PG Certificate (Postgraduate Certificate) Clinical Neuropsychology Practice
- PG Certificate (Postgraduate Certificate)
Overview
Our BPS accredited programmes in clinical neuropsychology are delivered in partnership with North Bristol NHS Trust, which includes a large regional neurosciences and major trauma centre.
Our clinical programmes aim to engage and inspire clinicians to enhance their skills in clinical neuropsychology and support entry onto the British Psychological Society's (BPS) Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists (SRCN). This programme is for applicants pursuing qualification in either adult or paediatric neuropsychology.
How the programme works
To accrue relevant clinical experience for this qualification, it is your responsibility to secure paid employment within a neuropsychology service during your enrolment in the certificate. It is also your responsibility to secure supervision for your work when enrolled on the course.
We provide additional oversight and support towards developing your case portfolio and helping you to ensure your clinical experience demonstrates the required competencies for entry to the SRCN. This support is provided by clinicians on the SRCN and offers:
- opportunities for formative feedback on case reports
- a practice viva experience
- a review of your progress halfway through your study with us
- regular clinical practice workshops to facilitate peer discussion of cases and conceptual issues relevant to neuropsychological practice.
This programme is largely online and can be taken from home or work, with the viva for the clinical practice dissertation taking place online.
Research competency requirements for SRCN
While entrance to SRCN requires knowledge and practice competency (the latter delivered on this course), it also requires evidence of a minimal level of research competency (usually doctoral level). Evidence for this competency is demonstrated by completion of a doctorate in clinical psychology, educational psychology or counselling psychology within eight years of starting this degree. Applicants with non-doctoral backgrounds might include forensic psychologists, health psychologists, some counselling psychologists or some practitioner psychologist members of HCPC with international training backgrounds. If you do not meet the eight year doctoral requirement or do not have a doctoral background, you can indicate the training you have undertaken and its research component on the Research Competencies Form submitted with your application.
Should you wish to discuss your research competencies with our team before application, please contact postgrad-psychology@bristol.ac.uk. Checking research competency status is an issue for any UK programme supporting entry to the SRCN.
Programme structure
The certificate consists of one unit that culminates in the submission and assessment of a portfolio of practice that demonstrates the BPS requirements for neuropsychological competencies. The portfolio requires evidence of clinical practice and supervision over a minimum of two years FTE as well as six written case reports. After submission, your portfolio informs the assessment of your neuropsychological competencies at viva.
We recognise that those studying on our courses will be balancing busy employment schedules, family/caring commitments and the demands of study. As such, this Certificate can be taken over one - three years. Selecting the right length of study will depend on the intensity of your post-qualification neuropsychology practice, but we can facilitate transfer to longer durations of study or extensions (up to four years of active study) if there are changes in circumstances or need.
Rates of progress will look different for each person, but we offer a guiding template for progress, and opportunities to discuss this. You will have access to regular clinical practice workshops, regular periods for submission and review of work, and a mid-practice review to ensure that you are supported in developing your portfolio. We expect at least one case report to be submitted for each year on enrolment.
Please visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Neuropsychology Practice.
Entry requirements
You must be a practicing clinical psychologist who works in the UK and have a Doctoral degree in a psychology subject.
You must also be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a practitioner with a specialism of 'Clinical', 'Counselling' or 'Educational'.
You must have completed, or be studying, the BPS Qualification in Clinical Neuropsychology (QiCN) Knowledge Component Certificate at the University of Bristol, University College London, Canterbury Christ Church University, or the University of Glasgow. Applicants who do not have the (QiCN) Knowledge Component Certificate from the prior list but have completed Applied Neuropsychology (MSc or PGDip) at the University of Bristol can also be considered.
In addition:
- If you completed your Doctorate more than eight years ago, you must demonstrate how you meet the research competencies requirement for the programme.
- If your HCPC specialism is 'Counselling', you must demonstrate how you meet generic competencies in clinical neuropsychology.
Links to forms to demonstrate competencies are provided in the programme's Admissions Statement below.
If your HCPC specialism is 'Forensic' or 'Health', applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis due to upcoming changes that may broaden access to training.
You must submit all required documents as detailed in the programme's Admissions Statement to be considered for review.
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level C.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Fees and funding
- Home: full-time
- £4,300 per year
- Home: part-time (three years)
- £1,433 per year
- Home: part-time (two years)
- £2,150 per year
- Overseas: full-time
- £5,900 per year
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Funding and scholarships
Please note that NHS England now provides significant amounts of funding to support costs of training in clinical neuropsychology. This funding can support both knowledge component and practice component requirements for entry to the Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists (SRCN).
The process of allocating and distributing funding to Trusts will be led primarily by NHS England regional colleagues and supported by Psychological Professions Networks. You are strongly encouraged to explore these potential sources of funding which can be used either for September 2027 or January 2028 entry onto this programme.
For further information on other potential sources of funding, please check our online funding search tool.
Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.
Career prospects
This certificate provides professional training in clinical neuropsychology. The certificate is accredited by the British Psychological Society and supports you in developing the practice competencies required for entry onto SRCN. Please note that entrance to the SRCN also requires demonstration of BPS accredited knowledge and research competencies.
Contact us
- Contact
- Enquiries Team
- Phone
- +44 (0) 117 394 1649
- choosebristol-pg@bristol.ac.uk