UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Psychological Medicine
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Postgraduate programmes and continuing professional development in Clinical Neuropsychology

We offer two postgraduate programmes in Clinical Neuropsychology, each of which can be taken as a Postgraduate Diploma, or, with the addition of a research project, a Masters degree. The structure of the programmes is similar, with the award titles reflecting different entry qualifications. The programmes can be taken over one year full time or two years part time and commence in September.

Individual courses/sessions are also available on a stand-alone CPD basis.

MSc/PgDip Clinical Neuropsychology
This programme is open to UK qualified clinical psychologists and those who trained overseas and have a British Psychological Society Statement of Equivalence in Clinical Psychology. The programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society Division of Neuropsychology (DoN) and provides the underpinning knowledge component of the DoN Practitioner Full Membership Qualification (PFMQ). Further information of the PFMQ can be found on the DoN website (www.bps.org.uk/don).

MSc/PgDip Applied Neuropsychology
This programme is open to those who have trained in clinical psychology outside of the UK and do not have a BPS Statement of Equivalence in Clinical Psychology.

Continuing professional development in Clinical Neuropsychology
If you do not want to take the complete programme or your qualifications are not in clinical psychology, but you want to develop knowledge in specific areas of neuropsychology, selected components of the programme (Courses 3-8) are available as stand-alone continuing professional development courses/sessions. Courses are available on an attend-only or assessed basis. Alternatively, you may attend specific half/full day sessions according to CPD needs. CPD sessions are open to psychologists, doctors, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and other relevant health care professionals. For detailed timetables of CPD sessions contact our course administrator.

Programme structure
Both of the programmes have a similar structure and consist of eight compulsory courses:

  • Course 1: Context and perspectives in clinical neuropsychology
    Includes: Cognitive neuropsychology; principles of neuropsychological assessment and formulation; advanced psychometrics; history of neuropsychology.
  • Course 2: Professional issues and research methods
    Includes: Assessment of capacity; Mental health legislation; report writing; medico-legal issues; effort testing; systematic review and research methods in clinical neuropsychology
  • Course 3: Neuroscience
    Includes: Neuroanatomy; neuropharmacology; neurological examination; neuropathology; brain imaging; neurosurgical techniques; management of head injury; pathology of neurological conditions; neuropsychiatry.
  • Course 4: Epilepsy, seizure and sleep disorders
    Includes: Neurophysiology; classification, diagnosis, and treatment of epilepsy; non-epileptic seizure disorder; sleep disorders.
  • Course 5: Acquired brain injury and disorders of memory attention and executive functioning
    Includes: Head injury; encephalitis; substance abuse; coma and the vegetative state; Glasgow Coma Scale; theory, assessment and rehabilitation of disorders of memory, attention and executive dysfunction; disorders of awareness; management of aggression.
  • Course 6: Degenerative conditions
    Includes: Neurology and neuropsychology of Alzheimers disease; Fronto-temporal dementia; Multiple Sclerosis; Huntington's disease; Parkinson's disease; cognitive
  • Course 7: Stroke and disorders of perception, language, praxis and calculation
    Biological basis of recovery in stroke; Stroke services; Theory, assessment and rehabilitation of disorders of object, face and space perception, language, topographical orientation praxis, calculation, and mood disorders.
  • Course 8: Paediatric neurology and neuropsychology
    Autistic spectrum disorders, disorders of memory, attention and visual perception, neurology and neuropsychology of epilepsy, infectious diseases, and early head injury, rehabilitation after brain injury in childhood.

Assessment is by two essays and four written examinations.

Timing of teaching
The teaching for the programme runs in two-week blocks (Monday - Friday). These currently take place in September (Courses 1&2) and January (Courses 3&4) in Year 1 and November (Courses 5&6) and March (Courses 7&8) in Year 2. The research methods course for part time MSc students is in May (Year 1). For those taking the full time course blocks run in September, November, January, March and May.

Research
MSc students produce a research portfolio which includes a research proposal, a project literature review, and a research paper. The research projects will be examined and a viva voce will take place.

Programme team
The programme is directed by:
Professor Jonathan Evans, Professor of Applied Neuropsychology and Programme Director
Professor Tom McMillan, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology and Research Director
Dr Sue Copstick, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Dr Debbie Dewar, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Neuroscience.

Each topic on the programme is taught by experts in the field, with more than sixty subject specialists contributing to the teaching.

Fees
Tuition fees are payable at the commencement of the academic year and are subject to annual review. For details of current tuition fees, please contact the course administrator or check the following website: http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/registry/fees.html. For assessed CPD fees range from £400 to £800 for courses, depending on length of course. The fees for non-assessed CPD places are £40 per half-day session.


How to apply
Applications for Graduate studies at the University of Glasgow must be made via the Application for Graduate Studies form. This is available on request from the course administrator. Application forms for non-assessed CPD sessions/courses are also available from the course administrator.


Further information and application pack
Further information and application packs, or to discuss the programme further, please contact Professor Jonathan Evans (Programme Director, 0141 211 3978, jonathan.evans@clinmed.gla.ac.uk).