Study Guide of Psychology

PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION

for publication on Departmental website and to be sent to External Examiner (see guidance notes on programme specification at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Registry/UCLStaff/ ).

|Programme title: | |
| |Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology |
|Final award (BSc, MA etc): | |
|(where stopping off points exist they should be detailed here and|MSc |
|defined later in the document) | |
|UCAS code: | |
|(where applicable) | |
|Intake cohort(s) to which this programme specification is | |
|applicable: |2011-13 |
|(e.g. from 2001 intake onwards) | |

|Awarding institution/body: |University College London |
|Teaching institution: |University College London in collaboration with the Yale Child Study Center |
|Faculty: |Brain Sciences |
|Parent Department: |Psychology and Language Sciences |
|(the Department responsible for the |Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology |
|administration of the programme) | |
|Web page address: |http://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychlangsci/students/prospective/PGT/TMSPSYSDNP01 |
|(if applicable) | |
|Method of study: |Full time |
|Full-time/Part-time/Other | |
|Length of the programme: |Two years |
|(please note any periods spent away from | |
|UCL, such as study abroad or placements in | |
|industry) | |
|Level on Framework for Higher Education |Level M |
|Qualifications (FHEQ) | |
|(see Guidance notes) | |
|Relevant subject benchmark statement (SBS) |Psychology |
|(see guidance notes on programme | |
|specifications) | |
|Brief outline of the structure of the |Year 1 is spent at UCL/The Anna Freud Centre and Year 2 at The Child Study Centre in Yale |
|programme / its assessment: |University, New Haven, USA. |
|(see guidance notes on programme | |
|specifications) |Year 1 |
| |The programme falls into 4 module ‘families’ in the first year: i. Psychoanalytic concepts;|
| |ii. Developmental psychology and psychopathology; iii. Neuroscience and iv. Research |
| |methods and statistics. |
| | |
| |Assessment of Year 1: |
| | |
| |Psychoanalytic Concepts: Module 1 (Freud and the Creation of Psychoanalysis) is assessed by|
| |a 3000 word essay and Module 2 (Anna Freud and the Contemporary Freudians) by a 2-hour exam|
| |Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology: Developmental psychology (1) is assessed by |
| |a 2-hr exam, and Developmental psychology (2) and Development Disorders from Multiple |
| |Perspectives are both assessed by 3000 word essays |
| |Neuroscience: Introduction to Neuroscience Methods is assessed by a 2-hr exam and Affective|
| |Neuroscience is assessed by a 3000 word Essay. |
| |Research Modules: Introduction to Psychological Research is formative and not assessed. |
| |Introduction to Statistical Analysis is assessed by an unseen statistical assignment; |
| |Research Skills is assessed by a 3000 word assignment; Evaluating Research Literature is |
| |assessed by a 3000 word Literature Review; and Evaluating Clinical Interventions is |
| |assessed by a 3000 word assignment. |
| | |
| |Year 2 |
| |The second year is spent at Yale University, based at the Yale Child Study Center. Students|
| |work throughout the year on their research project under the supervision of an individual |
| |mentor. |
| |In the 2nd year students also undertake a variety of courses, some compulsory and assessed |
| |and others formative and elective. |
| | |
| |Assessment of Year 2: |
| | |
| |There are three assessed components: |
| |Advanced Neuroimaging Methods – assessed by 2-hr Exam |
| |Clinical Applications of Neuroscience Methods, assessed by a 4000 word essay |
| |Research Thesis: A 17,000 word thesis is assessed by two internal examiners who are not the|
| |supervisor and all dissertations are reviewed by the external examiner. |
| |In addition to the above components students also attend: |
| |A formative Behavioural Genetics module |
| |A psychoanalytic programme of study over both semesters |
| |A wide range of elective courses. |
| | |
|Board of Examiners: |i) Name of Board of Examiners: |
| | |
| |MSc in Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology |
| |Secretary of the International Neuro-Psychoanalysis Society |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|Professional body accreditation |Not applicable |Date of next scheduled |
|(if applicable): | |accreditation visit: |

|EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME: |
| |
|This programme aims to provide candidates with a rigorous introduction to a broad range of perspectives on developmental |
|psychopathology, including psychoanalytic theory, neuroscience and cognitive theory. The program aims to equip students with |
|knowledge and understanding of both neuroscientific and psychological concepts and to engender an ability to design research |
|approaches using a range of neuroimaging and psychological techniques. |
| |
|The overarching educational aims of the programme therefore are: |
|To provide a theoretical grounding in theories of psychology and relevant psychoanalytic theories |
|To provide an introduction to a range of developmental disorders based on both theoretical and empirical contributions, from|
|multiple perspectives (neuroscientific, genetic, psychoanalytic, cognitive etc) |
|To equip students with sufficient knowledge of neuroscience to understand findings from imaging and other neurobiological |
|studies as these pertain to a the development of behavioural and emotional problems in childhood and young adulthood |
|To introduce students to qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and to the requirements for conducting reliable,|
|valid and ethical research |
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|PROGRAMME OUTCOMES: |
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|The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills |
|and other attributes in the following areas: |
|A: Knowledge and understanding |
|Knowledge and understanding of: | |Teaching/learning methods and strategies: |
| | | |
|Key concepts and models related to psychoanalytic | |Weekly lectures on psychoanalytic concepts, many|
|theoretical and clinical work. | |of which are delivered by highly regarded |
|Typical development from cognitive, systemic and | |psychoanalysts |
|psychodynamic perspectives | |Weekly lectures on developmental psychology |
|Psychodynamic, psychological and neuroscientific theories | |Weekly lectures on developmental disorders |
|of common emotional and behavioural problems of | |presented collaboratively by a clinical |
|childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, such as | |psychologist, a child psychiatrist and a child |
|depression, autism, ADHD and conduct disorder | |psychotherapist, to incorporate different |
|How to formulate research questions and devise research | |understandings of each disorder. |
|methodology | |Weekly research classes, encompassing lectures |
|Research methods (including issues of design and | |on research design, SPSS teaching and advanced |
|statistical analysis) used to collect biological and | |research skills |
|neuroscientific, as well as psychosocial, data relevant to| |introduction to neuro-imaging techniques and to |
|these disorders | |affective neuroscience |
| | |In addition to lectures, students take part in |
| | |weekly small group seminars as well as |
| | |student-led tutorials, and a weekly student led |
| | |journal club to discuss relevant empirical |
| | |findings. |
| | |Students will be encouraged to take |
| | |responsibility for their own learning and to |
| | |undertake independent reading to broaden their |
| | |knowledge and understanding across a range of |
| | |topics |
| | |Assessment: |
| | |Assessment of students will be by three essays |
| | |and two assignments, one unseen statistical |
| | |assignment, submission of a literature review |
| | |and five unseen examinations spaced throughout |
| | |the first year. There will be one exam and one |
| | |essay in the second year. |
|B: Skills and other attributes |
|Intellectual (thinking) skills: | |Teaching/learning methods and strategies: |
| | | |
|Think critically about a range of perspectives in the | |The supervised dissertation includes critical |
|psychoanalytic literature | |examination of relevant literature. Seminars |
|Think critically about the relationship between different | |and student led journal discussions encourage |
|domains of scholarly and intellectual activity in relation| |critical reading and evaluation of research |
|do developmental psychopathology (e.g. psychoanalytic | |papers; |
|theory, developmental neuroscience, genetics, cognitive | |Discussion of key issues in teaching and seminar|
|psychology) | |sessions promotes evaluation of theories; |
|Critically evaluate research findings and theoretical | |Feedback on essays and literature reviews |
|frameworks | |Teaching in seminars relates theory to |
|Apply theoretical understanding to research methodology | |methodology and encourages students to develop a|
|Use reasoning skills to generate hypotheses, propose | |robust theoretical rationale for their |
|arguments and provide rationale | |dissertations |
|Identify and begin to try to solve research problems | |Reasoning skills are promoted in seminar |
|Understand ethical research and the application of ethics | |teaching, in analyzing research papers, and in |
|to the conduct of research | |developing ideas for research projects |
| | |Throughout the course, students will be asked to|
| | |reflect on the ethics of research |
| | |Assessment: |
| | |In unseen examinations and in the thesis |
| | |write-up marks are rewarded for critical |
| | |evaluation and reasoning. The 17,000 word |
| | |research thesis in the second year provides a |
| | |broad forum to demonstrate intellectual skills. |
| | |Students’ written work has to show knowledge of |
| | |a range of areas within developmental |
| | |psychopathology, its biological/neurological |
| | |basis and its integration with findings from |
| | |neuroscience |
|C: Skills and other attributes |
|Practical skills (able to): | |Teaching/learning methods and strategies: |
|The programme aims to equip students with the following | |Practical classes and lectures and |
|skills: | |computer-based practical classes. |
|Undertake and interpret statistical analyses of data using| |Research seminars and student-led tutorials. |
|statistical packages | | |
|Search electronically for relevant research articles | | |
|Improve their skills in the use of databases | | |
|Improve skills in digital resources | | |
|Improve word processing skills | | |
| | |Assessment: |
| | |The research thesis is the key summative |
| | |assessment. There is also an unseen statistical|
| | |exam in Year 1. Formative assessment is provided|
| | |by practical exercises during the course, which |
| | |requires accessing digital sources and word |
| | |processing. |
|D: Skills and other attributes |
|Transferable skills (able to): | |Teaching/learning methods and strategies: |
|Communicate effectively in writing and oral presentations | |Presentations, essays, supervised research |
|Listen, give and receive feedback and respond | |projects. Critical analysis sessions, research |
|appropriately | |presentations. For example, students orally |
|Manage and facilitate group discussions | |present papers throughout the year in their |
|Critical evaluation of empirical research | |Journal Club, and present to an |
|Study independently | |interdisciplinary group during a ‘Research |
| | |Training Programme’ at Yale, early in Year 2. In|
| | |both cases peer learning is strongly encouraged.|
| | |Assessment: |
| | |Summative assessment is provided by the research|
| | |thesis, formative assessment by the Journal Club|
| | |and RTP feedback. These skills are also reviewed|
| | |in individual tutorials |
|The following reference points were used in designing the programme: |
| |
|the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications |
|(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/quality-code-A1.aspx); |
|the relevant Subject Benchmark Statements |
|(http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/quality-code-A2.aspx); |
|the programme specifications for UCL degree programmes in relevant subjects (where applicable); |
|UCL teaching and learning policies; |
|staff research. |

|Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student |
|might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More |
|detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each course unit/module can be found in the |
|Departmental course handbook. The accuracy of the information contained in this document is reviewed by the College and may be checked by the |
|Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. |

|Programme Organiser(s) Name(s): |Dr Eamon McCrory |
|Date of production: |This version 2011-13 cohort |
|Date of review: |February 2013 |