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Early Intervention in Psychosis MSc

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We are proud to have been awarded an IoPPN Excellence Award in 2017 and 2018 for student satisfaction in the Postgraduate Taught Education Survey (PTES).

People who experience a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder of psychotic depression, can and do recover, but identifying and treating symptoms early is vital to long-term recovery.  

Our Early Intervention in Psychosis MSc is the only one of its kind in the world. You’ll learn how to identify and treat psychosis using a holistic and people-centred approach, and you will acquire clinical expertise that is invaluable in all areas of mental health. 

The course information sheet is a printable version of the information on this web page, which you can download here.

 


Key benefits  

  • Study the only MSc in Early Intervention in Psychosis in the world 

  • Develop expertise and experience applicable to all areas of mental health 

  • Understand psychosis from biological, psychological and social perspectives 

  • Learn from clinicians and academics who carry out pioneering work in the field 

  • Complete a clinical placement in the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust that matches your experience and ambitions. 

  • This course provides an ideal step towards clinical psychology training, with most of our students going on to the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

Teaching  

Our teaching team have extensive experience delivering early intervention and researching the field. They’ll provide an insight into the challenges they face and share their experiences. 

We want to help you get the most out of the course – we’ll talk to you about what you want to achieve and organise a clinical placement that matches your experience.  

Key information

Application status Open

Duration One year FT; two years PT, September to September

Study mode Full-time, Part-time

Credit value UK 180/ECTS 90

Course leaders

Dr. Andrea Mechelli (Programme Director) 

Email: a.mechelli@kcl.ac.uk  or earlyintervention@kcl.ac.uk

Further details

Course contact for further information

Postgraduate Admissions Team, Admissions Office tel: +44 (0) 20 7848 7000 fax: +44 (0) 20 7848 7200

Course Administrator

e: earlyintervention@kcl.ac.uk  

Course contact form Postgraduate admissions

Awarding institution King's College London

Faculty Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

Department Department of Psychology Department of Psychosis Studies

Locations

 

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Why study the MSc Early Intervention in Psychosis? Here's why!

“I really loved the way they’ve done this MSc”

Watch students talk about why they chose the MSc Early Intervention in Psychosis at King's, and how the course has helped them develop new skills and progress in their careers.

Watch more videos

Course detail

Description

Early intervention is an evidence-based approach that combines psychosocial treatment with medication. Because of its success, it’s now a crucial part of mental health services worldwide.  

We’ve designed this course to help you explore psychosis from biological, psychological and social perspectives. You’ll learn to detect early symptoms and treat them, then put your skills into action on a clinical placement  in the NHS (guaranteed to all students).

As part of this course, you’ll also complete a quantitative or qualitative research project. Past students have explored genetics of early psychosis, the use of neuroimaging, and predictors of psychotic relapses.  

This MSc is geared towards students eager to boost their expertise before applying for clinical training or a PhD. But it’s also ideal for doctors, psychologists and nurses aiming to take their career to the next level.  

“We make a real effort to pair students with a clinical supervisor with a similar background to them. This enables each student to gain experience and expertise that are relevant to their career progression.”

 Prof. Andrea Mechelli, Course Leader

Further literature

What is early intervention in psychosis all about? Read this blog from the Programme Director.

General enquiry? Submit it here. 

Course format and assessment

Format

Introduction to Early Intervention in Psychosis

Lectures (24 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (8 hours) | Field/lab/studio/ supervised learning (64 hours) | Self-study time (204 hours)

Pharmacological Interventions in Early Psychosis

Lectures (24 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (8 hours) | Field/lab/studio/ supervised learning (64 hours) | Self-study time (204 hours)

Psychosocial Interventions in Early Psychosis

Lectures (24 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (8 hours) | Field/lab/studio/ supervised learning (64 hours) | Self-study time (204 hours)

Research Methods in Early Psychosis

Lectures (24 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (8 hours) | Field/lab/studio/ supervised learning (64 hours) | Self-study time (204 hours)

Research Project in Early Psychosis

Lectures (8 hours) | Field/lab/studio/ supervised learning (184 hours) | Self-study time (408 hours)

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

Assessment

You will be assessed through a combination of coursework and examinations.

Year 1

Examination (72.5%) | Coursework (22.5%)| Practical (5%)

Extra information

Other related courses:

Structure

Entry requirements & how to apply

Early Intervention in Psychosis Entry Requirements
Minimum requirements  2:1

Degree in medicine, psychology, nursing, professions allied to medicine (e.g. radiography) or a scientific degree such as biomedical science, neuroscience or computer science.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
International requirements   Visit our admissions webpages to view our International entry requirements.
English Language requirements Band D Visit our admissions webpages to view our English language entry requirements.

 

Application procedure

Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £60 applies.

