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Postgraduate Taught

PGDip/GradDip Mental Health Practice in Education Settings

Please note: The below is for 2025 entries. Click here for 2024 entries.
UCAS code 1234
Duration 1 year full time
Entry year 2024 (September start)
Campus Streatham Campus
Discipline Psychology
Contact
Typical offer

View full entry requirements

Ability to study at degree level

Contextual offers

Overview

  • Develop the clinical competencies and knowledge needed in order to practice as an Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP).
  • Develop clinical competency in the low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy clinical method and whole school approaches to mental health in education settings.
  • Learn ways to adapt your clinical practice with children, young people and parents/carers to accommodate diversity and increase access to evidence-based psychological therapies.
  • Study within a vibrant, stimulating and internationally-recognised research environment, where members of your teaching team have first-hand experience within the clinical setting.
  • Your learning experience will be enriched by innovative clinical teaching approaches, designed to develop you on your terms.

View 2024 Entry

Clinical Education Development and Research (CEDAR)

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Contact

Programme administrator: Jodie Hall

Email: EMHP@exeter.ac.uk

Phone: +44 1392 726139

CEDAR logo: Clinical Education Development and Research

This programme is delivered by Clinical Education, Development and Research (CEDAR): an applied psychological practice centre of excellence, focussed on training the new psychological therapies workforce of the future.

Thinking icon: a cog inside a human head

Competency-based training, delivered according to the latest evidence-informed clinical pedagogic approaches

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Dedicated training facilities equipped with video and audio recording

Graduation cap and diploma icon: symbolizing academic achievement and success.

A strong emphasis throughout the programme is placed upon your personal and professional development

Entry requirements

  • Ability to study at degree level.
  • Proven record of previous academic attainment.
  • Good solid basic literacy and numeracy qualifications at a minimum of level 2
  • Ability to learn in a variety of settings and using a variety of learning methods
  • Computer literate
  • Ability to study as a self-motivated learner who can formulate their own progress towards learning objectives and negotiate pathways to achievement with supervisory teams.

Previous experience

  • It is desirable that the applicant will have previous experience of working with children and young people.

Applicants without a degree

This programme is offered at both postgraduate level (PGDip) and at final year undergraduate degree level (GradDip). If you do not hold an undergraduate degree you may be eligible for enrolment on the GradDip programme. The topics you will study are the same for both programmes. Please contact the administrative team for more information.

Entry requirements for international students

Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.

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Course content

The PGDip Mental Health Practice in Education Settings (EMHP) aims to:

  • Provide you with a thorough grounding in the Department of Health curriculum for Education Mental Health Practitioners working within Mental Health Support Teams.
  • Develop your understanding and clinical competency in the low intensity CBT clinical method and whole schools approaches to mental health and enable you to adapt your practice to work effectively with children and young people (CYP), their parents/carers and professionals with diverse needs.
  • Provide you with the foundations to establish a commitment to continuing professional development and becoming an evidence-based practitioner.
  • Provide you with a high quality and stimulating learning experience in a supportive environment that is enriched by an internationally-recognised research environment, nationally-recognised innovative clinical teaching approaches and current clinical practice.

120 credits of compulsory modules

Compulsory modules

CodeModule Credits
PYCM079 Children and Young People's Mental Health Settings: Context and Values 20
PYCM080 Fundamental Skills: Assessment and Engagement 20
PYCM081 Evidence-based Interventions for Common Mental Health Problems with Children and Young People (Theory and Skills) 20
PYCM082 Working, Assessing and Engaging in Education Settings 20
PYCM083 Common Problems and Processes in Education Settings 20
PYCM084 Interventions for Emerging Mental Health Difficulties in Education Settings 20

How to apply

In order to apply for this programme you will need to be selected as a Trainee Education Mental Health Practitioner (EHMP) with one of our NHS/voluntary sector partner services. Please see the SW CYP IAPT website for a full list of services. The EHMP is a full-time job role funded at NHS Band 4 and will involve direct practice working across a range of educational settings as well as university-based training days. Upon completion of your training, you will remain employed within your service at a NHS Band 5 Pay Scale.

Jobs will be advertised on the NHS jobs website and on individual partner websites, as well as on our SW CYP IAPT website. Please note it is not possible to apply directly to the University of Exeter as you are required to be working within a service in order to participate in the course.

Fees

This course is funded by Health Education England, so fees are not payable by candidates. You will be employed and paid by your service and will split your time between working clinically at your education setting and studying at the university.

Scholarships

We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. This includes over £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*.

For more information on scholarships, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.

Teaching and research

EMHP teaching includes e-learning, service based learning days via group problem-based learning (PBL), learning sets and supervised clinical practice in the workplace and workshops, skills practice and classroom learning at university. There are also workplace directed learning days with activities that build on university teaching sessions. These are timetabled days. 1-1 tutorials will also be offered during the course.

Assessments include a recorded presentation, a written exam, clinical reports, clinical skills competency assessments, reflective commentary, a word report of audit, practice outcomes document and portfolio.

Careers

This programme is for people with experience of working in a mental health or education setting. It will provide you with an outstanding opportunity to develop your competencies and knowledge associated with low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy and whole school approaches to mental health in education settings.

A strong emphasis throughout the programme is placed upon your personal and professional development.

Advantages of the programme are that:

  • You will study within a vibrant, stimulating and internationally-recognised research environment, where members of your teaching team have first-hand experience within the clinical setting.
  • Your learning experience will be enriched by nationally-recognised, innovative, clinical teaching approaches, designed to develop you on your terms.