Course Brochure for the part-time Continuing Professional Development Doctorate in Educational Psychology (DEdPsy) in 2016

Transcription

1 RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL, EDUCATIONAL & HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY Course Brochure for the part-time Continuing Professional Development Doctorate in Educational Psychology (DEdPsy) in 2016 The professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology (DEdPsy) is a continuing professional development programme for experienced Educational Psychology Practitioners. Entry Date: January 2016

2 An invitation to join our CPD Doctorate in Educational Psychology (DEdPsy) Are you interested in joining the 18th cohort of practising Educational Psychologists who will be embarking on our continuing professional development Doctorate programme in January 2016? Launched following extensive LA collaborative research in 1999, the DEdPsy course at UCL aims to provide busy practitioners with a supportive learning environment in which to obtain their doctorate qualification, whilst maximising their contribution to the advancement and development of professional practice and the knowledge base in educational psychology. This innovative and carefully structured programme offers course members: an intellectually-stimulating experience a high level of support and constructive challenge in every aspect of the course the enjoyment and motivation of belonging to a supportive, high-performance group an opportunity for extensive personal and professional development resourceful, supportive tutors with a sense of humour as well as a diversity of professional expertise taught components tailored to research and practice needs the satisfaction of in-depth study and research increased professional pride in the potential and possibilities of applied educational and child psychology 2

3 Programme Outline The original design of the UCL Doctoral programme was based on information from a national survey exploring the needs, expectations and aspirations of practising EPs. Changes are made each year in response to feedback from course members, research advisers and external examiners to ensure that we provide the best possible learning experience for a wide range of practitioners, within our ever changing professional context. The course involves applied research, practice and personal development components and promotes psychology as a powerful force for positive change in peoples lives. We aim to enable educational psychologists to: acquire new knowledge in the field of child and educational psychology become creative applied researchers with an understanding of a range of research paradigms enhance and extend their professional skills develop sensitivity to constraints on and possibilities for change extend expertise in uncovering and creating opportunities for organisational development. Defining features of the programme include a high level of flexibility, opportunities to participate in highly topical and innovative Leading Edge Day conferences and workshops, and access to UCL and London s many fine learning facilities and centres of excellence. In addition, feedback indicates a consistently high standard of tutor support. The course provision has been extended to meet the needs of increasing numbers of applicants from Ireland and overseas and UKbased educational psychologists who work in a range of contexts, including independent consultancy and Local Authority Services. Principles and Core Values As a tutor team, we aim to promote the following principles and core values throughout all aspects of the course: supporting the effective application of psychological theory and research in achieving key outcomes for children respecting course members' existing knowledge, skills and expertise utilising the psychology of adult learning providing both personal and professional development opportunities promoting lifelong learning encouraging transparent decision making encouraging co-operative as well as individual learning promoting service/la research which combines professional relevance with academic rigour providing high-quality teaching and support supporting equal opportunities promoting accountable and evidence-based practice in child and educational psychology 3

4 Course Content and Modes of Attendance The following curriculum objectives form the cornerstones of the taught components of the programme and of each participant s negotiated learning and research plan, which is tailored to individual, service and LA needs as well as UCL requirements. The curriculum: (a)applied research to acquire applied research skills that will foster the development of insight, knowledge, understanding and expertise in a problem area in an Educational Psychology Service, the LA or in a wider multiagency context to acquire skills that can enhance the understanding and management of such problem areas. to critically evaluate and monitor interventions and strategies for problem management. (b) Professional practice to engage with cutting/leadingedge research and theory in Educational Psychology to consider how to adapt this knowledge to manage problems faced by educational psychologists in their everyday professional practice to critically evaluate and extend/develop such aspects of professional practice to enhance the quality of participants work as reflective practitioners The psychology of adult learning and the provision of effective learning experiences for experienced professionals are particular areas of expertise at UCL. Learning activities build on and utilise participants prior knowledge of psychology and professional experience in educational psychology. Theory, research and practice are integrated in the provision of learning experiences. These provide meaningful foci for the group in sharing existing knowledge and expertise, developing the application of problem and systems analysis strategies, assimilating new psychological theory and research, and evaluating the appropriateness of resulting assessment techniques, intervention approaches and provision. The curriculum is delivered through: Group teaching sessions (including a joint research methods workshop with colleagues on the initial training Doctorate) Access to UCL s excellent webbased learning environment (Moodle), including our innovative research methods course and Wiki Regular 1:1 tutorials with a personal tutor, alongside additional access to support and advice about more specialist research methodologies from other tutors within the team Regular group opportunities to discuss and share your developing individualized research plan with a supportive group of peers, and tutors Annual progress review meetings with your tutor and research advisor where, with you, we aim to ensure that satisfactory standards of competence are attained and that timely and specific advice and support can be provided Leading Edge Psychology Days and Workshops which include nationally known keynote speakers as well as practice components, on topical areas chosen by course members. Additionally, towards the end of the final year, participants are offered a mock viva with feedback to assist them in preparation for examination of their thesis. 4

