War & Psychiatry MSc

Our MSc in War & Psychiatry will introduce you to ways of understanding how individuals, both members of the armed forces and civilians, prepare for and cope with psychological trauma. It is designed to develop the knowledge and skills required to explore the field of human conflict. Drawing on multidisciplinary expertise from history, psychology and epidemiology, you will have the opportunity to compare the experiences of different nations to explore both theoretical and practical aspects of the subject. The course is relevant for careers in military psychiatry and related NGOs, emergency response and anti-terrorist services. We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face-to-face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

Key benefits

• You will gain an understanding of how people prepare themselves for war, cope during conflict and adjust to peacetime life.
• You will be taught by internationally recognised researchers and clinicians.
• You will learn not only about the psychological effects on soldiers fighting on the front line but also how civilians cope when subjected to the trauma of war or acts of terrorism.
• You will examine the psychology of conflict through different cultures.
• You will develop knowledge and skills not necessarily provided by clinical training.

“For me, undertaking an MSc in War and Psychiatry has been one of the best choices I have ever made. The MSc in War and Psychiatry is such a unique and distinguished programme that it often sets me apart from other people with postgraduate degrees. ”

Ruiko, Past student, War & Psychiatry MScShow more

Course essentials

How do members of the armed forces and civilians cope with the psychological trauma of war? To answer this complex question and more, you’ll explore existing literature, the latest research, and the development and practice of military psychiatry. We’ll help you compare the psychology of different nations and look at the subject from both a theoretical and practical point of view. Then you’ll reflect on how this relates to work in psychiatry, NGOs, emergency, or anti-terrorist services. You’ll complete a dissertation which gives you a chance to personalise the course to your own interests. This will also challenge you to identify, plan and propose solutions to problems at the forefront of the field. Read more about the course on our webpages. “Students hear from guest speakers throughout the year – we bring in a range of experts including counter-terrorism specialists, members of the armed forces, and clinical psychiatrists.” Professor Edgar Jones, Course Leader

Base campuses

Denmark Hill Campus

Home to the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, clinical and teaching facilities for the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences and the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation.

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry requirements

Loading...

Teaching & structure

Teaching methods - what to expect

You will be taught through a mix of lectures, seminars and tutorials.

War and Psychiatry

Lectures (30 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (20 hours) | Self-study time (250 hours)

Advanced Concepts in Military Psychiatry

Lectures (10 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (15 hours) | Self-study time (275 hours)

Civilians and Extreme Trauma: The Impact of Warfare, Disasters and Political Repression

Lectures (30 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (20 hours) | Self-study time (250 hours)

Geographies of trauma: Memory, emotion and place

Lectures (10 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (15 hours) | Self-study time (125 hours)

Transgenerational and cultural legacies of trauma

Lectures (10 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (15 hours) | Self-study time (125 hours)

Psychological Dimensions of Conflict

Lectures (30 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (20 hours) | Self-study time (250 hours)

Research Dissertation

Lectures (20 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (10 hours) Self-study time (570 hours)

Contact time is based on 24 academic weeks. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

 

Assessment

Structure

Required modules

Courses are divided into module. Each year you will normally take modules totalling 180 credits. Students on this course are required to take:

Full time Year 1 – Required Modules

War & Psychiatry: An Introduction (30 credits)

Advanced Concepts in Military Psychiatry (30 credits)

Psychological Dimensions of Conflict (30 credits)

Research Dissertation (60 credits)

Part-Time Year 1 – Required Modules

War & Psychiatry: An Introduction (30 credits)

Advanced Concepts in Military Psychiatry (30 credits)

Psychological Dimensions of Conflict (30 credits)

Part-Time Year 2 – Required Modules

Research Dissertation (60 credits)

Students are strongly encouraged to attend the following modules and will be required to give one presentation:

Optional modules

Full time

Geographies of trauma: Memory, emotion and place (15 credits)

Transgenerational and cultural legacies of trauma (15 credits)

Civilians & Extreme Trauma: The Impact of Warfare, Disasters & Political Repression (30 credits)

Part-time Year-one Part-time students take optional modules in the second year

Part-time Year two

Geographies of trauma: Memory, emotion and place (15 credits)

Transgenerational and cultural legacies of trauma (15 credits)

Civilians & Extreme Trauma: The Impact of Warfare, Disasters & Political Repression (30 credits)

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Careers

Employability

Much of the course content is of a practical nature designed to inform the assessment and treatment of psychological casualties. In addition, our course has invited speakers from the armed forces, military charities and the emergency services. A presentation is given by the IoPPN’s Careers Consultant and individual meetings with students can be arranged to explore job opportunities.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £11,040 per year (2022/23)

Part time: £5,520 per year (2022/23)

International:

Full time: £32,940 per year (2022/23)

Part time: £16,470 per year (2022/23)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

When you receive an offer for this course you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. The deposit will be credited towards your total fee payment.

