Clinical Child Psychology MSc

Core modules

• Issues in Scientific Research

  This module is designed to help introduce you to the theoretical and practical complexities of the research process. The module will cover both qualitative and quantitative techniques, and it is aimed as a series of taster sessions. If you feel any of the techniques suits your research, your supervisor, and expert members of staff, will help you learn more about your chosen technique. Research training in the form of literature searching, constructing literature reviews, communicating and publicising your work will also be covered. Additional areas to be covered in this module include: The research process, research techniques, research ethics and scientific writing skills. This module is delivered face-to-face over 24h of lectures (2h per week) and requires 264h of student managed learning (11 hours for workshop preparation, 75h for reading and writing essays and 78 h for writing the portfolio) totalling 288h hours of learning activities.

• Diagnosis and Treatment in Clinical Child Psychology

  In this module, you will be given an overview of the diagnosis of different developmental psychopathologies, looking at the different classifications systems. You will gain knowledge about methods of diagnosis, including infant observation, psychological assessment and diagnostic interviewing.

• Developmental Psychopathology

  Explore the developmental cause, risk factors and implications to everyday life in children with both developmental disorders and child-related mental health problems. Within developmental disorders, the topics covered will include normative development, autism and pervasive developmental disorders and language and communication disorders. Within child mental ill health the topics covered will include affective disorders, eating disorders and substance abuse, and childhood trauma.

• Quantitative Research Methods

  Develop a critical understanding of the principles of data collection and analysis for psychology and consider the theoretical basis of advanced quantitative methods. You will analyse example data sets using general linear models such as ANOVA, MANOVA, ANCOVA, multiple linear regression, and factor analysis. You will learn about good reporting practices and will learn how to report and interpret complex results. These chosen statistical methods have been directed by the Economic and Social Research Council's Postgraduate Training Guidelines (fourth and fifth editions).

• Masters Project

  You'll chose an independent research topic from an area of expertise within our department (subject to availability of suitable supervision) and will conduct a significant research project in that area which may involve a literature review, data collection, analysis and a write-up. The final piece of work should be equivalent to a maximum of 12,000 words.