5 Attendance Attendance at UCL for the taught elements of the programme involves 16 scheduled days (5-6 per term) in year 1 and 9 days (3 per term) for each of years 2 to 4. The timetabled days are planned to coincide as far as possible with periods of low service demand, such as the beginnings and ends of school terms and occasional half-term holidays. (See: for a summary of course days, content and submissions in the current year). Candidates are reminded that the DEdPsy at UCL is an intensive 4-year programme and, in addition to attending the 43 timetabled days at UCL over the course of the four years, participants will need to commit up to 5 hours each week of term time to work on their doctorate studies. Further time may need to be allocated, in negotiation with Educational Psychology Service Managers, for data collection and other work-place based research activities. Research and Assignment Components At UCL, the summative assessment requirements for the four-year DEdPsy course for practising educational psychologists are as follows (a) A research thesis of 30-40,000 words in length which makes a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and which offers evidence of originality shown by the discovery of new facts and the exercise of independent critical power. (b) Four professional practice assignments of 7,000 words each, which offer course members the chance to illuminate, develop and evaluate aspects of current or future practice in Educational Psychology. Three assignments must relate to the following three core topics in applied psychology: Psychological Assessment and Intervention The Profession of Educational and Child Psychology and its Context. Personal Effectiveness in a Professional Context The fourth assignment may relate to any of the above. Examples of Topics Practising educational psychologists working on the four-year DEdPsy course have taken full advantage of the wide range of subject matter available to them. Their assignment topics, which are often at the cutting edge of EP practice, have included: Research Project topics: parenting styles in different cultural groups Shared attention and autistic spectrum disorder loneliness in childhood the impact of word level skills training approaches on selfperceptions relating to reading the education of looked after children psychology and expert witness roles confabulation in childhood resilience and children s attributions of success and failure non-attendance and school alienation teacher attributions and pupil attainment 5

6 motivational interviewing nursery-reception class transitions hypnosis and children s anxieties gifted children emotional well-being of children with visual impairment P evaluation of the Holding Hands project for parents Professional assignment topics: bereavement and children with severe learning difficulties the role of the EP in supporting children and young people with medical needs child maltreatment, physical abuse and school performance educational psychology and multiagency work race and ethnicity in foster home placement the interpersonal effectiveness of educational psychologists communication skills in the statutory procedure for assessing special educational needs critical event management, and gifted children anti-racist discourses in education LA responses to the needs of children of refugees and asylum seekers play based assessment the effectiveness of social stories in work with children who have autism neuropsychology and EP practice supporting pupils with working memory difficulties personal effectiveness in promoting partnerships with parents children of short stature You can find a full list of research project and professional assignment topics on our website at: signment_topics.pdf Other forms of Assessment In addition to the formal assessment of assignments and the thesis, course members receive detailed feedback on their developing assignments and research proposals, as well as being encouraged to reflect on their own learning and development needs. This is very much a personalized journey. Why come to UCL? - Special Features of the Programme In addition to the features of the programme described above, three particular programme features offer added benefits to course members. These are: 1. Our approach to research supervision 2. Leading Edge Days 3. Ongoing Programme Evaluation 1. Research Supervision The work of each participant on the CPD Doctorate programme is monitored, supported and evaluated by a professional tutor in Educational Psychology from the UCL tutor team and a Research Adviser who is a highly experienced, senior member of the profession with EPS management experience (who offers advice on professional issues and ensures a continuing link with national and professional perspectives). This model of supervision has been adapted from that employed by universities in the USA which have a long tradition of applied doctoral-level training programmes. The rationale for providing supervision through a small team, rather than through a single supervisor, relates to the broader focus of applied research and the wider range 6

7 of skills and knowledge which are relevant to the participants' areas of interest. Our Research Advisers are knowledgeable about the academic standards required on the course and between them, can provide a high level of expertise across the range of relevant knowledge and skills. Tutors and research advisers review participants progress through an annual progress review meeting for each course member and they also provide feedback on participants written work at the following stages: Thesis outline Yearly Progress Reports against agreed objectives Second submissions of each of the 4 professional practice assignments Penultimate draft of entire thesis Our Research Advisors: Dr Suzi Iyadurai, Consultant Educational & Child Psychologist Dr Steve Huggett, Director of Autism Education trust, previously Senior Director for SEN/LDD, National Strategies and PEP Gloucestershire Dr Allan Sigston, Director of Learning Services, EdisonLearning (US & UK), formerly Head of SEN and Psychology Services, Essex Dr Helen Squibb, formerly Deputy Director for Children s Services, Dorset County Council and PEP, Southampton City Council. 2. Leading-edge Psychology days and workshops These days are organised primarily to cater to the needs and interests of the four year groups on the DEdPsy programme, although the annual Leading Edge days are also open to other EP practitioners from across the country. Both the Leading Edge days and workshops involve both research and practice components of selected topics which are delivered by eminent researchers and innovative EP practitioners. Leading Edge days have focused on numerous topics to date including: Numeracy Cognitive behaviour therapy and young people with emotional and behavior difficulties Resilience and vulnerable children Neuropsychology and Educational Psychology Practice Recent Developments in Dyslexia Metacognitive Approaches in Learning Recent changes for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Well-being in Adolescence Multi-agency teams: value added? Promoting Mental Health in Schools Educational Psychologists working for year olds: what are the possibilities? Parenting today: Bringing up children in challenging times Recent advances in understanding language difficulties and their implications for education The changing landscape of special educational needs and disability legislation and procedures: implications for Educational Psychologists Motivation and empowerment during organisational change A flyer from a recently held Leading Edge Day is shown overleaf. 7

8 Continuing Professional Development in Educational Psychology Educational psychologists and infant mental health? Thursday 16th April 2015 PROGRAMME SUMMARY Despite a history within Child Guidance clinics, the profession of educational psychology has, particularly in the past year, been focused primarily on the implementation of the SEND reforms. However, the mental health agenda has continued to call to us. A clear rationale for our work in this area is provided by the current context, with the work around the parity between physical and mental health the recognition of mental health needs within the new SEND Code of Practice, and increased awareness of the connection between emotional wellbeing and learning outcomes. Even more recently, and building on the prevention and early intervention initiatives, a number of strands have led to the identification of perinatal and infant mental health as areas in which commissioners now need to focus. Whilst a recent focus has been on work with young people 16+, given that an EP s responsibilities start from birth, it is important to maintain close attention to advances in understanding infant mental health. The focus of infant mental health is on the optimal social and emotional development of infants and toddlers within the context of secure, stable relationships with caregivers (Zeanah & Zeanah, 2001). This includes within-child factors, caregiver-infant relationships and environmental factors. Is there then a role for EPs? Over recent years EPs have strongly embraced attachment theory as a basis to inform many aspects of their work. This Leading Edge day provides an opportunity for practising EPs to hear about current theory and practice from internationally renowned researchers and innovative practitioners in the field of attachment and infant mental health, to consider the implications of theory and research for the promotion of mental health and well-being across the life span, and to learn about possibilities for intervention in this area. Keynote speakers are: Professor Pasco Fearon is Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at University College London and joint Director of the UCL Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology. He is also the Director of the Anna Freud Centre's Developmental Neuroscience lab, and a visiting member of the faculty at the Child Study Center at Yale University. His research focuses on early child development and particularly the role of attachment in risk for emotional and behavioural problems. Professor Jane Barlow is Professor of Public Health in the Early Years at Warwick University. Jane s main research interest is the role of early parenting in the aetiology of mental health problems, and in particular the evaluation of early interventions aimed at improving parenting practices and reducing the risk of child maltreatment, particularly during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Dr Paul Ramchandani is a reader in child and adolescent psychiatry at Imperial College and is a Consultant Child and Adolescent psychiatrist. His work involves the development and testing of psychological interventions to prevent mental health problems in early life, with a focus on including both mothers and fathers. Dr Shami Rait is a Senior Educational Psychologist in Buckinghamshire. Shami completed the Doctorate in Educational Psychology at UCL in 2011 and developed and evaluated a programme adapted from Parent Child Interaction Therapy called the Holding Hands Programme. She is also an accredited VIG guider. Penny Rackett is an Educational Psychologist and Advanced VIG Supervisor in Suffolk. She is one of the AVIGUK Directors and an AIMH committee member, and has co-developed two perinatal infant mental health interventions using VIG. 8

9 3. Ongoing Programme Evaluation Each year we conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of the DEdPsy programme (from selection to programme presentation, curriculum, access and assessment). Such evaluation provides useful feedback which we have incorporated into the programme organisation and delivery. Recent end of year evaluations have highlighted the high level of satisfaction expressed by the majority of current programme members. A small selection of the feedback received includes: My DEdPsy has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done! I enjoyed my first year and am feeling positive about the rest of the course (Year 1 course member) At a national level, the DEdPsy course at UCL received recognition by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in January 2002 and again in It should be noted, however, that the ESRC is unable to provide funding for professional doctorate course members at present. Studying at UCL (Year 4 course member) Leading Edge days are excellent (Year 1 course member) University College London (UCL) is one of the foremost teaching and research institutions in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1826 to provide higher education for all who could benefit from it, regardless of religion, race or class, and is both the longest established and largest of the various colleges and institutes that make up the University of London. The College was the first to admit women to higher education on equal terms with men, and also pioneered the teaching of many subjects at university level, including psychology. More than a third of the diverse 19,000 strong student community is engaged in graduate studies, with almost half of these pursuing research degrees. We have hundreds of collaborative research partners and an everexpanding worldwide network of more than 107,000 UCL alumni helps to maintain the university's international reputation for innovation and excellence. UCL is proud of its record of academic distinction. It can count 29 Nobel Prize winners among former academic staff and students, and our academic community includes 53 Fellows of the Royal Society, 15 of the Royal Academy of Engineering, 51 of the British Academy and 78 of the Academy of Medical Sciences. UCL has the highest number of professors of any university in the UK, with more than 920 established and personal chairs, as well as the joint highest number of female professors. Situated in the heart of Bloomsbury, central London's huge array of libraries, museums, public gardens, cinemas, theatres, cafés, bars and restaurants are all within easy reach. The UCL campus provides graduate students with many useful amenities, including a university bookshop; a language centre offering numerous evening courses; a multi million pound fitness suite; UCL's very own West End Theatre, the Bloomsbury; numerous fine and diverse museums and collections and extensive well resourced library facilities cited by many current DEdPsy course members as a particular asset to research.

10 9 Psychology at UCL The establishment at UCL in 1897 of the first psychological laboratory in the country (and the second in the world after Leipzig) has been hailed as a landmark in the history of British psychology. The most recent Higher Education Funding Council research assessment exercise confirmed the College s reputation for excellence in psychological research. We pride ourselves on maintaining strengths across the whole range of the discipline and have a long and distinguished tradition in the teaching of applied psychology. Our Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, within the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, is orientated towards the future and addressing the challenges of the rapidly changing structures for services for children. The one-year professional training Diploma in Educational Psychology, introduced at UCL by Sir Cyril Burt in 1946, was the first of its kind in Britain. Many of the educational psychologists who trained at UCL now hold senior positions in the profession, both in Britain and abroad. Particular strengths of the initial and CPD professional Doctorate teaching programmes in educational psychology at UCL include: Attachment to a large research department which ensures teaching by staff engaged in ongoing psychological research Teaching in state of the- art developments in psychology Commitment to the integration of theory, research and practice in child and educational psychology which is reflected both in the programme staffing and in the way in which learning experiences are structured. An extensive UK programme of continuing professional development for practising educational psychologists. 10

