The central objective of the course is to train postgraduates to a level which will enable them to work safely, competently and ethically as a basic grade clinical psychologist and to provide a foundation for later specialization through continuing professional development.
Course Features
The PhD in Clinical Psychology is a 3 year research degree and professional training programme in clinical psychology. The course is fully accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland. The course runs over three calendar years and includes three interrelated elements:
2000 hours of research over 200 - 250 days
500 hours academic coursework over 100 -150 days
3000 hours of supervised clinical practice over 390 days
Course Overview
The central objective of the course is to train postgraduates to a level that will enable them to work safely, competently and ethically as a basic-grade clinical psychologist and to provide a foundation for later specialisation through continuing professional development. Postgraduates graduating from the course should be able to:
provide assessment and treatment services to a wide range of client groups including children and adults with psychological problems and disabilities
use their academic knowledge to solve clinical problems and provide consultancy and teaching services to colleagues and clients
use their research skills to answer questions, raised within the health services, which require an empirically based answer
Within the Clinical Programme, the psychologist's role is conceptualised as that of a professional scientist-practitioner who works within a shared care model of multidisciplinary health service delivery. The psychologist as a professional is guided by codes of ethics and practice such as those laid down by the Psychological Society of Ireland.
As a scientist, the psychologist brings knowledge of the findings of the science of psychology and the methods used to investigate problems scientifically to bear on clinical practice and health service delivery.
As a practitioner, the psychologist is skilled in specific assessment and intervention methods and is sensitive to the way in which personal psychological strengths and vulnerabilities impinge upon skilled clinical practice.
The importance of contributing a uniquely psychological perspective to multidisciplinary team practice is a central part of the clinical psychologist's role.