About this course

Develop the skills to become a confident cognitive behavioural therapy practitioner and help treat patients with anxiety and depression on this PGDip at the University of Southampton. Enhance an existing career or start a new one with this professionally accredited qualification.

On this postgraduate diploma we’ll train you in using evidence-based CBT to treat mild to moderate anxiety and mild to severe depression.

We run the course in line with national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) guidelines, and jointly recruit through partner IAPT services.

It’s open to high intensity IAPT trainees and others interested in developing specialist skills in this area.

You’ll develop:

a clear understanding of cognitive behavioural concepts, models and methods
a critical appreciation of the literature on which sound clinical decision-making is based
skills in collaborative assessment, formulation and treatment based on empirically validated models

Course location

This course is based at Highfield.

Awarding body

This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.

Download the programme specification

The programme specification sets out the learning outcomes of this course and details how the course is taught and assessed.

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Download 2021-22 programme specification

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Entry requirements

Academic

You’ll need a 2:1 degree in one of the following subjects:

psychology
medicine
social work
occupational therapy
nursing
or an equivalent professional qualification

If you have a nursing qualification that is not a degree, it must be equivalent to an undergraduate PG diploma.

Find the equivalent international qualifications for your country.

Professional

You must provide evidence of at least 4 years' full time experience, and prior training, experience or knowledge in:

CBT
interpersonal skills
mental health problems
interviewing
general assessment
understanding of ethical and professional issues

If you have a different professional background, you may be considered on an individual basis, by submitting a portfolio of evidence linked to the BABCP 'Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes' criteria.

English language requirements

If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:

IELTS score requirements

overall score: 7.0
reading: 6.5
writing: 6.5
speaking: 6.5
listening: 6.5

We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.

Recognition of professional experience

If don’t have the exact entry requirements, but you have significant work experience in this sector we’ll assess your relevant professional experience, your subject knowledge and your aptitude for learning.

Your application will be considered on individual merit and you may be asked to attend an interview.

Got a question?

Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000

Course structure

This is a full-time course that runs for 12 months. You’ll need to attend the University for 2 days a week.

The course is made up of 7 modules, all of which you’ll need to take and pass in order to achieve the postgraduate diploma. The pass mark for all modules is 50%.

Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.

Modules

For entry in Academic Year 2021-22

You must study the following modules:

CBT Fundamentals

The aim of this module is to extend your knowledge and understanding of CBT assessment and formulation and to examine CBT change methods in depth. The module focuses on generic therapeutic and basic competencies, as well as specific behavioural and cognit...

CBT Supervision 1 (Generic)

The aim of this module is to apply your knowledge and understanding of CBT assessment and formulation and to examine CBT change methods in depth. The module focuses on generic therapeutic and basic competencies, as well as specific behavioural and cogniti...

CBT Supervision 2 (Anxiety)

The aim of this module is to apply your knowledge and understanding of CBT assessment and formulation for anxiety and to examine CBT change methods in depth. The module focuses on generic therapeutic and basic competencies, as well as specific behavioural...

CBT Supervision 3 (Depression)

The aim of this module is to apply your knowledge and understanding of CBT assessment and formulation for depression and to examine CBT change methods in depth. The module focuses on generic therapeutic and basic competencies, as well as specific behaviou...

CBT for Anxiety (Long)

The aim of this module is to extend your knowledge and understanding of CBT assessment and formulation and to examine CBT change methods in depth - as applied to anxiety presentations. You may take the full module (PSYC6107) covering a full range of pr...

CBT for Depression

The aim of this module is to extend your knowledge and understanding of CBT assessment and formulation and to examine CBT change methods in depth - as applied to depression.

Learning and assessment

Learning

The learning activities for this course include:

lectures
interactive workshops
group work
independent learning

Assessment

We’ll assess you through:

case reports
essays
therapy recordings

Academic Support

We'll assign you a personal academic tutor, and you'll have access to a senior tutor.

Careers

This training provides a pathway towards British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) accreditation, allowing you to pursue a professional career in CBT.

Careers services at Southampton

We're a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020). Our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout your time as a student and for up to 5 years after graduation. This support includes:

work experience schemes
CV/resume and interview skills workshops
networking events
careers fairs attended by top employers
a wealth of volunteering opportunities
study abroad and summer school opportunities

We have a thriving entrepreneurship culture. You'll be able to take advantage of:

our dedicated start-up incubator, Futureworlds
a wide variety of enterprise events run throughout the year
our partnership in the world’s number 1 business incubator, SETsquared

Fees, costs and funding

Tuition fees

Health Education England (HEE) will pay your fees for this course.

Fees for a year's study:

UK students pay £10,029.
This course is not available to EU and international students.

Check fees for other versions of this course.

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fee covers the full cost of tuition and any exams.

Find out how to pay your tuition fees.

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:

Funding your postgraduate studies

A variety of additional scholarships, grants and bursaries may be available to help you fund your master’s study, both from the University and from other organisations.

How to apply

Use the 'apply for this course' button on this page to take you to our online application form.
Search for the course you want to apply for.
Complete the application form and upload any supporting documents.
Submit your application.

Application deadlines

UK students

Applications must be received no later than 4 weeks before the start of the course. You must supply all supporting documentation at least 2 weeks before starting your course.

Application assessment fee

We’ll ask you to pay a £50 application assessment fee if you’re applying for any postgraduate taught course that starts in or after September 2021.

This is an extra one-off charge which is separate to your tuition fees. It covers the work and time it takes us to assess your application. You’ll be prompted to pay when you submit your application which won’t progress until you've paid.

If you're a current or former University of Southampton student, or if you're applying for a Master of Research (MRes) degree, you will not need to pay the fee. Find out if you’re exempt on our terms and conditions page.

Supporting information

When you apply you’ll need to submit a personal statement explaining why you want to take the course.

You’ll need to include information about:

your knowledge of the subject area
why you want to study a postgraduate qualification in this course
how you intend to use your qualification

You'll also need to send 2 academic references.

Please include the required paperwork showing your first degree and your IELTS English language test score (if you are a non-native English speaker) with your application. Without these, your application may be delayed.

Learn more about how to apply with our postgraduate application guide.