Advanced Diploma

in Psychology
(Adv. Dip. Psych.)    
A distance learning course

This course is now available again and taking enrolments

   College accreditation: International Association for Distance Learning.
   Course accredited by Institute for Meridian Psychotherapy
    for professional development purposes  

A course specially created for the complementary therapist and also available for personal interest.

Note: before June 2011 this Advanced Diploma course was advertised as the Diploma in Psychology and you may have seen it advertised as such.  We have not increased the fee for the upgrading of the course to Advanced Diploma. We are introducing a shorter and more affordable Diploma in Psychology which consists of just the main syllabus without the extra topics, and uses just one major university-level textbook. If you have already earned our original Dip. in Psychology, ask us how to gain the Advanced Diploma certification.

Total recommended period of study: approx. 6 to 9 months or less. Continuous enrolment. No time limit.

Cost: £250.00  (250 Pounds Sterling - for currency conversion see www.xe.com )

(Textbooks extra - approx. cost of textbooks £60.00 or more depending on the extra topics selected. Students will need to buy books direct from internet bookstores and overseas students should allow for postage costs.)

Method of study 

Textbook study. Written assignments based on textbooks and exercises. Assignment questions are issued by email and students return their written work by email. Grades and feedback are issued by email.

Continuous assessment - there is no final exam.  Students will be asked to write brief essays after reading certain chapters.  The questions set on the main syllabus will be broadly-based, allowing the student to demonstrate general understanding of the issues covered in the textbook and to include any necessary facts that support the answer given.   Further questions will be issued on the supplementary reading required for the additional specialist topics.  All assessment work may be done at home and e-mailed or posted to the college.

Course overview

A general psychology advanced diploma course covering material up to undergraduate standard with in-depth study of a choice of special topics. Ideal for general interest, counsellors, hypnotherapists, psychotherapists, life and personal coaches and complementary medicine practitioners, helping professionals and those considering entry to a psychology degree or therapy training. Open entry.

This course may be studied entirely by correspondence, but a large variety of relevant Internet material is available on-line. Students may also research topics of interest using the many psychology sites on the Internet.

Syllabus (this syllabus is subject to change):

• History, Scope and Methods of Psychology;

• Biological Psychology;

• Developmental Psychology;

• Perception and Consciousness;

• Memory, Learning and Thinking;

• Language; Motivation and Emotion;

• Personality Theories and Individual Differences;

• Stress;

• Abnormal Psychology (covering anxiety disorders, mood disorders, dissociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, mind-body interactions and insanity in the courts);

• Therapies (history, therapy techniques, effectiveness, social issues);

• Social Behaviour, Influence, Conformity.

• Introductory information about Statistics is given but that section is optional and not examined.

A university-level textbook is required as the main book for the course: details will be given on enrolment. Additional audiovisual material, linking to the main text, may be purchased if  desired (subject to availability).  This is the Psyk Trek 3.0 CD-ROM (see links on left). Apart from the main text, at least 3 other books will be required for the special topics (see below).

After study of the main text, the student takes 3 set taught units on special topics. These units will be selected by the course tutor, according to the student’s interests, from the psychology distance learning units available to us.  If you have taken one of our other psychology-related diplomas, you will be exempt from these 3 units and can gain a reduction in tuition fees if you ask us before you enrol.

Special topics (3 of the following to be chosen subject to availability)

• Counselling Skills

• Criminology

• Understanding Psychiatric Drugs

• Emotional Intelligence

• Self-Hypnosis

• Symptoms of Mental Illness

• Dissociative Disorders

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Transpersonal Psychology

• Life Coaching

• Parapsychology

• Bullying

• Psychology in the Workplace

• Stress Management

• Introduction to Psychotherapy

• Psychosynthesis

• Energy Psychology

                                          (requests for other topics will be considered)

Entry criteria and suitability 

No particular qualifications are required for entry.  However, this course is aimed at the counsellor, psychotherapist or complementary practitioner in private practice or for personal interest. It does not lead to membership of the British Psychological Society or to Chartered Psychologist status. It is not accredited by a government-recognised body and does not lead to any professional licence in any country. However it provides an affordable, privately-accredited alternative for someone with a strong interest in psychology who does not require a government-recognised qualification. This course may help someone prepare to apply as a mature student for a degree in psychology, because you will demonstrate interest, knowledge and ability to study, but it does not guarantee acceptance by any accredited university for a degree place.

Qualification

Successful graduates will receive the Advanced Diploma in Psychology awarded by UK College of Holistic Training which is a private UK qualification. The college is accredited by the International Association for Distance Learning. Course graduates may use the postnominal initials Adv. Dip. Psych.

The course is accredited by The Institute for Meridian Psychotherapy (which is linked to UKCHT) for professional development purposes(see societies page for explanation).

This diploma is accepted by Calamus International University (a non-UK, private distance university with private accreditation) for credit towards a degree.

Further information

Please see our FAQs page for general information.

We reserve the right to change the syllabus and other details of any course at any time.

To apply for this course now, go to our Application page