 

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

Document check
Personal statement Yes A personal statement of up to 4,000 characters (maximum 2 pages) is required. Please detail your reasons for applying for the course and your future goals.
Previous Academic Study Yes A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References Yes Two references are required with at least one academic. Professional references will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago.
Other Yes Please also include a CV with details of any clinical experience.

 

Application closing date

We recommend that you submit your application as soon as possible.  Our first application deadline is the 29 March 2019.  Applications will remain open if places are available and programmes will be closed as soon as they are full. 

Help and support

If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, or if English isn't your first language, our academic preparation courses can help you get ready for study in the UK.

Preparation courses

Fees and funding

  • Full time Home/EU fees: £12,300 per year (2019/20)
  • Full time overseas fees: £28,500 per year (2019/20)
  • Part time Home/EU fees: £6,150 per year (2019/20)
  • Part time overseas fees: £14,250 per year (2019/20)

Students starting their programme in 2019/20 who are eligible to pay EU fees will pay the same rate of tuition fees as UK students. This will apply for the duration of their programme, but may be subject to change by the UK Government for subsequent cohorts from 2020/21.

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/EU deposit is £500.

The INTERNATIONAL deposit is £2,000. 

  • If you receive an offer on or before 31st March 2019, payment is due by 27th April 2019.
  • If you receive an offer between 1st April 2019 and 30th June 2019, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer between 1st July 2019 and 31st July 2019, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer on or after 1st August 2019, payment is due within one week 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.

Additional costs/expenses

In addition to the costs above, you can also expect to pay for: 

  • Books if you choose to buy your own copies 
  • DBS checks
  • Clothing for optional course related events and competitions 
  • Library fees and fines 
  • Personal photocopies 
  • Printing course handouts 
  • Society membership fees 
  • Stationery 
  • Graduation costs
  • Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses 

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

Financial help and support

Visit the fees and funding webpages to find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans and other financial help available at King's.

Career prospects

You’ll develop expertise and experience relevant to all areas of mental health. After graduating, you’ll be in a strong position to pursue a career in a range of mental health areas.  

Most of our students go on to clinical psychology training (e.g. DClinPsy), other clinical training (e.g. IAPT), or a research position (e.g. PhD).  

Clinicians completing this programme will have boosted career prospects. Many also secure clinical research positions.  

 

Career destinations

  • Clinical Psychology Doctorate (DClinPsy) at King's College London

  • Clinical Psychology Doctorate (DClinPsy) at University College London

  • Clinical Psychology Doctorate (DClinPsy) at Royal Holloway University

  • Assistant psychologist in the National Health Service (NHS)

  • PhD at King's College London

  • PhD at University College London

  • PhD at Birkbeck College

Testimonials

Alison Taylor

Alison Taylor

The teaching standard and content was excellent. The topics and research literature discussed was at the forefront of development, making learning interesting and novel.

Class of 2013-14

Kathryn Yates

Kathryn Yates

I did my clinical placement in the Lewisham Early Intervention Service within the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. I learnt that every patient is different and has their own story that needs to be taken into consideration when formulating treatment plans. I really enjoyed getting directly involved with initial assessments, seeing whether a patient was suitable for our team. The weekly team meetings were also a highlight because I got to see what different clinicians from different backgrounds thought about a complex case.

Class of 2015-16

Anna Chiara Sicilia

Anna Chiara Sicilia

(Class of 2014), currently studying for Doctorate of Clinical Psychology -"The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London gave me the opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds and to learn from some of the world’s leading researchers in the field of psychology and particularly early interventions."

Conor O'Brien

Conor O'Brien

(Class of 2014), Assistant Psychologist in the NHS - "On the course I managed to analyse in-depth perspectives of psychosis and related illnesses from multi-disciplinary approaches, guided by a world-class team of experts in the field."

Shruthi Rao Mallempudi

Shruthi Rao Mallempudi

(Class of 2014), Research and Clinical Assistant in a mental health study being conducted in India - "The most interesting part of the course was the voluntary placement. I completed my internship in the OASIS (Outreach and Support in South London) unit and the knowledge I gained was immeasurable. "

Alessia Avila

Alessia Avila

(Class of 2014), employed at the Biomedical Research Centre in the Psychosis Department at KCL - "Thanks to the focus on research offered in the MSc I had the opportunity to explore my specific interest and get in contact with a leading researcher on the topic."

Rebecca Morito (Class of 2015)

Rebecca Morito (Class of 2015)

Being taught by leaders in the field was amazing, and the way the modules were structured was intuitive and easy to follow. The fact that classes were over two days allowed me to continue with part-time employment during the rest of the week. Feedback was prompt and thoughtful, and lecturers were approachable and always willing to help. The project gave us the opportunity to get valuable experience conducting our own research, and the placement allowed us to develop practical skills

Charles Kefford (Class of 2014)

Charles Kefford (Class of 2014)

The MSc Early Intervention in Psychosis supported students in publishing their dissertation. 

Next steps

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