Systemic Practice & Family Therapy

Overview
Systemic practice and family therapy helps people in close relationships to better understand and support each other. It enables individuals and family members to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely, understand each other’s experiences and views, appreciate each other’s needs, build on family strengths, and work together to make useful changes in their relationships and their lives.

Systemic family therapy has been found to be effective across the life course in helping children, young people, adults, couples and families struggling with a broad range of difficulties and circumstances.

Systemic practitioners and systemic family therapists work in many health and social care settings such as children’s services, older people’s services, physical health and disability, substance misuse, justice and mental health services.

Our multidisciplinary Systemic Practice and Family Therapy programmes are suitable for professionally qualified staff who wish to enhance their skills of working with families, couples, individuals, other systems and relationship networks.

There are three levels of systemic practice training: Foundation (PG Certificate), Intermediate (PG Diploma) and Qualifying level training (MSc Systemic Practice and Family Therapy).

If you have completed the PG Diploma in Systemic Practice and Family Therapy, then this MSc gives you the opportunity to achieve a Master's degree by undertaking a research dissertation. Please note this MSc is not equivalent to Qualifying level family therapy training which takes a further 2 years (MSc Systemic Psychotherapy).

NB All students entering systemic training must first complete the Postgraduate Certificate Systemic Practice and Family Therapy.

Please note that this course is not eligible for a Student route visa.

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 31st July 2024 at 4 pm. Late applications may be considered.

The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2023/24). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.

Year 1
Core Modules
Specialist Practice Dissertation (60 credits)
Systemic Practice Skills and their application to the work setting - intermediate level (20 credits)
Personal and Professional Development in Systemic Practice - intermediate level (20 credits)
Personal and Professional Development in Systemic Practice (20 credits)
Introduction to Systemic Theory, Research and Practice (20 credits)
Systemic Practice Skills and their application to the work setting (20 credits)
Theory, Practice and Research in Family and Systemic Practice - intermediate level (20 credits)

Graduate
Graduate
1 This is a multidisciplinary pathway with applications welcome from applicants with prior relevant professional training in a mental health or social care related discipline or equivalent as designated by the Association of Family Therapy (e.g. Social Work, Nursing, Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology). Normally one year's post qualification experience is required.

2. Successful completion of PG Diploma Systemic Practice and Family Therapy (AFT accredited Intermediate level) or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.

3. All Social Work applicants from NI/UK must have a recognised social work qualification and have successfully completed the Assessed Year in Employment. Social work and social care applicants must be registered with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council and should include their NISCC Social Care Registration Number in the Additional Information section of the application form.

4. Applicants should normally have a 2.2 Honours degree or above or equivalent recognised qualification. Equivalent qualifications include the Pre-2007 Post-Qualifying Award in Social Work. Where this is not met, applicants must show their ability to study at postgraduate level through evidence of previous postgraduate training or completion of a reflective practice assignment.

5. At least two references will be sought, one of whom must be the applicant’s current employer. At least one referee should be professionally qualified and be able to comment on the applicant’s current practice.

Please note the MSc Systemic Practice and Family Therapy is an academic Master's qualification and is not equivalent to the MSc Systemic Psychotherapy which is accredited at Qualification-level by the Association of Family Therapy with successful students eligible for registration as Systemic and Family Psychotherapists with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Please contact the Programme Director if you require more information about the different levels of systemic practice and family therapy training at Queen’s.

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 31st July 2024 at 4pm.

Late applications may be considered.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal prior to the deadline stated on course finder. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.

A dissertation.

3 years (Part Time).

Entry Year: 2024/25

Career Prospects
The different levels of systemic training at Queen’s provide knowledge and skills which are highly valued in both child and adult services across health and social care. Systemic practitioners and systemic family therapists work in many health and social care settings such as children's services, older people's services, physical health and disability, substance misuse, justice and mental health services.

This academic Master's programme develops students’ research skills through undertaking a study relevant to their current work context.

Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes help our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally. http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/