Program Overview

MSc Psychological Therapy in Primary Care

Overview

The MSc Psychological Therapy in Primary Care is an NHS Scotland-funded professional training course. The course is jointly delivered by the University of Stirling and the University of Dundee. It provides expert training in delivering evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to adults with common mental health conditions.

Key Facts

• Award: Masters / MSc
• Start date: January 2026
• Duration: MSc full-time: 12 months
• Mode of study: full time
• Delivery: on campus

Entry Requirements

Academic Requirements

• Applicants should hold an honours degree in Psychology (2:1 or above) conferring the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• Alternatively, applicants should have successfully completed an MSc psychology conversion course at a level equivalent to a 2:1 and which confers Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS).

International Entry Requirements

• View the entry requirements for your country.

Application Procedure

• You apply for this course via the University of Dundee.
• Visit the Dundee Psychological Therapy in Primary Care MSc page for further details and the application forms.

English Language Requirements

• To see the English Language Requirements for this course please go to the University of Dundee Psychological Therapy in Primary Care MSc page.
• See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.

Course Details

The course has five taught modules and a sixth research module. The first three modules are supervised by the University of Dundee while the second three are supervised by the University of Stirling. All modules are core and there are no optional modules.

Assessment, Diagnosis and Formulation

• Provides knowledge of the essential ingredients of collaborative therapeutic relationships and of the evidence linking the therapeutic alliance to treatment outcomes in Cognitive-behavioural Psychotherapy.

Principles and Methods of Psychological Therapy

• Provides knowledge of general factors implicated in onset, maintenance and restitution of common mental health disorders within a CBT framework.

Common Mental Health Disorders in Primary Care

• Provides the theoretical and clinical knowledge of the prevalence, aetiology, presentation, course and differential diagnosis of common mental health disorders in the context of the evidence base for the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural treatment for common mental health disorders presenting in primary care.

Professional and Ethical Issues

• This module examines common ethical dilemmas which may affect psychologists in their therapeutic work.

Research, Evaluation and Outcome

• This module aims to strengthen your understanding of the methodological and statistical principles of psychological research and their relevance to evidence-based outcomes.

Research Dissertation

• This module gives the trainee the experience of conducting a clinically relevant research project in an NHS setting.

Teaching

• You'll be taught through a mix of:
  • lectures;
  • clinical skills workshops utilising role play;
  • talks by NHS-based clinicians;
  • individual and group-based clinical supervision sessions;
  • comprehensive online resources to support workshops.

Assessment

• You'll be assessed by:
  • a systematic review/service related project of published evidence relating to a primary care mental health issues;
  • two exams/assessments;
  • three case reports of patients you have treated;
  • three clinical placement-based assessments of your clinical competence.

Fees and Funding

Fees and Costs

• University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our Stirling Alumni Scholarship.
• Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.
• If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.

Additional Costs

• There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips.

After You Graduate

• You will graduate with the clinical and professional skills needed to work in NHS Scotland as a Clinical Associate in Applied Psychology (CAAP).
• Recent graduates have also gone on to work in other clinically related posts in the public sector across the UK.
• Accreditation by the BPS and BABCP has increased the acceptance of this qualification in other parts of the UK.

Related Courses

• MSc / MA Human-Animal Interaction
• MSc Autism and Neurodevelopmental Conditions Research
• MSc Health Psychology
• MSc Psychological Research Methods
• MSc Psychology (accredited conversion course)
• MSc Psychology of Sport (Accredited)
• Professional Doctorate Health Psychology