Systemic Practice (Intermediate), Pre-Sessional Programme

Course content

Over the year you'll develop your understanding of how to engage families, couples and individuals in systemic therapeutic work and you'll develop therapeutic skills with families, couples and individuals and apply systemic theory and practice in your work contexts.
The course considers key issues in the application of systemic theory and practice to your work, with further development of self-reflexive skills and ethical perspectives informed by systemic theory. Themes are followed each term with an initial focus on your personal and professional development as a systemic practitioner, followed in the second term by further study of the theory of systemic practice and related skills. The final term considers the application of systemic theory and practice in a range of health and social care settings and your own therapeutic practice. Throughout the course you will be encouraged to develop a commitment to actively promote ethical, anti-discriminatory practice and to highlight and critique culturally-based assumptions in your practice.

Course structure

The programme runs on approximately 18 Wednesday evenings (5pm to 8.30pm) in September-July, plus up to three full days. It takes place on the University's main campus.

These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Intermediate Course in Systemic Practice 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Systemic Practice (Intermediate) in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

You'll be taught through lectures, practical classes, and group tutorials. We make extensive use of IT and a wide range of material to enable students to study at their own pace and in their own time to enhance and extend the material taught formally. You will adapt and integrate theretical concepts with your therapeutic practice with opportunities to discuss new and challenging ideas in relation to your own practice and personal and professional development and also to develop your psychotherapeutic skills through a mixture of experiential exercises (e.g. roleplay) and clinical case discussion. You are also required to undertake 60 hours of systemic therapeutic practice in your own professional agency.

Assessment

We monitor your progress through attendance, participation in lectures, and performance within small group tutorials in which formative feedback is provided by your tutor. Progress is also monitored in feedback on written assignments and the learning portfolio, as well as on your progress in recording at least 60 hours of systemic practice during the course period.

Applying, fees and funding

Entry requirements

This course is specifically designed for graduate level professionals with a first professional qualification in a relevant mental health or social care related discipline such as nursing, psychiatry, social work, clinical psychology or similar professions.

If you are working in a mental health or social care setting without a first professional qualification, you are welcome to apply for admission via our accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL)

Applicants should have completed a Foundation level training in systemic practice accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice. If you have not completed an accredited Foundation Course but wish to claim equivalence for prior study of systemic practice, please upload to your online application a completed APEL/Foundation Equivalent Document in the Application Pack (which will be available in January 2018 when applications are open).

Applicants must be working in a setting suitable to undertake the Systemic Practice requirement of 60 hours of systemic practice during the year. The practice requirement must be supported by the agency and have suitable clinical supervision arrangements and facility to record, with client consent, one session (visual or audio) of clinical practice for assessment purposes.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information contact the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences Admissions Team.

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.5 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

If English is not your first language, you may be able to take a pre-sessional course before you begin your studies. This can help if you:

• don't meet the English language requirements for your course or
• want to improve your understanding of academic language and practices in your area of study.

Our pre-sessional courses are designed with a progression route to the degree programme and are tailored to the subject area. For information and entry requirements, read Language for Science (6 weeks) and Language for Science: General Science (10 weeks). 

How to apply

Applications to the course will be open in January 2018. Please revisit this page for update.

• Apply

This link takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.
 
If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

School of Medicine Taught Postgraduate Admissions Policy

Fees

UK/EU: £2,750 (total)

International: £5,500 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Part-time fees are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.

Additional cost information

Students are required to ensure that the required 60 hours of clinical practice are supervised in their own agency. This is usually provided by employers but students may wish to supplement this or make their own arrangements for systemic supervision.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

Specialist Skills and Post Registration Development (SSPRD) funding through the University of Leeds

If you are an NHS employee working for an approved provider in the Yorkshire & the Humber region or your employing organisation offers service directly to the NHS, you may beeligible for the Specialist Skills and Post Registration Development (SSPRD) funding for the cost of your course fees. Subject to availability, the funding is provided by NHS Health Education Yorkshire and the Humber within the University. The SSPRD provision within the University is not available to medical staff, e.g. GPs and Psychiatrists.

To apply for the funding, please complete the SSPRD funding application form in the Supplementary Information Document.

This funding is limited and is allocated shortly after the application closing date. If you want to be considered for funding, please make sure that we receive your application well before the deadline.

Please note that NHS Health Education Yorkshire and the Humber has not confirmed the SSPRD funding available for 2018-19 so this advice is subject to change.

Career opportunities

Students who complete the Intermediate level systemic practice training can describe themselves as Systemic Practitioners. This is not a formal qualification but is a recognised professional development indicating the knowledge and skills developed in this training.

Past students have progressed to training on our Systemic Family Therapy MSc programme. Students who complete the MSc in Systemic Family Therapy are eligible to register with the UKCP as a Systemic Psychotherapist and to practise in the public and voluntary sectors, as well as privately.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That's one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

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