11 The CPD Doctorate Team ) Dr Tony Cline BA, Dip Psych, PhD, FBPsS, C Psychol. (Codirector of DEdPsy Programme) Tony initially worked in inner city and suburban areas around London as a teacher in primary and secondary schools and as an educational psychologist. He then spent eight years as Principal Educational Psychologist for the Inner London Education Authority. Subsequently he moved into higher education, firstly as Professional Director of Training in Educational Psychology here. After that at the University of Luton his posts included Head of the newly established Psychology Department and Head of the Centre for Education Studies. In the newly amalgamated University of Bedfordshire he led an Advanced Postgraduate Certificate on Special Educational Needs and English as an Additional Language. Tony's 100+ publications have covered a wide range of subjects, including psychological assessment, dyslexia, the education of bilingual children and selective mutism. His most recent research projects with colleagues at the University of Bedfordshire and elsewhere have focused on the education of minority ethnic children in mainly white schools (funded by the DfES), routes into teaching (funded by the TTA), young people s representations of child development (funded by ESRC) and language brokering in schools (funded by the Nuffield Foundation) He chaired the Editorial Board of the National Association of Special Educational Needs for six years. His external training and consultancy work has taken him to over 50 local education authorities, children's services and professional associations in the last fifteen years as well as to overseas teaching and training commitments in Ireland, Thailand and the USA. Dr. Susan Birch MA, PGCE, MSc, DEdPsy, C Psychol (Co-director of DEdPsy Programme and Senior Educational Psychologist, Buckinghamshire) Susan completed her first degree in Psychology at Cambridge, gained a PGCE in Oxford and taught in a London comprehensive school for 2 years prior to undertaking professional training at UCL in Susan completed her Doctoral training, again at UCL, in January 2005, including using a Risk and Resilience Framework to consider the educational attainment of Children Looked After as a research thesis. She joined Buckinghamshire Educational Psychology Service in Her current interests include working with schools to support the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people and in particular, in relation to ongoing work under the umbrella of Targeted Mental Health in Schools, including Nurture Groups and the evaluation of the Pyramid programme as delivered within Buckinghamshire. Dr Sandra Dunsmuir BSc, PGCE, MSc, PhD, FBPsS, FHEA, C Psychol. (Director of Educational Psychology Group and Honorary Senior Educational Psychologist, Reading) Sandra completed a first degree in psychology and post-graduate teacher training in London, and continued to work in inner city primary schools and special provision as a teacher between 1981 and Sandra finished her educational psychology training at UCL in Since then she has worked as an educational psychologist in Kent, Croydon, West Berkshire and Reading. Sandra has been involved with the training of educational psychologists at UCL since 1990, first as an Academic and Professional Tutor on the MSc programme, since 2006 as Co-Director of the Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology and since 2015 as Director of the Educational Psychology Group. 11

12 She is also Co-Director of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Children and Young People programme (Certificate, Diploma and MSc courses are offered). Her research interests include early literacy development, and in particular the factors at home and school that influence children's attainment and progress in writing. She has been involved in the development of materials to support writing assessment and intervention for children experiencing difficulties. She is also interested in the use of functional assessment to plan and evaluate interventions for pupils experiencing difficulties with learning. Publications and conference presentations include: home-school relationships and communication, parent-teacher trust, the use of information and communications technology to support children's literacy development, cross-professional collaborative working and use of outcomesbased cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) with children and young people. She has been involved in the development of learning resources for professional training programmes in educational psychology and has led the development of an e-learning CD on autistic spectrum disorders and a webbased course to support the development of competencies in psychological testing. Sandra is past Chair of the British Psychological Society Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP) and the National Forum for Educational Psychology. Dr. Roger Booker BSc, MSc, PhD, C.Psychol. (Academic & Professional Tutor, DEdPsy Programme and Independent Consultant/Executive Coach) After completing his PhD Roger taught in a Nottingham primary school before training as an EP at Manchester University. He then worked for the Inner London Education Authority until its dissolution in 1990, thereafter becoming Principle Psychologist for the London Borough of Greenwich. He then moved to become Head of Educational Psychology for Surrey and then Head of Psychology and Assessment in the new integrated children's service. In this role, in addition to leading Surrey's 50 educational psychologists, he led on the development of integrated practice and assessment models across education and social care, chaired the Surrey CAMHS Partnership (achieving Beacon Council Status for Surrey in 2003) and led the Surrey strategy to reduce reliance on Statements of Special Educational Need through increased direct funding of SEN resources to schools. He has written and presented extensively on professional service management and the implications for educational psychology of integrated services Roger left Surrey in July 2007 and now works independently as a consultant and Executive Coach for which he has gained European Mentoring and Coaching Council accreditation at the Tavistock Consultation Service. He was chair of the mental health pressure group YoungMinds from and maintains a strong interest in child and adolescent mental health, alongside systems thinking, leadership and change management. He has been an external research adviser on the UCL Doctorate Programme since Dr. Phil Stringer BA, PGCE, MSc, PhD, C.Psychol, (Academic & Professional Tutor, DEdPsy Programme and District Senior Educational Psychologist, Hampshire) In addition to Phil s role at UCL, he works for Hampshire Educational Psychology, where, since he joined the Service in 1997, he has held a number of senior management roles including principal educational psychologist. After a degree in psychology and teaching in Newcastle upon Tyne, he trained as an EP on the UCL course. He then worked in Leicester, returning to Newcastle to be a senior EP, which included four years as an associate tutor on the EP training course at Newcastle University. Phil has wide-ranging research and professional interests, including dynamic assessment and mediated learning, the psychology of community, impact 12

