Doctorate in Psychotherapy

Program Overview

This four-year part-time Doctorate in Psychotherapeutic Studies from Dublin City University equips psychotherapists with advanced research skills, enabling them to contribute significantly to the field and establish themselves as authorities. The program emphasizes integrating research evidence and personal inquiry to inform practice advancements, including technology utilization. Graduates are prepared for senior roles as psychotherapists, researchers, educators, and supervisors in various sectors.

Program Outline

Degree Overview

Objectives:

• Enable candidates to acquire:
• Capacity to integrate research evidence and personal inquiry to develop theory and inform practice advancements, including technology utilization.
• Unique portfolio of transferable competencies to advance psychotherapy practice, supervision, education, training, and research.
• Skills to complete an original and innovative research study, contributing significantly to the field, advancing knowledge boundaries, and establishing themselves as authorities.
• Capacity to make and implement practice decisions based on philosophical appreciation, outcome research, and subjective clinical experience.
• Ability to combine personal awareness, reflexivity, and informed intuition with professional skills to effectively respond to diverse client groups' needs in various contexts.
• Inquiry-based attitude and critical awareness for non-critical awareness and open thinking to practice founded on integrative, flexible, and robust theoretical framework.
• Exercise autonomy in practice initiatives, considering moral, ethical, and legal issues.
• Discuss and disseminate emerging theoretical principles and practice developments in academic, practitioner, and educational communities.

Description:

• Level 10 NFQ (240 credit) programme.
• Delivered as a four-year part-time programme.
• Years 1 and 2:
• Taught modules critically reflecting on psychotherapy theories, practices, and philosophies.
• Developing psychotherapy supervision knowledge/practice.
• Advancing research methodologies and skills understanding.
• Exit with an MA in Psychotherapeutic Studies on successful completion.
• Years 3 and 4:
• Completion of a research project and thesis.
• Builds upon candidates' current psychotherapy knowledge, competencies, and skills.
• Facilitates the development of an inquiry-based attitude to practice.
• Informs implementation of research projects advancing psychotherapy knowledge boundaries and locating participants as authorities in their chosen area or field of interest.
• Participants exit with the knowledge and ability to work as senior psychotherapists and researchers.

Outline

Content:

• Critically reflects on psychotherapy theories, practices, and philosophies.
• Develops psychotherapy supervision knowledge/practice.
• Advances research methodologies and skills understanding.

Structure:

• Four-year part-time programme.
• Years 1 and 2: Taught modules, research methodologies and skills understanding.
• Years 3 and 4: Completion of a research project and thesis.
• May include:
• Written assignments
• Research project and thesis
• Oral presentations
• May include:
• Depth of understanding
• Critical analysis
• Originality of research
• Communication skills
• May include:
• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Supervision
• Independent research

Faculty:

• The School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health at DCU.
• May include experienced psychotherapists, researchers, and educators.

Careers

• Senior psychotherapists
• Researchers
• Educators
• Supervisors
• Private practice
• Statutory, not-for-profit, educational, community, and private sectors

Other

• Intake process:
• Stage 1: Application
• Stage 2: RPL Board Approval
• Stage 3: Interview
• Stage 4: Offer
• Candidates must:
• hold a primary degree or equivalent
• hold a Masters in Psychotherapy or equivalent
• have a minimum of 2 years post-training psychotherapy practice experience
• be personally suitable to undertake an advanced taught programme
• demonstrate evidence that they can undertake a research project at doctoral level
• successfully undertake a selection interview
• Next intake: September 2024
• Application deadline:
• EU applicants: May 31st, 2024
• non-EU applicants: May 31st, 2024
• Programme commences: September 2024

Additional Information

• Dublin City University is the only third-level institution in Ireland offering this Doctorate programme.
• The programme was designed to meet the needs of psychotherapists/counsellors and supervisors working in diverse sectors.
• It aims to advance the knowledge and practice in the field of psychotherapy through doctoral-level study.
If you require further clarification or have any additional questions, please feel free to ask.

Part time EU Status Fee Part-time €7,300 per annum in years 1 & 2; €3,302 per annum in years 3 and 4 (in line with postgraduate research fees for PhD) Non EU Fee Part time €15,000 per annum in years 1 & 2; €6,000 per annum in years 3 and 4 (in line with postgraduate research fees for PhD)