About this course
This MSc course, which has been accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), will be the foundation for your training to become a qualified Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP).
Alongside your formal study of clinical psychology theory and practice, you will undertake practice-based learning and supervised clinical practice in a relevant NHS health or social care setting under the supervision of a registered clinical or counselling Psychologist.
You’ll develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours necessary to work safely and effectively as a CAP, including knowledge of governance, ethical and organisational issues.
We will train you to work effectively with individuals experiencing mental health problems using evidence-based approaches. You'll develop skills in psychological assessment, formulation and intervention, and in how to evaluate and enhance your practice. Your developing clinical practice skills and competence will be reviewed and assessed throughout the course.
As you work to become a reflective, ethical and competent practitioner, you'll gain the experience needed to contribute to the effective provision of psychologically informed care across the wider health and social care system.
On completion of your degree apprenticeship, you will have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and behaviours to work as a qualified CAP, and be able to:
This course is designed for psychology graduates employed by health and social care providers as apprentice Clinical Associates in Psychology. The CAP role aims to address unmet needs in mental health provision, as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan and Community Mental Health Framework.
Studying with us
You will join our Department of Psychology, which offers several accredited professional postgraduate programmes in psychology, as well as a highly ranked undergraduate degree in the subject.
Research interests in the department span a broad range of clinically relevant topics, including:
Graduate prospects
On successful completion of this apprenticeship degree, you’ll be eligible to join the British Psychological Society (BPS) Wider Psychological Workforce register as a Clinical Associate in Psychology, and apply for Clinical Associate in Psychology roles in the NHS.
Course ethos
We aim to provide a supportive, stimulating environment to nurture CAP apprentices as they grow professionally. Because of this, our course mixes learning that is practice-based as well as problem-based.
We believe that the classroom should be an extension of the workplaces in which CAPs are embedded, offering academic learning that is fully grounded in clinical practice. This means that CAPs will be encouraged to bring their experience from practice to the teaching we provide and to take what they learn back to their workplaces to create a virtuous cycle of learning.
By doing this, we will support apprentices to become reflective and ethical practitioners who can work with complex presentations in an evolving health and social care context. In addition to ensuring that the practice we teach is evidence-based and outcome-focused, we will encourage apprentices to pay close attention to wider organisational, social and cultural trends.
Career Prospects
Graduates from this course typically go into the following occupations:
Related Courses
Sport and Exercise Science with professional placement or study abroad
University of Bath
A-Levels
AAA - A*AB
Avg. Salary
£27,000
Sport Management
University of Bath
Applied Clinical Psychology
University of Bath
Course Details
- Qualification
- MSc
- Study Mode
- Part-time
- Duration
- 18 Months
- Start Date
- 2025
- Academic Year
- 2025
- Campus / Location
- Bath
- Scheme
- Postgraduate
- Subjects
- Psychology