Developmental Psychology & Psychopathology MSc at Kings College London

Join us for our Health & Life Sciences open evening on Wednesday 19 February 2020.

New scholarships for 2020 entry.

You will develop knowledge about the causes of typical and atypical psychological development, the standard psychological therapies and treatments available, and research methods and statistics relevant to this field. The course will provide you with both a research and clinical focus.

Benefit from comprehensive coverage of the field exploring how biological, behavioural and cognitive processes, along with family and wider social forces, can affect typical and atypical development. The course is ideal if you plan to work/are working in mental health with young people, or you are looking to progress to the DClinPsy or a PhD. Placements and clinical observerships are available.

• Learn how to characterise typical and atypical behaviours across the life span.
• Learn how to identify, describe and manage behavioural traits in common disorders such as Autism and ADHD.
• Become skilled in using state-of-the-art research methods skills, and access world-renowned longitudinal data sets.
• Explore ways in which technology could help improve coordination, quality, personalization and geographical reach of care.
• Learn from world-leading researchers/clinicians at the IoPPN, with 12 of the world’s most highly cited scientists in this field eg Robin Murray, Robert Plomin, Michael Rutter.
• King’s is ranked 2nd in the world for psychology and psychiatry -  US News, Best Global Universities.

Description

The course will train graduates to take up roles within different organizations where knowledge of mental health is required by teaching subjects that are relevant to the characterisation of typical and atypical behaviour, the causes and development of mental health problems in children and young people (including neurodevelopmental disorders) and an understanding of the most standard psychological therapies used in clinical practice and available support service systems. In addition, the course will provide you with a solid understanding of the most recent research methods applied in this area. The programme comprises 4 components:

• Typical and Atypical Development: Covers typical brain development and development of cognitive functions and social behaviours relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders, followed by a description/classification of the most common mental health problems in children and adolescents, including Autism, ADHD, conduct disorders, eating disorders, depression/anxiety, and antisocial behaviour. Students will also learn about the genetic, environmental/social factors that determine onset as well as persistence of these mental health problems across developmental stages.
• Research Methods and Statistics: Covers general statistics as well as more specialized methods/statistics applied in developmental neurophysiology, neuroimaging, cognitive neuroscience and (behavioural)genetics.
• Therapy and Treatment: Covers the theoretical basis of mainstream psychological therapies used in clinical practice in infants, children, adolescents and their families. You will also learn why some therapies are indicated and preferred over others and the available support service systems. This module can be replaced by a credit-baring placement or clinical observership.
• Dissertation Project: This can be a research project or systematic review or clinical observership project or a communicating science project, with the possibility to link the project to your placement/obervership.

Career prospects

In addition to the core teaching, the optional module selection, the optional placement experience and dissertation project, the programme provides opportunities to develop your knowledge into different interests and career pathways. This may help you to prepare to study a PhD or Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or to pursue employment in professional settings where subject knowledge is central to your work, e.g. in a science or academic career or in clinical settings. You will also develop skills to take up employment in other settings working with children and young people where knowledge of mental health problems and therapies are required. These could be employment in social care settings e.g. welfare officers in youth organisations, schools and community centers; as family support workers; or employment in the public sector e.g. police consultant, parliamentary officer of science and technology. You may also enter employment where subject knowledge is important to succeed in the job, but not the primary activity, e.g. employment in science communication/media within organisations involved with communicating health problems in young people to increase understanding of public awareness. Or, where learning from the degree is applied more broadly, e.g. role in government office of statistics; fundraiser for charity, science editor, industry.