The UK deposit is £500.

The INTERNATIONAL deposit is £2,000.

• If you receive an offer on or before 31 March, payment is due by 25 April 2022.
• If you receive an offer between 1 April and 30 June, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 1 July and 31 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 1 August and 21 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 22 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
• Library fees and fines
• Personal photocopies
• Printing course handouts
• Society membership fees
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses
• Graduation costs
• Printing one copy of the dissertation
• £50 contribution to the weekend battlefield tour of Ypres
• Travel costs to Combat Stress near Leatherhead

Funding

• Course essentials
• Entry requirements
• Teaching & structure
• Careers
• Fees & Funding

How do members of the armed forces and civilians cope with the psychological trauma of war? To answer this complex question and more, you’ll explore existing literature, the latest research, and the development and practice of military psychiatry. We’ll help you compare the psychology of different nations and look at the subject from both a theoretical and practical point of view. Then you’ll reflect on how this relates to work in psychiatry, NGOs, emergency, or anti-terrorist services. You’ll complete a dissertation which gives you a chance to personalise the course to your own interests. This will also challenge you to identify, plan and propose solutions to problems at the forefront of the field. Read more about the course on our webpages. “Students hear from guest speakers throughout the year – we bring in a range of experts including counter-terrorism specialists, members of the armed forces, and clinical psychiatrists.” Professor Edgar Jones, Course Leader

Base campuses

Denmark Hill Campus

Home to the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, clinical and teaching facilities for the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences and the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation.

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Loading...

Teaching methods - what to expect

You will be taught through a mix of lectures, seminars and tutorials.

War and Psychiatry

Lectures (30 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (20 hours) | Self-study time (250 hours)

Advanced Concepts in Military Psychiatry

Lectures (10 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (15 hours) | Self-study time (275 hours)

Civilians and Extreme Trauma: The Impact of Warfare, Disasters and Political Repression

Lectures (30 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (20 hours) | Self-study time (250 hours)

Geographies of trauma: Memory, emotion and place

Lectures (10 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (15 hours) | Self-study time (125 hours)

Transgenerational and cultural legacies of trauma

Lectures (10 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (15 hours) | Self-study time (125 hours)

Psychological Dimensions of Conflict

Lectures (30 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (20 hours) | Self-study time (250 hours)

Research Dissertation

Lectures (20 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (10 hours) Self-study time (570 hours)

Contact time is based on 24 academic weeks. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

 

Assessment

Structure

Required modules

Courses are divided into module. Each year you will normally take modules totalling 180 credits. Students on this course are required to take:

Full time Year 1 – Required Modules

War & Psychiatry: An Introduction (30 credits)

Advanced Concepts in Military Psychiatry (30 credits)

Psychological Dimensions of Conflict (30 credits)

Research Dissertation (60 credits)

Part-Time Year 1 – Required Modules

War & Psychiatry: An Introduction (30 credits)

Advanced Concepts in Military Psychiatry (30 credits)

Psychological Dimensions of Conflict (30 credits)

Part-Time Year 2 – Required Modules

Research Dissertation (60 credits)

Students are strongly encouraged to attend the following modules and will be required to give one presentation:

Optional modules

Full time

Geographies of trauma: Memory, emotion and place (15 credits)

Transgenerational and cultural legacies of trauma (15 credits)

Civilians & Extreme Trauma: The Impact of Warfare, Disasters & Political Repression (30 credits)

Part-time Year-one Part-time students take optional modules in the second year

Part-time Year two

Geographies of trauma: Memory, emotion and place (15 credits)

Transgenerational and cultural legacies of trauma (15 credits)

Civilians & Extreme Trauma: The Impact of Warfare, Disasters & Political Repression (30 credits)

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Employability

Much of the course content is of a practical nature designed to inform the assessment and treatment of psychological casualties. In addition, our course has invited speakers from the armed forces, military charities and the emergency services. A presentation is given by the IoPPN’s Careers Consultant and individual meetings with students can be arranged to explore job opportunities.

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £11,040 per year (2022/23)

Part time: £5,520 per year (2022/23)

International:

Full time: £32,940 per year (2022/23)

Part time: £16,470 per year (2022/23)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

When you receive an offer for this course you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. The deposit will be credited towards your total fee payment.

The UK deposit is £500.

The INTERNATIONAL deposit is £2,000.

• If you receive an offer on or before 31 March, payment is due by 25 April 2022.
• If you receive an offer between 1 April and 30 June, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 1 July and 31 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 1 August and 21 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 22 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
• Library fees and fines
• Personal photocopies
• Printing course handouts
• Society membership fees
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses
• Graduation costs
• Printing one copy of the dissertation
• £50 contribution to the weekend battlefield tour of Ypres
• Travel costs to Combat Stress near Leatherhead

Funding

Application closing date guidance