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School of Education

Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology

Programme Directors: Dr Cathy Atkinson, Dr Kevin Woods

The Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology (D.Ed.Ch.Psych.) is approved by the Health Professions Council (HPC) as a three year full-time initial professional training programme for educational psychologists.  In September 2009 the programme is expecting to admit 10 new students.  Successful graduates are eligible to apply to the British Psychological Society to be registered as a Chartered Educational Psychologist.

PLEASE NOTE:   applications to the Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology are not made via the Manchester University online system.  Please see details below under 'How to Apply to this Programme'.

Video link (Quick Time is required to view this file)

Programme Structure and Fieldwork Requirements

The five modules of the curriculum plan are designed to provide effective coverage of the required core curriculum for training in educational psychology provided by the British Psychological Society. These concurrently taught modules are:

Practical work (fieldwork) is a central component of the programme and learning outcomes specific to fieldwork activity are identified. These cover evaluation of the context of schooling and its effects on children's learning and behaviour, as well as the essentials of psychological assessment, programme planning, team working and communication skills.  Trainee psychologists will undertake supervised fieldwork activity, overseen by programme staff, for one day per week in Year 1 until December and then two days per week in Year 1 thereafter. There is a requirement for three days fieldwork per week in Year 2 and four days fieldwork per week in Year 3. It is likely that trainee educational psychologists at Manchester University will be placed within one psychological service in Year 2, then transfer to a different service for Year 3.   

Assessment

For assessment purposes, the programme is divided into two parts.

Part 1

  1. Research Assignment 1 - Evaluating the social, organisational and ecological context of childrens learning (10,000 words)
  2. Research Assignment 2 - Thesis proposal and literature review (10,000 words)
  3. Research Assignment 3 - The psychologist as scientist practitioner (10,000 words)
  4. Professional Practice Portfolio (approx 20,000 words).

Part 2

  1. Written Thesis of 40,000-50,000 words with satisfactory oral defence (viva voce).

Research Assignments and the Thesis must be to a standard that would make a potentially publishable and original contribution to the knowledge base of the discipline of applied educational and child psychology.

How to Apply to this programme

Application packs are available via the website of the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) at www.cwdcouncil.org.uk.  Applications are made online and the closing date is Friday 11 December 2009.  

Direct application to the University is not possible as we do not presently offer any places to applicants outside of the CWDC funding scheme.

Funding and Fees

Funding for places on the programme is organised by the CWDC. 

Duration of Programme

Thirty six months full-time from 1st September 2009.

Entry Criteria

Selection for the programme is based strictly upon the Trainee Psychologist Person Specification.  To obtain a copy of this and further information about the programme and entry to it, please download the PDF file shown at the bottom of this page.

Please note that information relating to the University of Manchester Trainee Psychologist Person Specification can be included in both the 'Personal Statement' and 'Additional Information' sections of the CWDC online application form (see 'How to Apply to this Programme').

We welcome the opportunity to meet potential applicants to the programme on our Information Evening which will be held on Tuesday 13th October 2009 from 6.45pm - 8.30 pm in Samuel Alexander Building room LG12 .  This is an opportunity to find out more about the programme, and to ask and hear questions to a panel comprising tutors and trainee psychologists.  If you would like to attend this meeting, there is no need to book a place in advance but please note that the evening begins with a short presentation at 7pm sharp.

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