Mental Health in Children and Young People: Psychological Approaches MSc

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Clinical Psychology

Year of entry: 2027

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Full-time
  • MSc | 1 year | Start date: September 2027

Key facts

School

School of Health in Social Science

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study location

Central Area

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About the degree programme

The MSc Mental Health in Children and Young People: Psychological Approaches is a campus-based postgraduate programme, which offers advanced study of child and adolescent mental health practice through the lens of developmental psychology and psychopathology.

This programme offers the distinctive perspective that children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing is influenced by developmental processes at multiple levels, from individual to sociocultural, and that our approaches to working should be informed by this dynamic, interactional system.

The programme aims to support students in developing a nuanced and critical appreciation of mental health in children and young people, from infancy through to young adulthood, by taking a developmental approach to the etiology of mental health issues.

For those looking to specialise in child and adolescent mental health, the programme provides a comprehensive understanding of the many interacting factors relating to mental health in children and young people.

Your studies will be supported by the extensive knowledge and clinical experience of an accomplished department of clinical and health psychology.

Programme courses draw on a range of competing and complementary theories to enable students to develop a deeper understanding of the impact of attachment, adversity, trauma and the child's individual attributes and environment on the propensity towards developing mental health issues.

The programme also draws upon many other theoretical areas, including early intervention, developmental psychopathology and resilience, and covers topics related to neurodivergent groups and neurodevelopmental conditions.

Study options

This programme is delivered on campus over one year full-time.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You will need to pay for your accommodation and living costs (such as rent, food and utility bills) for the duration of your programme.

For 2026-2027, we estimate that it will cost an average of £18,504 each year (£1,542 each month) to live in Edinburgh as a postgraduate.

The exact amount you spend will depend on different factors, especially the accommodation you choose.

Living costs: estimates explained 

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2027-28 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2028-29 academic year will be published in early Oct 2027.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent in psychology or a related subject.

We will also consider applicants with a UK 2:2 honours degree in psychology and Merit in a related UK masters degree, or their international equivalents.

Experience of working or volunteering with children and/or young people is highly desirable.

We may also consider your application if you have other professional qualifications or experience; please contact us to check before you apply.

International equivalent qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test (restrictions apply)
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English (restrictions apply)
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) before 21 January 2026: total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) from 21 January 2026: total 5.0 with at least 4.5 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 7 in each component. We do not accept Oxford ELLT Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 145 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

This programme offers a range of courses that assist you in developing a critical knowledge base of interacting factors relating to mental health in children and young people, from infancy through to young adulthood.

The courses draw upon cognitive, developmental and relational theories, as well as models of risk and resilience to enhance deeper understanding of the development and maintenance of wellbeing and mental health.

Programme structure

The MSc programme comprises 180 credits:

  • 120 credits from core and option courses (20 credits per course)
  • 60 credits from your dissertation

You will complete 60 credits (3 courses) in semester 1 and 60 credits in semester 2. The dissertation is a year-long course held over both semesters.

A 20-credit course entails about 200 hours of study, with 20 to 25 hours of this being taught.

Compulsory courses

Dissertation

All MSc students complete a dissertation, which can take the form of an empirical study, systematic review or meta-analysis. The dissertation allows you to develop your research skills while working within an area of expertise aligned with your supervisor’s interests.

You are assigned a dissertation supervisor from the teaching staff within the department. Supervisors are generally assigned towards the end of the first semester so that you can begin working on your dissertation from the second semester onwards.

Students commonly work in small groups with their supervisor on a project outlined by staff within the department. Peer support is therefore available during the data collection/analysis stage.

You will then write up your dissertation as an independent piece of work.

Many students present work from the dissertation at local and international conferences. Several student dissertations from the programme have resulted in a peer-reviewed publication.

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Full-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

On this programme, you will engage with, on average, 7 to 9 hours of direct teaching per week. On many courses, teaching is delivered in a 3-hour block. Online courses have less formal teaching time but more overall contact time with tutors.

Class sizes vary for individual courses but are usually in the range of 20 to 60 students.

As well as attending face-to-face teaching, you will be expected to engage in independent study.

Assessment

Each course has at least one formative assessment to enable you to receive feedback on your progress.

Assessment on the programme is varied; assignments include essays, group projects and case studies. There are no examinations on the core courses of the programme.

Learning outcomes

The programme will enable you to:

  • develop your practice through engagement with research and scholarship in psychological theory and practice
  • develop advanced skills in the critical appraisal of psychological practice in the field of child and adolescent mental health
  • develop and consolidate an extended knowledge base of theoretical and clinical approaches to psychological therapy for children, young people and families

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Our academic staff

The programme staff comprise of clinical and academic psychologists with a broad range of research expertise in areas of:

  • psychological interventions
  • neurodevelopmental disorders
  • child trauma and maltreatment
  • parenting

Career opportunities

The knowledge and understanding of children and young people's mental health, wellbeing and psychological practice is of value to a wide range of professions working with children. 

The degree also demonstrates a student's high level of commitment to working with children and young people and can lead to careers in:

  • clinical practice
  • social work
  • social care
  • nursing
  • teaching
  • working for volunteer organisations

The programme fosters transferable skills such as:

  • critical evaluation
  • research competence
  • teamworking
  • communication

The programme is suitable for further PhD-level study, research or practitioner study. It will enhance the employability of those wishing to work with children and adolescents in mental health-relevant settings.

Previous students work in a range of professions including clinical practice and voluntary sector organisations, and, with appropriate additional training, in nursing, social work and social care, and teaching.

Further study

The programme promotes excellence in research with the aim of preparing you for future progression into further academic research and clinical training. 

Examples of student pathways following the programme include:

  • PhD in Clinical Psychology
  • Doctorate in Clinical or Educational Psychology
  • MSc in Applied Psychology (Healthcare) For Children and Young People

Some of these pathways are only available for students who are eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society via their undergraduate or conversion degree. Completion of this programme does not confer eligibility for GBC.

Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society

For students interested in these pathways, it’s about improving your knowledge, skills, and competencies to enhance your applications into these types of programmes. For students already working in the field, it’s about enabling you to improve your knowledge of child and adolescent mental health.

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Due to high demand, this programme operates a gathered field approach to admissions, with two application and selection deadlines as noted below.  

We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible, especially if you intend to apply for funding or a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand.  

If you are considering applying for our pre-sessional English Language programme, please make sure you apply in Round 1. 

Selection deadlines

RoundApply byReceive decision no later than
1Monday 14 December 2026Thursday 18 March 2027
2Monday 31 May 2027Wednesday 30 June 2027

Please note that these are the latest dates by when you will receive a decision. We expect many applicants will receive a decision sooner than these published deadlines. We will make as many offers as possible to the strongest candidates on an ongoing basis. 

When to submit supporting documents 

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts.  

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirement, please submit this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met the English language requirement, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete. 

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.

There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Contact our enquiry team about your eligibility or how to apply.

Contact us

Academic contact

Dr Monja Knoll

Programme Director

  • School of Health in Social Science
  • College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

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