Queen's University of Belfast
Systemic Practice and Family Therapy PgDip
Queen's University of Belfast

Course modalities offered

Key Course Facts

Course Description

Systemic practice and family therapy helps people in close relationships to better understand and support each other. It enables individuals and family members to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely, understand each other’s experiences and views, appreciate each other’s needs, build on family strengths, and work together to make useful changes in their relationships and their lives.

Systemic family therapy has been found to be effective across the life course in helping children, young people, adults, couples and families struggling with a broad range of difficulties and circumstances.

Systemic practitioners and systemic family therapists work in many health and social care settings such as children’s services, older people’s services, physical health and disability, substance misuse, justice and mental health services.

Our multidisciplinary Systemic Practice and Family Therapy programmes are suitable for professionally qualified staff who wish to enhance their skills of working with families, couples, individuals, other systems and relationship networks.

There are three levels of systemic practice training: Foundation (PG Certificate), Intermediate (PG Diploma) and Qualifying level training (MSc Systemic Practice and Family Therapy). If you have completed the PG Diploma in Systemic Practice and Family Therapy then this MSc gives you the opportunity to achieve a Master's degree by undertaking a research dissertation. Please note this MSc is not equivalent to Qualifying level family therapy training which takes a further 2 years (MSc Systemic Psychotherapy). The Postgraduate Diploma is designed for those who have completed Foundation level training and who wish to further enhance their ability to work systemically with families, individuals and organisations. The programme aims to develop reflexive and ethical practitioners who have a solid knowledge of the theories and research underpinning systemic family practice and its application to their specific area of work. The one-year Postgraduate Certificate is the entrance programme to all levels of systemic training and must be undertaken before applying for other programmes. The Postgraduate Certificate seeks to help practitioners in different settings and roles understand the core concepts of contemporary systemic practice and utilise systemic skills and techniques to maximise the therapeutic benefit for individual service users or relationships groups in their everyday work. NB All students entering systemic training must first complete the Postgraduate Certificate Systemic Practice and Family Therapy. Please note that this course is not eligible for a Student route visa.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years. International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes. For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

For more information on funding and scholarships for Postgraduate study, please see http://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/PostgraduateStudy/FundingandScholarships/
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Systemic Practice and Family Therapy, PgDip, if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

  1. This is a multidisciplinary pathway with applications welcome from applicants with prior relevant professional training in a mental health or social care related discipline or equivalent as designated by the Association of Family Therapy (e.g. Social Work, Nursing, Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology). Normally one year's post qualification experience is required. Applicants who do not hold one of the designated relevant professional qualifications, but who would find a Foundation course useful to their work may be accepted in accordance with the AFT training standards. This is at the discretion of the Programme Director and will be decided in consultation with AFT course requirements. Additional information and a full CV will be required to demonstrate equivalence.

  2. Applicants must have the opportunity to apply systemic ideas in a current practice context. Please note that this programme is only open to applicants who are working in suitable contexts within NI/UK/RoI.

  3. All Social Work applicants from NI/UK must have a recognised social work qualification and have successfully completed the Assessed Year in Employment. Social work and social care applicants must be registered with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council and should include their NISCC Social Care Registration Number in the Additional Information section of the application form.

  4. Applicants should normally have a 2.2 Honours degree or above or equivalent recognised qualification. Equivalent qualifications include the Pre-2007 Post-Qualifying Award in Social Work. Where this is not met, applicants must show their ability to study at postgraduate level through evidence of previous postgraduate training or completion of a reflective practice assignment.

  5. At least two references will be sought, one of whom must be the applicant’s current employer. At least one referee should be professionally qualified and be able to comment on the applicant’s current practice.

N.B. Please note there are different entrance requirements at each level of the suite of Systemic Practice and Family Therapy programmes at Queen’s. Should you be accepted onto the PG Certificate programme (Year 1 Foundation), this does not automatically guarantee entry to the PG Diploma programme (Year 2 Intermediate) or MSc Systemic Psychotherapy Qualifying level training. Further information may be sought to ensure eligibility.

Costs

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

University Rankings

Positions of Queen's University of Belfast in top UK and global rankings.

See all 29 university rankings of Queen's University of Belfast

About Queen's University of Belfast

Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) is a public institution that has enjoyed international repute for the majority of the institution’s time as an educational centre, and this is reflected today in their impressive University Rankings from Times Higher Education and QS. With the university’s significant reputation for research prominence and academic results, and the city life on offer from Ireland’s capital, QUB deserves the consideration of any student hoping to excel in their field while also creating fond memories while they do it.

List of 326 Bachelor and Master Courses from Queen's University of Belfast - Course Catalogue

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