Overview
The PGCert in Clinical Neuropsychology Practice is a two-year, part time, online course. Due to the digital nature of this course, you will be able to fit studies around your schedule, giving you the flexibility to gain a PGCert around other commitments.
This BPS accredited course comprises of the ‘practice’ component of the adult clinical neuropsychology qualification to allow entry onto the British Psychological Society Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists (SRCN).
Whilst this qualification is self-directed and self-paced to give you control over your learning, you will be supported by a variety of online materials, including pre-recorded lectures, live webinars, facilitated student activities, and web-based and university database resources.
The PGCert is aimed at HCPC registered clinical or counselling psychologists who are aiming for enrolment onto the SRCN. It is open to applicants who have already completed or are completing the ‘knowledge’ component of the BPS SRCN requirements, either via a PGDip training route or the QICN process.
All about the course
Module information
This course will be delivered over two years (unless applying for advanced standing with evidence of backdating experience). The first year commences with one lecture introducing the logbook requirements and there are two personal tutor review meetings in the Easter and Trinity Trimesters to check the log book progress.
While these are formal meetings, informal meetings with your personal tutor can be arranged anytime during this first year. The second year (month 13 entry point for those with backdated clinical practice) is designed around three structured trimesters (Advent, Easter, and Trinity).
Each trimester in the second year compromises of a combination of lectures and case base seminars, all of which will be presented online. There are no campus-based, face-to-face attendance requirements for this PGCert.
Second Year Structure (entry point for 12 month applicants)
Trimester 1 Foundations in Clinical Neuropsychology Practice
Themes:
- Neuropsychological formulation and how this needs to be applied in the case presentations for SRCN entry.
- Hypothesis testing via neuropsychological assessment tools.
- Case workshops covering the application of clinical neuropsychological theory and evidence to clinical work.
Trimester 2 Advanced Clinical Communication in Neuropsychology
Themes:
- Enhanced clinical writing.
- Ways of discussing clinical material and feeding back clinical information to different target audiences.
- Writing case reports to ensure the accuracy and clarity of clinical communication as needed in clinical neuropsychology practice
- Case workshops covering the application of clinical neuropsychological theory and evidence to clinical work.
Trimester 3 Advanced Clinical Neuropsychology Practice
Themes:
- The context of clinical neuropsychology in wider clinical practice
- Guided case discussions based on open access court hearings.
- Neuropsychology practice with a guided emphasis on wider working, (courts, justice systems, court of protection, social services etc).
- Ethical neuropsychology – when to test, when not to test and the implications of our practice.
- The latter end of the module will be focused on support to finalise clinical portfolios and prepare for submission and viva.
Entry requirements
Candidate criteria
- Candidates must be HCPC registered in either Clinical or Counselling Psychology.
- Candidates must be in UK clinical practice (and thus HCPC registered) at the time of undertaking the course.
- Candidates must have Completion of the Knowledge component required for entry onto the SRCN either via the BPS route, or completion of a BPS accredited PGDip Clinical Neuropsychology.
ALL eligible applicants will be invited to an intake interview to ascertain course suitability (e.g. appropriate supervision arrangements and clinical case studies).
Application information for Advanced Standing Applicants (12-month route) only
Whilst the course is two years in duration there is a process for completion in one year as candidates can apply for advanced standing and enter the course in year 2.
If you wish to join the course in the second year (with advanced standing due to backdating), you will need to provide evidence of a period of 12 months backdated clinical work.
This will need to be submitted via a clinical experience form for advanced standing. However, this does not need to be submitted with your application. This will be requested once a place has been offered.
With your application, please complete and upload the following documents:
- Candidate Enrolment Form
- Supervision Plan
- Form for ratification of exemption of research competence for SRCN
- Form for Research Exemption Information - CCCU
International students
If English is not your first language you require an IELTS overall score of 7.0 with no element below 6.5 in speaking, listening, and reading for HCPC registration and this postgraduate course.
How you’ll learn
This is an online course and is made up of three 15-week academic trimesters per year. Trimesters start in September, January, and May annually. You should expect to dedicate between about 4 to 6 hours per week in academic study/activities.
