Overview
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a current form of evidence-based psychological therapy recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) as a first line intervention for many psychological disorders.
This PGDip in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy aims to increase your knowledge base of theory and research in CBT, and attempts to promote a critical approach to the subject. The course also aims to provide practical, intensive and detailed skills training to facilitate skills development to a defined standard of competence. The course is a British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) Level 2 Accredited course in CBT and as such the course has currently been assessed as ‘providing training to the standards for Accreditation in respect of the number of training hours and supervision and number of assessed cases as laid down in the minimum training standards.
The training aims to support you to achieve the level of theoretical knowledge, reflective abilities and clinical skills needed when considering work in the field of psychological therapy, using evidence-based cognitive behaviour therapy methods in your work.
The course is offered on a full-time basis, and is delivered through a combination of university attendance, clinical placement activity, clinical supervision and access to online learning materials.
Additional information:
- Each year, a number of places are usually funded by Health Education England. HEE commissioned places are available to those candidates who have an NHS IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapy) commissioned clinical placement. Placements usually advertise their own trainee therapist vacancies (e.g. on the NHS Jobs website) and we conduct a joint recruitment process with them (academic screening and interview)
- There is a self-funding option available for the course (subject to course capacity).
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
COVID-19
The University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2020/2021 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to Covid-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
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An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedStudent experience
All the support you need, in a top student cityAccreditation and Professional Recognition
This course is accredited and recognised by the following bodies:
British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)
This course is currently accredited by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)*. Upon successful completion of the training you should be eligible to apply for provisional accreditation as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist with the BABCP.
Hospital Wards
We have two fully-equipped mock hospital wards, each containing 4 beds. The wards are built to NHS standards and contain moveable beds, first aid equipment and patient monitoring tools.
Ambulance
Our facilities include a mock ambulance, which students can use as part of their studies, to help simulate the patient journey. This gives students the opportunity to learn in situations that mirror real life scenarios.
Strength and Conditioning Suite
Our multi-purpose suite is equipped with multiple Olympic lifting platforms, a 20m gait analysis track, an anti-gravity treadmill and even a 3D motion capture system!
Course information
This course aims to train you to deliver CBT to people with depression and a range of anxiety disorders.
Successful completion of the training should equip you with the skills required to become an independent CBT practitioner. In addition to providing practical, intensive and detailed skills training to give you the opportunity to enhance skills development to a defined standard of competence, the course also aims to increase your knowledge base of theory and research in CBT, and to promote a critical approach to the subject.
Course Specification
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Modules
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
In more detail...
The aim of this course is to train you to deliver CBT to people with depression and a range of anxiety disorders.
Successful completion of the training should equip you with the skills required to become an independent CBT practitioner. In addition to aiming to provide practical, intensive and detailed skills training to enhance skills development to a defined standard of competence, the course will give you the opportunity to increase your knowledge base of theory and research in CBT, and to promote a critical approach to the subject.
- Each year a number of places are usually funded by Health Education England*, or you can choose to self-fund your training if there are available places *HEE commissioned places are available to those candidates who have an NHS IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapy) commissioned clinical placement. Placements usually advertise their own trainee therapist vacancies (e.g. on the NHS Jobs website) and we conduct a joint recruitment process with them (academic screening and interview)
- Two modules are dedicated to reflective practice and personal/professional development as a CBT therapist are included within our course (Foundations of Reflective Practice and Personal and Professional Development in Clinical Practice)
- Currently accredited by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), this Level 2 CBT training course aims to provide all the necessary training as per BABCP's Minimum Training Standards.
The PgDip course is offered on a full-time basis, and is delivered through a combination of university attendance, clinical placement activity, clinical supervision and access to online learning materials.
It is taught through a range of teaching styles and opportunities, which is aimed at providing both an opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of relevant materials and an opportunity to develop clinical competence.
These may include:
- Supervised clinical placement**
- Academic lectures
- Skills workshops
- Individual and group clinical supervision both within the clinical setting and within the university
- Guided self-study
- Individual tutorials
- Self-practice/self-reflection groups.
**To be eligible to enrol on the course, you must have an appropriate clinical placement. It is your responsibility to secure an appropriate placement (NHS IAPT commissioned placement or equivalent), where you will work for three days per week for the 12-month duration of the course.
Assessment methods may include the following:
- A critical literature review
- A clinical simulation exercise
- Clinical case study reports
- Clinical process analysis reports
- Self-reflective reports
- Clinical session recordings
- A professional practice portfolio.
On successful completion of the PgDip, you will be able to:
- Construct maintenance and developmental CBT conceptualisations for depression and anxiety disorders
- Develop CBT-specific treatment plans
- Practise CBT with depression and anxiety disorders systematically, creatively and with good clinical outcomes
- Deal with complex issues arising in CBT practice
- Take personal responsibility for clinical decision-making in straightforward and more complex situations
- Demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving therapeutic problems
- Practise as a ‘scientist practitioner’, advancing your knowledge and understanding and developing new skills to a high level
- Demonstrate a systematic knowledge of the principles of CBT, and the evidence base for the application of CBT techniques
- Demonstrate a systematic knowledge of CBT for depression and anxiety disorders
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the theoretical and research evidence for cognitive behavioural models, and an ability to evaluate the evidence
- Demonstrate an ability to adapt CBT sensitively, and to ensure equitable access for people from diverse cultures and with different values
On successful completion of the PgDip, you will be able to:
The course is one year’s duration: two days a week at Coventry University and three days a week in clinical placement*. There are approximately 11 hours teaching contact hours per week.
Teaching contact hours within the university may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.
*To be eligible to enrol on the course, you must have an appropriate clinical placement. It is your responsibility to secure an appropriate placement (NHS IAPT commissioned placement or equivalent), where you will work for three days per week for the 12-month duration of the course.
The faculty aims to provide a multicultural, international experience, attracting students from a wide range of diverse backgrounds and different countries, who may provide global insight and experience. Many of the organisations we have links to operate on an international basis and we also collaborate with internationally renowned researchers across the globe.
Global Ready
Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, (HESA)?
In 2016/17, we were able to provide a total of 3,482 student experiences abroad* that lasted at least five days. In previous years, much of this travel was made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which aimed to enable students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as to try to strengthen and develop their broader personal and professional skills. To see what international experiences are available now you can visit:
*International experienced and trips abroad are subject to availability/change and additional fees may apply.
Explore our international experiences1st for
International experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni 2016/17
5,469
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2018/19
12,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally since 2016
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
Entry Requirements
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
Course essentials - additional costs
This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation, activities and visas. This course may incur additional costs associated with any equipment or materials,EU student fees
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has a continually evolving and robust evidence base, and is indicated in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance across a number of psychological disorders. These include depression and a range of anxiety disorders.
Adequate access to a choice of effective psychological treatments for these problems via local Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Services continues to be a key Government priority. As such, CBT can form the basis of much mental health practice across NHS Trusts.
On successful completion of this course this award should provide students with a solid foundation in cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy, and an opportunity to seek a role within the field of cognitive behavioural psychotherapy.
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2020/21 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
Admission to this course is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and a successful interview. Find out about the application process.
