Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

Overview 

The Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire (UH) has been set up within the University of Hertfordshire's School of Psychology, in order to prepare clinical psychology Trainees to function effectively as clinical psychologists within the National Health Service (NHS) and in related settings. The Course has a particular remit to train clinical psychologists to take up NHS posts in Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Clinical psychologists working in the region support the course, and many are working in collaboration with the Programme Team to provide placement supervision, research supervision, teaching and skills workshops. The DClinPsy Trainees attend the University for their lectures, seminars and tutor support, but also spend approximately three days per week on their clinical placements.

The programme is based within the University's School of Psychology, which has a strong reputation for the quality and range of its teaching and research. The University of Hertfordshire is expanding, with the recent opening of a new campus and state-of-the-art recreational facilities; and the course itself is located in the new purpose-built Health Related Research Building. Trainees also benefit from the excellent library and IT facilities of the University's Learning Resource Centres, postgraduate resources, University-wide "e-learning" facilities and access to a purpose built, advanced simulation training centre which provides realistic and safe clinical and community environments for scenario-based training.

A number of current Trainees (n= 23) have presented at national and international conferences and / or have been involved in publications and submissions for publication, particularly based on Diversity Issues and Problem-Based Learning. For example, there was a recent conference on diversity at the University organised by Trainees entitled ‘What a difference a difference makes’; the proceedings of which were presented in a special issue of the Clinical Psychology Forum (232, April 2012); further a number of trainees were involved in a workshop/papers presented at international PBL conferences in Dublin (2011) and Finland (2012); some of these papers have been submitted for publication.

The three-year UH Doctoral Training Course in Clinical Psychology took its first intake of Trainees in 2001. Since then, the course has expanded and been recently re-accredited and by the British Psychological Society and re-approved by the Health Professions Council, and now takes 15 new Trainees each year. All applications for entry to the Doctorate are made through the national Clearing House for Postgraduate Courses in Clinical Psychology.

Our next intake of Trainees will be in October 2013. Application packs are available from the Clearing House from September 2012, and the deadline for applications is 4th December 2012.