Low Intensity Psychological Therapy PGCert
Our Low Intensity Psychological Therapies PGCert provides you with the skills to assess and treat patients. You'll use brief, evidence-based psychological approaches for the treatment of mental health problems. This includes depression and anxiety.
You are currently viewing course information for entry year:
Start date(s):
- September 2024
Important application information
The self-funded route to the PG Certificate in Low Intensity Psychological Therapies has been suspended. Due to a significant increase in NHS commissioned applications we have made the decision to suspend the self-funded route for the foreseeable future. There are however many funded opportunities to train on this programme at the NHS careers website.
Overview
This course is part of the Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme which trains Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs) for NHS employment.
The Department of Health's IAPT programme is an innovative approach to mental health. You'll train to become a practitioner who helps those experiencing depression and anxiety. You'll do this through the use of evidence-based psychological therapies.
The Low Intensity Psychological Therapies programme trains Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners under the NHS England talking therapies initiative. Low intensity therapy constitutes part of the national institute of clinical excellence (NICE) guidelines for the evidenced based treatment of mild to moderate common mental health problems.
The emphasis of low intensity therapy is to help patients self-manage their symptoms of depression and anxiety, using primarily cognitive and behavioural interventions. The programme will equip Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner trainees with the clinical competence to provide low intensity cognitive behaviour therapy, usually within a public or third sector healthcare setting. Typically, when qualified, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners work in an NHS or public sector clinical setting, on band 5 and 6 (NHS or equivalent) salaries.
The programme directors are Laura Stevenson and Dr Claire Lomax.
The team lead is Karen Wilson.
Enquires to: Iapt.director@ncl.ac.uk
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Important information
We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.
View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.
See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.
What you'll learn
You'll learn through compulsory modules.
Modules
You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.
Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.
Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.
Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.
Optional modules availability
Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.
To find out more please see our terms and conditions.
How you'll learn
Your teaching takes place on a Monday and Tuesday - 9.30am 4.30pm. This is scheduled as present in person teaching on university campus. The campus is located within Newcastle City Centre. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday trainees are on clinical placement with their service (service rather than employer).
Placements are currently provided around the North East of England. The placements are clinical services that treat individuals experiencing common mental health problems.
On completing this course you can work towards Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) accreditation.
Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:
- Essay
- Observation of professional practice
- Oral examination
- Oral presentation
- Portfolio
- Report
- Written examination
Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:
- module handbooks
- course materials
- groups
- course announcements and notifications
- written feedback
Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:
- peers
- academics
- personal tutors
- our University Student Services Team
- student representatives
You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.
Quality and ranking
All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body
From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK
Facilities
We have excellent general learning resources are available. They include access to the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Here you'll find all workshop and lecture slides, and programme and module handbooks.
The School of Psychology is in the Dame Margaret Barbour Building.
You'll work in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. This is part of our city-centre campus.
The Faculty is also home to:
- dentistry
- medicine
- psychology
- pharmacy
It is on the same site as Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary hospital. We are one of the largest integrated teaching/hospital complexes in the country.
Our facilities include:
- individual research laboratories where students carry out their projects
- a dedicated medical library with a wide range of specialist books and journals
- hi-tech computer clusters and study spaces
- dedicated facilities for a range of key bioscience applications. This includes flow cytometry, bioinformatics, imaging, genomics and proteomics
Fees and funding
Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year)
If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.
Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.
EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.
If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.
Scholarships
We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information.
What you're paying for
Tuition fees include the costs of:
- matriculation
- registration
- tuition (or supervision)
- library access
- examination
- re-examination
- graduation
Find out more about:
If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.
You can check this in the How to apply section.
If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.
For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.
Search for funding
Find funding available for your course
Entry requirements
The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.
Qualifications from outside the UK
English Language requirements
Admissions policy
This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.
Download our admissions policy (PDF: 201KB)
Other policies related to admissions
Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course
How to apply
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Get in touch
Questions about this course?
If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:
Karen Wilson
Programme Administrator (IAPT and CBT programmes)
School of Psychology
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 3915
Email: iapt.director@ncl.ac.uk
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