War & Psychiatry | Study at King’s | King’s College London

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Discover how people prepare themselves for conflict and protect themselves from extreme stress. Then explore how to resolve the resulting psychological disorders.

Whether you’ve studied psychology, nursing, or history, our multidisciplinary and multinational course will help you explore pressing issues across the field of war, conflict, and terrorism.

Key benefits

Hear from expert researchers and guest speakers in the military, emergency services, and counter-terrorism
Roots dating back to 1916 when Maudsley Hospital opened to treat shell-shocked soldiers
Develop specialist knowledge to inform your career – whether that’s clinical, academic, military, or charity
Discoveries from the world-leading King’s Centre for Military Health Research feed into the course

Teaching

Through a mixture of lectures, seminars, and tutorials, our award-winning teaching team cover methodological, ethical, historical, medical, cultural, and empirical aspects of military psychiatry.

We’ve designed four modules to introduce you to the field, explain advanced concepts and help you understand the impact of extreme trauma on civilians.

Key information

Application status Open

Duration One year FT, two years PT.

Study mode Full-time, Part-time

Credit value UK 180/ECTS 90

Course intake 25

Course leaders Professor Edgar Jones

Further details

Course contact for further information

Programme Administrator - Rasheduzzaman Tusar

Programme Coordinator - Jacqueline Szczerbinski

Course contact form Postgraduate admissions

Awarding institution King's College London

Faculty Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

Department Department of Psychological Medicine Division of Academic Psychiatry

Locations

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War & Psychiatry - The Video

In the heart of London

How both soldiers and civilians prepare themselves, cope during times of conflict, and adjust to peacetime life are core issues of the MSc War & Psychiatry. Find out more from Professor Edgar Jones; Programme Leader of this ground-breaking programme at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London.

Watch more videos

Course detail

Description

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.

“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

Course format and assessment

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

War and Psychiatry

Lectures (40 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (20 hours) | Field/lab/studio/ supervised learning (10 hours) | Self-study time (330 hours)

Advanced Concepts in Military Psychiatry

Lectures (10 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (14 hours) | Field/lab/studio/ supervised learning (10 hours) | Self-study time (366 hours)

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

Lectures (40 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (20 hours) | Field/lab/studio/ supervised learning (0 hours) | Self-study time (340 hours)

Dissertation

Lectures (10 hours) | Seminars / Tutorials (2 hours) | Field/lab/studio/ supervised learning (0 hours) | Self-study time (588 hours)

The above is based on 27 academic weeks. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

Students are assessed on their coursework. Coursework can include written assignments such as essays and portfolios. Some optional modules offered by the Department of War Studies may include an examination.

Examination (0%) | Coursework (100%) | Practical (0%)

Extra information

Regulating body

King’s College is regulated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England

Other related courses

Structure

Year 1

Required Modules

Courses are divided into module. Each year you will normall take modules totalling 180 credits.

Students on this course are required to take:

War and Psychiatry (40 credits)

Advanced Concepts in Military Psychiatry (40 credits)
Civilians and Extreme Trauma: The impact of warfare, disasters and political repression (40 credits)
Dissertation (60 credits)

Optional Modules

There are no optional modules.

Entry requirements & how to apply

War and Psychiatry Entry Requirements
Minimum requirements		Applicants should have either: A Bachelor's degree or equivalent in medicine or psychology A Bachelor's degree in any subject Other qualifications and experience which demonstrate an ability to undertake the programme
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 £70 applies.

Selection is made on the basis of the application and references. Applications are normally processed within two weeks of receiving references. All applicants are welcome to visit the department by arrangement, and students from unusual, i.e. non-biological, backgrounds are normally interviewed.

Personal statement and supporting information

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

War&Psychiatry checklist
Personal Statement	Yes	Please detail your reasons for applying to the programme and your future goals. Please try and limit your personal statement to 500 words.
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	One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago.
Other	Optional	Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application.

Application closing date

We recommend that you submit your application as soon as possible. Our first application deadline is the 31 March 2020. After this date, applications will remain open if places are available, but programmes will be closed as soon as they are full. For programmes with spaces remaining, no further applications will be accepted from non-EU (Overseas) nationals after 31July 2020 or from UK/EU nationals after 28 August 2020.

Please note you will not be eligible for an application fee refund if you apply after the first application deadline and places are filled before the final deadlines above and we are unable to process more offers.

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: £9,990 per year (2020/21)
Full time overseas fees: £29,850 per year (2020/21)
Part time Home/EU fees: £4,995 per year (2020/21)
Part time overseas fees: £ 14,925 per year (2020/21)

Students starting their programme in 2020/21 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 2021/22.

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 before 1 June 2020, payment is due by 30 June 2020.
If you receive an offer between 1 June 2020 and 30 June 2020, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
If you receive an offer between 1 July 2020 and 31 July 2020, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
If you receive an offer on or after 1 August 2020, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
If you receive an offer in late August, payment is due within 2 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.

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
clothing for optional course related events and competitions
library fees and fines
personal photocopies
printing course handouts
society membership fees
stationery
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

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

With such a diverse of backgrounds, our graduates have a huge range of career destinations across academia, the armed forces, and the public sector.

Some apply the knowledge from the course to clinical work. Some are interested in the historical side of the subject. Others are working in policy or charity.

We organise regular presentations and individual meetings, to help you understand the opportunities your degree opens for you, and to discuss the next steps in your career.

Testimonials

Robert Densmore

Having left the US Navy in 2006, I entered the world of combat journalism and returned to the place I was deployed - Afghanistan. It was there that I came to see up close the psychological impact of modern conflict, both among NATO troops and among Afghan civilians. Of course, little was known then in mainstream media about such challenges and the peculiarities of how they played out in active theatres like Iraq and Afghanistan. The War and Psychiatry MSc was - and still is the best medical, historical and psychiatric view into the lives of an entire generation of veterans. As I work towards completion of my Master of Divinity - and ultimately ordination in the priesthood - I bring with me a greater understanding of many of the psychological and spiritual needs of my parish, many of whom will be veterans.

Ruiko Asaba

For me, undertaking an MSc in War and Psychiatry has been one of the best choices I have ever made. I studied history as an undergraduate, and coming from Japan, An inter-disciplinary approach to the very important debate surrounding military psychiatry has meant that the course has allowed a level of intellectual creativity, fully nurturing my existing knowledge of history, without losing sight of various academic fields that contributes greatly to the study of military mental health.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. After graduating, I interned at the Embassy of Japan in the UK and am currently working for a strategic communications consultancy.

Holly Hurn

Every lecture and seminar covered a unique fascinating topic, following the development of combat-related psychiatry from its inception to the present day. Whilst the course was certainly challenging, I felt inspired and supported every step of the way and encouraged to develop my own areas of interest; something which I have taken away with me and continue to use today. Having graduated in psychology a few years previously, the MSc gave me specialised insight into this fascinating, much needed and increasingly expanding area of mental health. As a direct result of the MSc I was offered an Assistant Psychologist position at Combat Stress (The Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society) and am thoroughly enjoying being able to apply what I learned and researched in practice.

Dr Alberta Engelbrecht

The MSc War and Psychiatry course is an excellent choice for those thinking about undertaking a masters. It offers a rich, diverse and challenging programme of study exploring military history and combat related psychiatry from WWI through to current day. The course is one of a kind and so offers a unique experience covering a wide range of topics, which made every lecture and seminar distinctive and interesting. Prof Edgar Jones and guest lecturers were dynamic and insightful and leading experts in their fields.

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War & Psychiatry MSc