by the Psychological Society of Ireland. As a scientist, the psychologist brings knowledge of the findings of the science of psychology and the methods used to investigate problems scientifically to bear on clinical practice and health service delivery. As a practitioner, the psychologist is skilled in specific assessment and intervention methods and is sensitive to the way in which personal psychological strengths and vulnerabilities impinge upon skilled clinical practice. The importance of contributing a uniquely psychological perspective to multidisciplinary team practice is a central part of the clinical psychologists role.Structure and Content
The programme spans three calendar years and runs from September in first year to September in third year. It is full-time, inclusive of academic holidays. It consists of an integrated programme of research, academic study, and supervised clinical practice in a variety of clinical settings.Research
Postgraduates complete a major doctoral research project, which makes a contribution to knowledge in the field of clinical psychology, along with a series of minor projects, essays, and case studies over the three years of the programme. All of this work is presented as a two volume doctoral thesis and is examined by viva voce examination in the third year. A day per week over 3 years is set aside for research and the final six week academic block is set aside in third year for thesis completion. Psychologists in clinical training receive individual academic supervision for their theses and complete coursework on research methods, statistics and computing.Academic Coursework
Academic teaching is provided in six-week blocks that occur twice a year in the autumn and spring before each of the relevant placements. Academic coursework covers the following areas:- Child and adolescent clinical psychology
- Adult clinical psychology (including the psychology of the older adult)
- The psychology of intellectual disabilities
- Neuropsychology
- Personal and professional development
Clinical Placements
Postgraduates complete six 4.5 month placements of supervised clinical practice which provide training and clinical experience in the following areas:- Child and adolescent clinical psychology
- Adult clinical psychology
- The clinical psychology of intellectual disabilities
- The clinical psychology of older adulthood
- Specialist areas.
Postgraduates complete most of their six placements in their sponsoring agency. In addition, through elective placements, postgraduates may gain experience in a variety of specialist areas including neuropsychology, paediatric psychology, health psychology, psychology of addiction, psychology of physical disabilities, forensic psychology, psychotherapy, and psychology of terminal illness. Elective placements may be arranged outside Ireland in the UK, North America and elsewhere with permission of sponsors. At present the UCD course participates in an EU programme with a clinical psychology course at the Institute of Psychiatry, King�s College London.
Admission Requirements and Selection
The programme is advertised in The Irish Psychologist and a national newspaper in October. Short listing of candidates for interview is carried out immediately after the December closing date for receipt of applications. Preliminary interviews are held in January following which a small number of candidates are selected for final interview a short time later.Applicants are selected on the basis of their basic clinical skills and potential; their academic record; their research skills; and their personal suitability for the role of clinical psychologist.
Applicants for the course must hold a 2.1 honours degree in psychology or an honours diploma in psychology which makes them eligible for graduate membership of The Psychological Society of Ireland or the British Psychological Society. In addition graduates should have relevant experience in clinical practice and/or clinical research.
Applicants must have the basic clinical skills required for establishing working relationships with clients or patients on the one hand and professional colleagues on the other. Clinical skills and potential are judged by taking into account the way in which candidates have made use of the opportunities available to them to engage in relevant clinical experiences. Work as a psychological assistant, a care assistant, a nursing assistant, a research assistant on a clinical research project, or a post-graduate research degree where the project was conducted in a clinical area are typical examples of the types of experience that are considered to be relevant in this context. Completion of short courses and workshops which have contributed to the development of clinical skills are also taken into account in judging clinical skill and potential.
In judging academic suitability, account is taken of the honours grade of the primary degree and also of additional degrees in related fields such as counselling or health psychology.
In judging research skills, account is taken of participation in clinical research projects; publication of research reports; development of computing skills; and of qualifications obtained in related fields such as research psychology or statistics.
Unfortunately, each year we receive many excellent applications but are only able to offer places to a small number of applicants.
This means that there is a chance that you will not be selected this year. Here is some information that may be helpful to you if you are not selected this time around.
Throughout the short listing and selection procedures candidates are rank-ordered in terms of suitability for the programme. Candidates who are not successful in obtaining a place on the programme one year should not interpret this to mean that they will be judged to be unsuitable if they reapply. Rather, failure to be selected one year, means that the candidate was not as suitable as the candidates selected on that particular year.
Should you fail to be selected this year, our advice is for you to enhance your portfolio of relevant clinical experience and relevant clinical research over the coming year and re-apply for the programme next year. As your portfolio of relevant experience expands it becomes more likely that your application will be ranked highly enough, in comparison with other applicants, to be selected. Many successful graduates of the programme made more than three unsuccessful applications!!
Financial Aspects
To date sponsorship has been available from health care agencies covering a 60% contribution towards fees and a trainee clinical psychologist salary for the three years of the programme. These procedures which have been in operation for postgraduates on the UCD clinical psychology course over the past number of years, are all subject to review in light of future national developments in the funding of clinical psychology training.
For further information on our sponsors, The Health Service Executive and the Order of Saint John of Gods Services see
http://www.hse.ie
http://www.ucd.ie/psychology/documents/SJOGfactsheet.pdf
Administration & Staff
The day-to-day running of the programme is managed by Muriel Keegan, Programme Administrator, Professor Alan Carr, Programme Director; Dr Gary O'Reilly, Deputy Programme Director; Dr Barbara Dooley, Research Co-ordinator; Ms Sara Hollwey,M Psych Sc, Clinical Co-ordinator; and Dr. Jessica Bramham, Clinical Neuropsychology Lecturer.Academic staff from the School of Psychology and clinical supervisors from the course placements are involved in teaching, research supervision and the supervision of clinical practice.
The Course Advisory Committee develops course policy. This committee includes the course team, the head of the School of Psychology, and representatives of the sponsoring health agencies and representatives of the postgraduates.
Intake Plans
Selection for the 2010-2013 programme will begin this Autumn 2009. The closing date for receipt of applications will be Friday 20th November 2009. First round interviews will take place on Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd January 2010, and second round interviews a week later on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th January 2010. Successful applicants will begin the clinical psychology training programme in September 2010.
All application materials will be available to download shortly. Advertisements will appear in the Irish Psychologist October 2009 issue. Please check this web page on a regular basis for further updates.
Muriel Keegan,
Programme Administrator,
D Psych Sc Clinical Psychology Programme,
(Room G205C) UCD School of Psychology,
Newman Building,
University College Dublin,
Belfied, Dublin 4,
Ireland.
Queries may be addressed to Muriel Keegan at
T: +353-(0)-1-716-8120; E: muriel.keegan@ucd.ie
Postgraduate Studies for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy in Europe