Program Overview

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Doctor of Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Clinical Practice (DPPClinPrac)

Overview

The Doctor of Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Clinical Practice (DPPClinPrac) programme provides clinical training as either a Psychodynamic or a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist. Training leads to professional registration with the British Psychoanalytic Council and post-graduate membership of the British Psychotherapy Foundation. This is a new professional doctorate at the University of Exeter, that has clinical, academic and research components. The programme content, structure and delivery is designed to meet the needs and interests of students who may also be working professionals. The on-campus typically learning is delivered in five-day intensive teaching blocks, once a term on the Streatham Campus in Exeter. The rest of the programme may be completed online in participants’ home locations, allowing you to complete your study around your work commitments.

Duration and Location

• Duration: 4-6 years
• Location: Streatham Campus
• Study modes: Part time by Blended Learning

Research Overview

The Doctor of Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Clinical Practice (DPPClinPrac) programme provides clinical training as either a Psychodynamic or a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, leading to professional registration with the British Psychoanalytic Council and post-graduate membership of the British Psychotherapy Fellowship. This is a new professional doctorate at the University of Exeter, that has clinical, academic and research components.

Learn from Senior Clinicians

Exeter has an international reputation for training clinicians, working in the psychological therapies. The DPPClinPrac programme is staffed by senior clinicians in the field of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, delivering high-quality training in all of its clinical, academic and research components. Whilst the programme has clinical work at its core, it also provides a thorough grounding in theory and research relevant to psychotherapeutic clinical practice.

Study while Working

The programme content, structure and delivery is designed to meet the needs and interests of students who may also be working professionals. The on-campus learning is delivered in five-day intensive teaching blocks, once a term on the Streatham Campus in Exeter. The rest of the programme may be completed online in participants’ home locations, allowing you to complete your study around your work commitments.

Accreditations

How to Apply

In order to be considered for the DPPClinPrac course you will normally be expected to meet all of the following criteria (or equivalent of):

• An Honours degree and evidence of ability to work academically at Master's/Doctoral level.
• Experience of working with people in a way that is relevant to clinical psychotherapeutic work, often a professional mental health qualification and/or experience or equivalent.
• Experience of personal therapy of a kind approved by the programme staff according to the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) professional regulator's guidelines.

Personal Therapy Requirements

All students must be in personal therapy with a British Psychoanalytic Council’s (BPC) registered Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, Psychoanalyst or Jungian Analyst, who has been approved as a training therapist by the programme staff and ratified by the university Course Committee. At a minimum, students must remain in therapy at the appropriate frequency for the duration of the course of training that they are pursuing and until qualified. Please note that personal therapy costs are not included in the programme fees and must be covered by the student.

Interview and Sample of Work

Applicants will be required to attend an interview and submit a relevant piece of work. This may include, for example, prior publications or previous academic work.

English Language Requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2.

Application

You can apply online using our application portal, where you will be able to submit your research proposal, academic CV and other supporting documents.

Application Dates

We are now accepting applications for a September start. Interviews can take place in the university in person, or remotely (on MS Teams or Zoom). For the academic year 2025/6 entry, the closing date for applications is 20th April 2025.

We are offering interviews on a rolling basis until 10th May 2025. The outcome of your interview will be communicated soon after the interview.

Please note: Conditions must be met by the programme start date of end (tbc) September 2025.

Please note: Programmes are subject to minimum enrolment cohort numbers.

Equal Opportunities

The University is committed to an equal opportunities policy with respect to gender, age, race, sexual orientation and/or disability when dealing with applications. It is also committed to widening access to higher education to students from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience.

Course Content

The programme is studied in two stages and includes doctorate-level training in clinical practice research skills:

Stage One

During the initial stage of the programme, you will engage in seminars, clinical work involving patients, participate in an institutional observation, and undertake a small-scale research project. This will take place within a challenging environment, yet you will be surrounded by a supportive community of clinician and researcher peers.

Typically, at the end of stage one of the programme, you should be competent to work psychotherapeutically within a psychodynamic/psychoanalytic psychotherapy frame, under supervision, within an institutional setting.

An example of topics in stage 1 includes:

• Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Clinical Practice I
• Clinical Seminars and Reflective Practice I
• Psychoanalytic Theory I
• Institutional Observation
• Psychological Therapies Small-Scale Research Project and Viva

You may exit at the end of stage 1 of the programme, having completed all of the modules, with an MSc academic qualification: a Master's in Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic Clinical Practice (MPPClinPrac), but no clinical qualification.

Stage Two

The second stage of the programme is dedicated to clinical practice, engaging in clinical work, participating in observations, attending seminars, and focusing on the development of a research project that holds relevance to clinical practice.

Typically, on successful completion of stage 2 of the programme you should be competent to practise as either a psychodynamic or a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in an independent, ethical practice.

An example of topics in stage 2 includes:

• Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Clinical Practice II
• Clinical Seminars and Reflective Practice II
• Psychoanalytic Theory II
• Developmental Studies and Child Observation
• Dissertation

You can exit at the end of stage 2 of the programme, having completed all of the modules except the Dissertation module, with an MSc academic qualification and a clinical qualification: a Master's in Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic Clinical Practice (Clinical Practice) (MPPClinPrac(CT)).

Blended Learning

You will have one intensive teaching block week of in-person learning per term throughout the four years (a total of 12). Programme. Learning Set seminars, tutorials and supervision sessions can be joined online. Personal therapy, clinical work and observations are carried out face-to-face and locally to you. This means that the programme can be participated in throughout the UK and internationally.

Fees and Funding

Fees 2025/26

• Home: £8,700 per annum
• International: £12,500 per annum

Please note: If an applicant is intending to use Accreditation of Prior Learning or indeed any credit transferred into a doctoral programme then they will not be eligible for a student loan via the Student Loan Company (SLC). Therefore, in such a case applicants are expected to research their own sources of funding and read the Terms and Conditions carefully before embarking on any course of study.

If you are considering taking out a Doctoral Loan please be aware that this has to be spread across the maximum duration of the programme which is 6 years, therefore the student loan payments will not be sufficient to cover the annual tuition fees. Please see further FAQs for more information.

Fees 2024/25

• Home: £8,800 per annum for years 1 and 2; £7,700 per annum for years 3 to 6
• International: £12,500 per annum for years 1 and 2; £8,550 per annum for years 3 to 6

Please note: If an applicant is intending to use Accreditation of Prior Learning or indeed any credit transferred into a doctoral programme then they will not be eligible for a student loan via the Student Loan Company (SLC). Therefore, in such a case applicants are expected to research their own sources of funding and read the Terms and Conditions carefully before embarking on any course of study.

Current Funding Opportunities

Our Postgraduate Funding webpage provides links to further information. If you are considering a PhD in the future, in addition to University of Exeter funding, we have been successful at securing postgraduate funding for PhD research through our Funded centres.

Supervision

As well as senior and experienced analytically trained clinicians who are also working in various clinical settings, teaching on the programme, students also have access to senior, research active supervisors and teachers in a range of research methodologies, qualitative and quantitative, with a wide spectrum of research interests. For more information about the course team and their clinical and research interests, see our Staff Profiles.

You can expect:

• High-quality research supervision to develop and nurture your potential
• A tailored supervision approach to help best suit your requirements
• Accessible supervisors who are enthusiastic about working directly with postgraduate research students
• Regular meetings with your supervisor
• Regular meetings with your supervisory team, other members of your research group, and mentors

Careers

This programme will qualify graduates to work privately, in the public services or independent sectors by achieving a clinical qualification conferring eligibility for registration with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) as a Psychodynamic or Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist.