Overview

Helping all countries to respond to mental health needs is a major international health workforce development priority. Inadequate access to mental health care leads to severe and long lasting economic, social, and quality of life harms that often start in adolescence and can persist across the lifespan. The best way to begin to address these needs is to train local people in their communities and to provide them with the ongoing supervision and development opportunities they need to become leaders in mental health innovation and delivery. This four year PhD programme will allow the development and skillsets to nuture future leaders globally.

The foundation year includes an academic programme of study which addresses core topics in clinical psychology science, practice and applied research (120 credit points). Students also complete supervised practical skills training designed to support preparation for applied practice settings including in healthcare, education and the third sector.

Progression to phase 2 of the PhD requires attainment of a GPA of 15 at the end of semester 2, along with satisfactory completion of the initial parts of the research plan (assessed by the primary doctoral thesis supervisors) and applied practice skills assessment. Students who do not meet the required academic standard in year 1 can complete a 60-credit research thesis and be awarded a Masters degree, as an exit award.

The second phase of the course involves an individualised learning plan that combines work on the doctoral research and applied practice skills development (e.g. supervised placements in healthcare settings). Applied practice experiences will be obtained in Glasgow as well as in the home country and the type of experience will be tailored to
match the intended career path and post-doctoral work aspirations of the candidate.

Year one: Foundation programme (MSc)

• Coursework
• Research 
• Practice 

Year two and three

• Advanced topic seminars
• Research
• Practice

Year four 

• Thesis write up and viva

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes for the programme are informed by international benchmark statements related to mental health workforce development needs and regulatory frameworks for applied psychology practice. The overall course learning outcomes to be acquired by candidates are as follows:

1. Intellectual skills
   • The ability to critically analyse the evidence base underpinning mental health technologies and delivery systems
   • Be able to critically analyse and solve complex problems within systems using appropriate evaluation and quality improvement tools
   • Reflexively engage with cultural understandings and their relevance for applied psychology and mental health practice
   • Systematically investigate structural inequalities and their impact on disparities in mental health outcomes and systems
2. Knowledge and understanding
   • Display advanced understanding of theory and research methods relevant to
     identified global mental health challenges and population needs.
   • Understand mental healthcare delivery systems from a global perspective.
   • Be able to use scientific methods to solve problems of mental health service delivery.
   • Demonstrate forefront knowledge about innovations in mental health and their evidence base.
   • Be able to generate new knowledge relevant to mental health improvement and clearly communicate this to diverse audiences.
   • Be able to apply clear ethical principles to guide their decision making and professional functioning within the scope of their abilities.
3. Transferable skills
   • Advanced oral and written communication skills for use in scientific and applied healthcare contexts.
   • Project analysis, design, planning, and delivery skills suitable for solving problems in healthcare settings.
   • Quantitative and qualitative data analysis and interpretation skills.
   • Capacity for collaboration and teamwork with people from a variety of backgrounds, developmental stages, and cultural contexts.

Study options

PhD

• Duration: 3/4 years full-time; 5 years part-time

Individual research projects are tailored around the expertise of principal investigators.