This flexible and unique programme is designed to allow practitioners who work in mental health services to build upon previous knowledge and experience in the field. It aims to enhance this prior knowledge and experience to facilitate your development and mastery in mental health-related skills and knowledge. It is anticipated that completing this MSc will enable you to contribute to the enhancement of professional mental health practice, research and service development.
This course is delivered entirely online.
You will be given the opportunity to study with others from a wide range of mental health settings and backgrounds, both nationally and internationally. It is hoped that the diversity of this learning environment stimulates enhanced learning of mental health issues, leading to improved practice and service development.
This MSc will allow you to plan your own individual study pathway to meet your personal, professional, academic and service needs. Furthermore, the optional modules can be taken at a pace and frequency that suits your circumstances, taking into account issues such as your location and work-life balance. As such, a number of modules are available via distance learning.
The best way to undertake this programme is over a minimum of two years. This will enable you to continue working in clinical practice and use that practice to help you complete the assignments on the course. You will complete the programme by choosing from a selection of modules that are available in the department. Please note that although we have an October start, dependent upon your choice of modules, it may be that your first class dates for your first modules may have a January start. This will be discussed with you when you start on the programme and choose the modules you wish to undertake.
In order to complete the programme applicants must be working in mental health or mental health related caring services with direct access to service users. They must be working with mental health service users during the course of their studies. This is so that assessments on the programme can be completed. EU and International students will need to provide evidence in their application that they have arranged such access before their application can be processed.
Overall, the programme is designed so that, where possible, credits achieved through prior study are recognised as part of the award.
Please note: This course does not lead to registration as a mental health nurse or other mental health practitioner. Applicants wishing to undertake a professional nursing programme, please visit our Nursing pages.
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Applicants undertaking this route will need to complete 180 credits. This will be made up of two core modules, which will make up 90 credits and the remaining credits will be made up of optional modules which can be found in the list below. The list is not exhaustive and you may choose other modules from any School within the University if they complement your programme of mental health studies or professional practice.
All modules are delivered through online distance learning.
Applicants who have undertaken prior learning for which they have gained academic credit, may be able to use these credits towards the final award of masters.
If you do not wish to study the full MSc, you can complete a PGCert (60 credits) where you choose a combination of available Optional Modules.
If you do not wish to study the full MSc, you can complete a PGDip (120 credits) where you study one core module and the remaining 90 credits are chosen from the Optional Modules.
All modules are delivered through online distance learning.
This module aims to enable you to develop your research methods skills. This will give you 30 academic credits.
See the course specification for more information about typical course content outside of the coronavirus outbreak:
Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.
We are regularly reviewing and updating our programmes to ensure you have the best learning experience. We are taking what we have learnt during the pandemic and enhancing our teaching methods with new and innovative ways of learning.
We aim to model a wide range of teaching strategies and approaches on the course which you can adapt to your own setting.
You will work on practical assignments as well as attending lectures, workshops and seminars, where you will take part in class discussions and give presentations. You will work on problem-solving exercises, case studies, role-play exercises and group exercises, and supplement all this with your own independent study, including online learning. You will submit a research proposal and dissertation or work-based project, for which you will receive one-to-one tuition.
The course is taught entirely through online distance learning.
As well as exams, practical assessments and your dissertation or project, you may be assessed through a variety of means: reports, critical reflections on practice, service reviews, literature reviews, critical reviews of evidence, reflective journals, study skills workshops, case studies, online quizzes, presentations and class discussions. These will depend on the modules you take. You will receive regular feedback on your work, both from your tutors and other students.
We are regularly reviewing and updating our programmes to ensure you have the best learning experience. We are taking what we have learnt during the pandemic and enhancing our teaching methods with new and innovative ways of learning.
We are currently reviewing our approach to teaching and learning for 2023 entry and beyond. We've learned a lot about how to give you a quality education - we aim to combine the best of our pre-pandemic teaching and learning with access to online learning and digital resources which put you more in charge of when and how you study. We will keep you updated on this throughout the application process.
Your timetable will be built around on campus sessions using our professional facilities, with online sessions for some activities where we know being virtual will add value. We’ll use technology to enhance all of your learning and give you access to online resources to use in your own time.
The table below gives you an idea of what learning looks like across a typical week. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on campus sessions.
This information is likely to change slightly for 2023 entry as our plans evolve. You'll receive full information on your teaching before you start your course.
Learning structure: typical hourly breakdown in 2021/22 | ||
Live in-person on campus learning | Contact hours per week, per level: | 3 hours |
Live online learning | Average hours per week, per level: | N/A |
This information is likely to change slightly for 2023 entry as our plans evolve. You'll receive full information on your teaching before you start your course.
Definitions of terms
Support
You have a strong support network available to you to make sure you develop all the necessary academic skills you need to do well on your course.
Our support services will be delivered online and on campus and you have access to a range of different resources so you can get the help you need, whether you’re studying at home or have the opportunity to come to campus.
You have access to one to one and group sessions for personal learning and academic support from our library and IT teams, and our network of learning experts. Our teams will also be here to offer financial advice, and personal wellbeing, mental health and disability support.
This programme is aimed at practitioners who have experience of working in a mental health setting. It provides an excellent opportunity for them to use their existing expertise, professional qualifications or work experience to gain a recognised qualification.
The Programme has been specifically designed to further your career within the industry through enhancing existing professional practice through personal development and self-managed learning, as well as consolidating and expanding your professional network. You will have the opportunity to gain a qualification that is directly relevant to your field of work and the projects you complete will also make a significant contribution to the achievement of your work objectives. Combined, these benefits provide a powerful stimulus to career development and enhancement in your professional area.
Alfonso Pezzella is the course leader for MSc Mental Health Studies. Alfonso teaches on a variety of topics including research methods, SPSS, mental health, LGBT issues and transcultural issues in health. Alfonso is currently working on a European project (IENE 5) led by Professor Irena Papadopoulos (Middlesex University) and five other European countries, which aims to develop a MOOC in Intercultural Communication Skills and Patient Safety. He is also working on various research projects on LGBT inclusion in the curriculum in health and social care and LGBT and mental health.
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.
Start: September 2023
Code: PGB70C
