MSc Foundations of Clinical Neuropsychology

The MSc in Foundations of Clinical Neuropsychology aims to provide you with a strong foundation of knowledge in the following areas relevant to clinical neuropsychology:

Neuropsychological theory and evidence from clinical and experimental studies
Neuropsychological disorders, including their basis in neuroanatomy and neuropathology, and their impact on individuals and families
Neuropsychological assessment
Neuropsychological rehabilitation
Research Methods
Conducting neuropsychological research.

The course will be of interest to graduates in psychology or closely-related disciplines, and to established health professionals with appropriate clinical qualifications and relevant experience.

How the course can further your career progression

This course of study can serve as a basis for research, clinical training, or professional practice in this area. On successful completion of the course, students will be well-equipped to undertake further postgraduate study leading to a PhD, or to work in neuropsychological research. The course is validated by the ESRC as providing an appropriate Master’s level research training within the 1 + 3 PhD model . The course provides an excellent basis for seeking employment in health care, for example as an assistant psychologist or rehabilitation assistant, and for progressing to professional training, for example in clinical psychology or related areas. Established health professionals taking the course will find that it provides a valuable opportunity for continuing professional development, which may contribute to future career progression.

About the School of Psychology

The School of Psychology at Bangor, which was rated 5*A in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (along with only six other psychology departments in the UK), brings together a large group of outstanding scientists with international research reputations in neuropsychology and in clinical and cognitive neuroscience. A number of staff also hold appointments as consultants with the NHS and contribute to clinical practice as well as to the training of medical students and staff. The School employs a full-time patient co-ordinator, who attends ward rounds, identifies patients appropriate for research, and organises their participation in the research carried out in the School. A neurological patient research panel has been developed in collaboration with the National Health Service (NHS), to allow for the careful testing and comparison of neurological patient groups, and to understand the patterns of deficits and preserved performance which characterize these groups. The neurological patient panel supplements our student and community human participant panels. These clinical connections produce tremendous opportunities for clinical neuropsychology research, as well as for collaboration within the NHS. There are opportunities for research in various aspects of neuropsychological rehabilitation, including cognitive rehabilitation, compensatory techniques for visual neglect and psychosocial aspects of rehabilitation. We have an extensive library of neuropsychological tests and related measures, and we use a wide range of the latest techniques for understanding brain-behaviour relationships, including functional brain mapping with event related potentials (ERP), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The School is equipped with a range of specialist laboratories: computer-controlled reaction time experiments; the online measurement of human eye, limb, and hand movements, and a recently-acquired 1.5T fMRI machine for localizing cognitive activity within the brain. The School supports the practical implementation of research findings to improve patient care by hosting groups such as the Dementia Services Development Centre Wales.

The School has a vibrant, diverse postgraduate community. Students on our MSc programmes are drawn from a range of backgrounds and nationalities. The School is known for its friendly and informal atmosphere, which combined with excellent facilities helps to ensure that studying here is a pleasant and enjoyable experience.

What the course consists of

The course includes three components: content modules, research methods modules, and a research thesis. Content and methods modules are all 15 credit modules and the research thesis is worth 60 credits. Students achieving 120 credits on the taught modules, but not completing a research thesis, may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma.

The content modules are designed to provide an in-depth look at theory, evidence and practice in clinical neuropsychology. You will take:

Clinical Neuropsychology I

This course reviews the theory and practice of clinical neuropsychology: the discipline which seeks to understand and treat psychological changes that occur after brain disease. The course aims to (a) build on students' existing knowledge of neuroanatomy, especially in relation to the reading of CT and MRI scans, and (b) build on students' existing knowledge of neuropsychology to review the wide range of neuropsychological deficit seen after brain injury. The course will also (c) discuss the principles and practicalities of neuropsychological assessment and (d) review the nature of the neuropathology seen after cerebro-vascular accident, closed-head injury and degenerative disorders - which frequently predicts the type of neuropsychological deficit typically seen in patients with such conditions

Clinical Neuropsychology II

This course takes an in-depth look at neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation. It will begin with an introduction to the process of neuropsychological assessment and to neurorehabilitation approaches, indicating how these are applied in health care provision. Clinical assessment and rehabilitation of specific aspects of cognitive functioning will then be considered, focusing on attention, perception, memory, language and executive function. Clinical assessment and rehabilitation will also be considered in relation to specific neurological conditions, focusing on brain injury, stroke, dementia and progressive neurological disorders. The concept of awareness will be addressed from theoretical and clinical perspectives, and the implications of impaired awareness for rehabilitation will be discussed. The emotional impact of injury and disability for individuals, family members and carers will be explored, along with the options for support and intervention. Finally, practical and ethical issues such as capacity, consent, and risk assessment will be discussed.

