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Clinical Associate in Psychology at University of Bath - UCAS

University of Bath

Degree level: Postgraduate

Clinical Associate in Psychology (Taught)

Course options

2025 - 2026
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Open days

5Feb
University of Bath - Postgraduate Virtual Open Day
Postgraduate
4Jun
University of Bath - Postgraduate Virtual Open Day
Postgraduate

Course summary

Become a qualified Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP). You’ll be employed by the NHS alongside your studies for this master's degree apprenticeship. This MSc course will be the foundation for your training to become a qualified Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP). Alongside your formal study of clinical psychology theory and practice, you will undertake practice-based learning and supervised clinical practice in a relevant NHS health or social care setting under the supervision of a registered clinical or counselling Psychologist. You’ll develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours necessary to work safely and effectively as a CAP, including knowledge of governance, ethical and organisational issues. We will train you to work effectively with individuals experiencing mental health problems using evidence-based approaches. You'll develop skills in psychological assessment, formulation and intervention, and in how to evaluate and enhance your practice. Your developing clinical practice skills and competence will be reviewed and assessed throughout the course. As you work to become a reflective, ethical and competent practitioner, you'll gain the experience needed to contribute to the effective provision of psychologically informed care across the wider health and social care system. On completion of your degree apprenticeship, you will have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and behaviours to work as a qualified CAP, and be able to:

  • work autonomously with appropriate support and supervision from a registered psychologist
  • provide personalised and evidence-based care to people from different backgrounds and cultures
  • support service development through quality improvement
This course is designed for psychology graduates employed by health and social care providers as apprentice Clinical Associates in Psychology. The CAP role aims to address unmet needs in mental health provision, as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan and Community Mental Health Framework. Studying with us You will join our Department of Psychology, which offers several accredited professional postgraduate programmes in psychology, as well as a highly ranked undergraduate degree in the subject. Research interests in the department span a broad range of clinically relevant topics, including:
  • ageing
  • autism
  • child maltreatment
  • common mental health problems
  • eating disorders
  • persistent physical symptoms
  • psychosis
  • trauma
Graduate prospects On successful completion of this apprenticeship degree, you’ll be eligible to apply for Clinical Associate in Psychology roles in the NHS. Course ethos We aim to provide a supportive, stimulating environment to nurture CAP apprentices as they grow professionally. Because of this, our course mixes learning that is practice-based as well as problem-based. We believe that the classroom should be an extension of the workplaces in which CAPs are embedded, offering academic learning that is fully grounded in clinical practice. This means that CAPs will be encouraged to bring their experience from practice to the teaching we provide and to take what they learn back to their workplaces to create a virtuous cycle of learning. By doing this, we will support apprentices to become reflective and ethical practitioners who can work with complex presentations in an evolving health and social care context. In addition to ensuring that the practice we teach is evidence-based and outcome-focused, we will encourage apprentices to pay close attention to wider organisational, social and cultural trends.

Assessment method

  • Coursework
  • Open-book written examination
  • Reflective assessment
  • Practical
- Portfolio

Entry requirements

Recruitment and selection for this programme is led by NHS employers, in collaboration with the University of Bath. Therefore, applications must be made to employers (such as an NHS Trust) recruiting apprentice CAPs, not directly to the University. These services typically advertise apprentice or trainee Clinical Associate in Psychology posts on recruitment websites, such as NHS Jobs. To apply for this course, you should have: - a minimum 2:2 undergraduate degree in Psychology, or an equivalent conversion course accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). - relevant clinical experience in a mental health setting - be able to evidence passes at GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths prior to progression to End Point Assessment for successful completion of the apprenticeship Applicants should be eligible for BPS Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) and will need to have, or applied for, Graduate Membership for entry to the programme. Read more about BPS Graduate Membership.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Tuition fees can be found on our web pages and are liable to increase annually. UK and Islands fees are regulated by the UK government and are subject to parliamentary approval. For all other fees, you should budget for an increase of up to 8% for every further year of study. For information on tuition fees visit our web pages: https://www.bath.ac.uk/topics/tuition-fees/
Clinical Associate in Psychology at University of Bath - UCAS