13 12 evaluation, and ethical dilemmas. His PhD, awarded by Southampton University in 2002, was a study into why some people become educational psychologists. Throughout his career, Phil has promoted the value of writing about EP work, both as an author in his own right and as an editor. He was book review editor and then editor of Educational Psychology in Practice, and is now on the editorial board of Educational and Child Psychology. He is currently serving as a representative of the Division of Educational and Child Psychologists on the British Psychological Society s influential ethics committee. The majority of teaching on the programme is carried out by members of the DEdPsy core staff team (although lectures and seminars on specialist topics are provided by psychologists from a range of backgrounds and other professionals). Dr. Andy Fugard BEng, MSc, PhD. (Lecturer in Educational Psychology Research Methods and Statistics, University College London) Andy joined the UCL Educational Psychology team in He holds a PhD (University of Edinburgh) in how reasoning processes vary along the broader autism spectrum; an MSc (also from Edinburgh) in Neuroinformatics; and a BEng in Computer Science (Queen's University Belfast). His current research aims to improve evidencebased decision making, e.g., modelling the effectiveness of school and community- CAMHS based mental health interventions and predictors of treatment resource needs Before moving to the Ed Psych Group he was a Research Fellow at the UCL/Anna Freud Centre CAMHS Evidence Based Practice Unit, where he worked on the national evaluation of the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (CYP IAPT) programme, and Research Lead at the CAMHS Outcomes Research Consortium, a grassroots learning collaboration of mental health professionals from services across the UK. Before that he was a Postdoc at the University of Salzburg in Austria where he did research on how people reason under uncertainty. 13

14 Fees and Funding College composition fees cover all elements of College and University registration, tuition, supervision and evaluation. Composition fees become payable, in a single sum each year, immediately students commence the programme, and fee accounts must be paid within two weeks of the date of issue. In certain circumstances, by negotiation, fees may be paid in termly instalments. Fees for the 2016 intake DEdPsy are approximately: UK/EU students: Overseas students: 2,300 per year 10,000 per year* * Please note that this is for the part-time overseas student option. Full-time overseas students are also accepted, at an annual fee of 20,000, where supervision arrangements for later years can be put in place. Fees are payable for each year of formal registration. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to seek support from their employer (including support with payment of programme fees). This brochure highlights some of the potential benefits to Services as well as individual participants. Where an applicant s employer contributes financial support an annual report on the applicant s progress will be made to the employer if requested. This report is open to the applicant. Application and Selection At UCL we welcome applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. The building in which the programme is located offers wheelchair access and applications from people with disabilities will be welcomed. We aim to make the selection process as transparent as possible. All application forms and accompanying references will be rated on the following criteria: Essential A British Psychological Society recognised Master s (or equivalent level) qualification in educational psychology. Two letters of reference supporting the candidate s ability to undertake the DEdPsy. The opinion and support of current employers will be sought for applicants currently employed by LAs or equivalent organisations - one of the two referees should be the head of service in which the applicant is working. An appropriate Initial Research Proposal which identifies a provisional topic for the thesis. Evidence of keeping up-to-date with developments in psychology Evidence of understanding of current issues in educational psychology and practice Evidence of the ability to write logically and clearly Desirable Evidence of innovatory/creative work in own professional practice Evidence of recent involvement in applied small-scale action research carried out within present service Evidence of published paper(s) in professional journal(s) and/or conference presentations Evidence of the agreement and support of line manager/pep to embark on a 4-year CPD Doctoral programme at UCL (where applicants are employed full-time in an Educational Psychology Service). 14

15 How to Apply Candidates should apply using the UCL Graduate Application Form, downloaded from: The programme begins in early January. Normally we require applicants to complete and return their application including their personal support statement before 30th September. Places are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis, so early application is advised. Interested parties are invited to contact either Dr Susan Birch ( s.birch@ucl.ac.uk) or Dr. Tony Cline ( t.cline@ucl.ac.uk) to arrange an informal telephone discussion about the programme and the interview procedure. Further Information DEdPsy Admissions Educational Psychology Group Department of Psychology University College London 26 Bedford Way London WC1H 0AP Fax: + 44 (0) eadmin@ucl.ac.uk Website: Tel: +44 (0) Disclaimer: The information contained in this booklet is correct at the time of going to press, but no guarantee can be given that it will not be amended before the commencement of, or during, the degree programmes to which it refers 15