Behavioural Neurology

The goals of the module are to provide a practical experience in applying basic clinical neurosciences necessary for the design and conduct of research in experimental neuropsychology, and to develop the knowledge and skills needed for the selection and clinical characterisation of patients for neuropsychology research studies.

The research methods modules are designed to provide a comprehensive training in research skills. You will take:

Advanced Statistics

This course should be considered as a follow-on to undergraduate psychology courses in statistics. It focuses on the statistical techniques which are used in studying psychology, and provides some of the basic skills needed to read about and conduct research in the discipline.

Issues in Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

This course provides students with an understanding of the background, issues and controversies surrounding some of the methodologies and statistics used to accomplish research objectives.

Communicating Research in Psychology

The course is an introduction to communicating research in psychology. It takes the form of group-focused practical work, consolidated by short lectures associated with specific aspects of communication in psychology. Written, graphic and oral forms of communication in psychology will be covered during the course.

For the research thesis, you will work with a research supervisor to develop and conduct an independent empirical study on a neuropsychological topic. This will involve the following stages:

Advanced Research Methods and Proposal 1 and 2

In Advanced Research Methods and Proposal 1 and 2, students prepare a research proposal and work out practical methods for conducting the research. The goal of these modules is to fully prepare the student for successful completion of the research thesis.

Thesis

For the research thesis, students implement their research proposal and conduct an empirical study. They collect, analyse and interpret their data, and present their complete project in a formal thesis.

When you join the course you will be given full details of the potential project supervisors and their area of interest, and invited to choose the supervisor(s) with whom you would most like to work.

How the course is structured

The course lasts one full calendar year if taken full-time. During Semester 1 and Semester 2 you will combine taught modules with work on your research project. During the summer period all your time is devoted to completing and writing up the research project. This is a summary of the course structure:

Semester 1	Credits	Semester 2	Credits	Summer	Credits
Advanced research methods and proposal 1	15	Advanced research methods and proposal 2	15	Thesis	60
Issues in qualitative and quantitative analysis	15	Advanced statistics	15
Clinical neuropsychology I	15	Communicating research in psychology	15
Behavioural neurology	15	Clinical neuropsychology II	15

A variety of teaching approaches are used including lectures, case presentations, small-group sessions and seminars, and individual or group supervision. Assessment will include coursework and examinations, and the research thesis.

Academic staff

The course is organised and taught by staff within the School of Psychology, and also benefits from a significant contribution by clinical neuropsychologists working in the NHS in North Wales. The Course Director is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Practitioner Full Member of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Neuropsychology.

Course director

Dr Linda Clare
Module organisers, lecturers and research supervisors include:

Dr Oliver Turnbull

Professor Robert Rafal

Dr Martyn Bracewell

Dr Paloma Mari-Beffa

Dr Marie-Josephe Tainturier

Dr Charles Leek
NHS clinical neuropsychologists contributing to the course include:

Dr Rudi Coetzer

Dr Frances Vaughan

Dr Craig Roberts

Dr Gavin Newby

You can find out more about staff members’ research interests on the School of Psychology website and by visiting individual staff webpages.

Funding

The School may have some bursaries available for Master's students, and can advise on alternative funding sources.

Entry Requirements

UK applicants should normally have a BPS-accredited first degree or a conversion degree in Psychology, usually with a 2:1 or equivalent. International applicants will be given individual consideration.

How to apply

Application material is available from our Postgraduate Admissions Secretary. Alternatively, you can download the application form from the University website: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/mapro/prospect/postgrad/pgapp.html

Further information

If, having reviewed this information, you find that you have additional questions about academic aspects of the course, you may e-mail the Course Director.