Section VIII - Academic Regulations: School of Psychology: Doctor of Clinical Psychology

Regulations for Doctor of Clinical Psychology (D.Clin.Psychol.)

The degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology (D.Clin.Psychol.) may be awarded by the Senate on the recommendation of the School of Phsychology to a graduate in Psychology provided that the candidate:

Holds the Graduate Basis for Registration as defined by The British Psychological Society.
Has successfully pursued a course of study, professional training and research as prescribed below to the satisfaction of the School of Psychology Board, and has fulfilled any other University requirements.
For the purposes of these regulations, the University shall be deemed to include any clinical institutions in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority and Dorset and Somerset Strategic Health Authority where the School of Psychology is satisfied that University staff can arrange proper supervision of clinical practice and research.
The programme to be followed shall be one of instruction, supervised study, clinical practice and research, and shall be full-time.

Duration of Programme and Schedule of Assessments

Candidates for the Doctorate will be required to follow a three-year training of supervised clinical experience, academic teaching and research leading to the Doctoral degree, dated as from their registration. The schedule of assessments will comprise:

Part One: Assessment of Academic Competence

Four written assessments; three linked to teaching block topics and one on professional issues, to be submitted at dates decided by the programme directors, the first three normally being within three months of the end of each block.

Part Two: Assessment of Clinical Competence

Submission of five Reports of Clinical Activity, one of which can be a Single Case Experimental Design Project.
Submission of a Log Book for each placement.
Submission of Evaluation of Clinical Competence forms for each placement.
Oral examinations concerned with the above, and all other aspects of clinical competence including the Small-Scale Research Project.

Clinical competence will be continuously assessed by examination of Clinical Competence Forms, Log Books and Reports of Clinical Activity. External Examiners will review this material.

Part Three: Assessment of Research Competence

Submission of one small scale research project accompanied by a statement from the candidate's supervisor.
Submission of a Research Thesis accompanied by a statement from the candidate's supervisor.
An oral examination on the Research Thesis.

Timing of Assessments
All elements of Parts One, Two and Three shall normally be completed no later than the end of September of the third year of the programme.

Completion of the Schedule of Examinations

Candidates must normally complete all parts of the examination within five years of first registering.
Entry to Years Two and Three of the programme is normally contingent upon satisfactory academic and clinical performance in the previous year.
In Part One, candidates who fail one of the written assessments will be required to resubmit it, provided that the assessment of clinical competence requirements for the relevant placement have been met.
Subject to appeal, the School of Psychology Board may deem a candidate to have failed the D.Clin.Psychol. on any part of the examination without right of re-entry, on one or more of the following grounds.
1. Failure to complete successfully all parts of the examination within five years of first registering, or by such date as will have been agreed by the Board.
2. Failure of the Evaluation of Clinical Competence Form on any two occasions. This holds even if there has been successful corrective action of the first failure.
3. Failure to pass any part of the Schedule of Assessments on the second attempt.
4. In exceptional circumstances, such as gross misconduct or a serious breach of the Code of Conduct of The British Psychological Society, or if the NHS employment is terminated or suspended after disciplinary action, the Board reserves the right to fail a candidate without permitting re-entry.
Candidates who fail the D.Clin.Psychol. programme will not be permitted to re-register.

Thesis and Final Examination

The Research Thesis shall be examined by an Internal Examiner appointed by the programme and approved by the Board, and also by an External Examiner appointed by the Board. On presentation, it should be accompanied by a statement from the research supervisor which should draw the attention of the examiners to any circumstances it would be relevant for them to consider.
The Thesis will be considered together with the Small-Scale Research Project report, and written assessments of academic competence. The whole body of work will be considered, together with Evaluation of Clinical Competence forms, log books, and reports of clinical activity.
Candidates will normally be required to attend an oral examination.
The thesis may be judged acceptable as it stands or acceptable subject to minor corrections. If unacceptable, the candidate will normally be given an opportunity to resubmit a revised thesis for re-examination by a date specified. In exceptional circumstances, the Examiners may recommend that submission of a revised thesis be not permitted.
The Examiners for each candidate shall recommend one of the following courses of action:
1. that the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology be awarded;
2. that the degree for which the candidate has submitted the Thesis be awarded, subject if necessary to minor or modest amendments being made by a date specified;
3. that the candidate be permitted to submit by a date specified a revised Thesis for the same degree for re-examination on one subsequent occasion;
4. that the candidate be required to attend for a further oral examination;
5. that the degree be not awarded and resubmission be not permitted;
6. that the degree be not awarded and resubmission be not permitted, but that the candidate is permitted to re-register with remission for an MSc in Health Psychology.
A candidate who fails to submit a corrected or revised thesis by the date set by the Examiners shall normally be regarded as having failed the examination and the recommendations of the Examiners shall lapse.