Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

University of Oxford

Overview

This two-year, research based award provides the foundation for carrying out research and publishing an academic paper. On successful completion, the MSc will subsume the Postgraduate Diploma in CBT where already received.

Course Aims

This Cognitive Behavioural Therapy course at The University of Oxford is designed to help you achieve certain aims. All MSc students are experienced CBT practitioners with a wealth of knowledge, so a great richness of the course is that you will learn not only from us, but also from each other and from personal study. The course is thus a cooperative enterprise: we provide a forum for development, and your task is to take full advantage of it, while contributing actively to your own and to others’ learning.

By the end of the MSc course you will be expected to:

• Display knowledge and understanding of general research principles and methodology, and demonstrate how these may be used within their own clinical work, and in the design and completion of an independent research project
• Interpret and evaluate theoretical literature relevant to the provision of cognitive therapy or cognitive therapy services
• Use established bodies of knowledge as a basis for developing their own ideas for research
• Understand the value of an evidence-based approach to psychological treatment, including the distinctive contributions of efficacy and effectiveness research trials to clinical practice, and the use of clinical audit and other service evaluation approaches
• Show evidence of the capacity to apply knowledge of research principles and practice in designing and carrying out an independent research project, using appropriate methodology and analysing and discussing results
• Use and interpret a variety of appropriate psychometric instruments to assess patient pathology and evaluate progress and outcome in treatment
• Write clear and literate assignments (research project proposal and final dissertation) that comply with established conventions of presentation and referencing

Teaching

The teaching element of the MSc programme comprises eleven seminars/tutorials. These are spread out over two years with an initial three-day meeting followed by two-day meetings on a regular basis.The Oxford-based training days will be will be supplemented by personal study, supervision and research and you will be asked to review and prepare materials between teaching blocks.