At the beginning of the course, you will take part in an online videoconference orientation, which will include orientation to and training on how to use the University’s virtual learning environment (VLE). Your online learning will be supported by a variety of material, including pre-recorded lectures, podcasts, and multi-media. These are all designed to be in manageable segments, that you can take at your own pace. Other material includes ‘foundational’ and ‘advanced’ reading from e-books, e-journals, and tutor approved web-based material.
The course’ ethos, is to develop a learning community that mirrors the team working and peer relationships that are central to clinical neuropsychology practice. As such there will be a mix of formal lectures presented by the course director, formal case workshops led by the course director and case workshops led by students. You will be allocated to a small learning group of students of four and will have facilitated opportunities to learn with this and other smaller and larger learning communities.
The course emphasis is on clinical case working and the aim is to develop knowledge and skills related to neurological conditions but with the person at the centre. Thus, the course is designed to enhance clinical competencies by using real life clinical case work in structured case seminars with a continued focus on presenting neuropsychological theory and applying knowledge to clinical practice. The seminars will have a central holistic ethos with service context, models of cognitive function, ethical decision-making and personhood all being the underpinning themes.
To demonstrate the practical competencies necessary to be eligible for entry to the Specialist Register Clinical Neuropsychology (SRCN), you need to accrue and document relevant clinical experience, as well as supervisory input.
As such you are required to participate in work-based clinical supervision relevant to clinical neuropsychology practice, which must be logged and recorded by an accredited clinical supervisor. This must represent a period of two years’ full-time clinical practice (or part-time equivalent) and include at least 50 cases.
Similarly, you must accrue at least 60 hours of work-based clinical supervision relating to clinical practice.
Supervision arrangements must formally be in place prior to commencing the course. In addition, you are required to participate in work-based clinical supervision relevant to clinical neuropsychology practice, which must be logged and recorded by an accredited clinical supervisor.
How you’ll be assessed
There are two different types of assessment during the course.
Formative assessment (this does not count towards your final grade)
During the course you will be invited to submit two case studies for formative assessment at the end of trimesters 1 and 2. These case studies will be reviewed with you during a progress meeting. The aim of these meetings is to support you build to your record of clinical competence by providing feedback on the case studies and helping you monitor your development of competencies.
In addition to the formal review meetings with the course director formative feedback during the course will also be provided on case presentations by peers and Course Director.
Pre-submission review of Portfolio
The Course Director will provide a review of the portfolio and a mock viva at the end of trimester three. In this process you can re-submit the two case reports that were discussed at the earlier progress reviews, and we will assess the changes you have made. The case logs and supervision logs will be reviewed, and all this information will be used as the basis for a Mock Viva with the Course Director.
Mock Viva
Prior to the Viva Voce oral examination, you will be offered an opportunity to participate in a Mock viva with the Course Director. This will provide you with experience of the style and demands of the final viva voce examination in a supportive environment.
Summative assessment
The summative assessment will formally evaluate your competencies in the practice of Clinical neuropsychology. To successfully complete the PGCert submission and a pass grade on all following components is required:
- Clinical Supervision Log
- Clinical Case Log
- Six case reports
- Viva Voce examination.
All the relevant documentation for these logs is provided once enrolled on the course.
Your future career
The course will improve your knowledge and skills and enhance your employment opportunities in clinical neuropsychology. Assuming the knowledge and research components have been passed, this is the final stage of the pathway to the Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists (SRCN).
Fees
Tuition fees for this course
| UK | Overseas/EU | |
| Full-time | N/A | N/A |
| Part-time | £3,860 | £5,800 |
Important information on tuition fees
The tuition fees quoted above cover the full course regardless of whether the course is studied over one or two years.
Applications are open for September 2025
Applications are now open for September 2025 until all spaces are filled, so apply early to avoid disappointment. Applications will be reviewed by the Course Team, then qualified applicants will be invited for an interview with the Course Directors. When course is filled, a waitlist will be applied.
If you have any questions or queries, please email the Course Director, Dr Karen Addy.