2015/16
ACCREDITATION THROUGH PARTNERSHIP
Curriculum and skills development mapping document for Masters
programmes in Health Psychology
Programmes will need to evidence that they meet the curriculum and skills development standards we outline in our Standards for the
accreditation of Masters and Doctoral programmes in Health Psychology handbook in full. Differing levels of emphasis on particular aspects by
different providers will allow flexibility and enable the unique identity of particular programmes to be preserved. You should use the tables
below to tell us in which modules particular skills and curriculum requirements are addressed. Our self-evaluation questionnaire requires you to
provide additional narrative explaining how your programme reflects each of these components.
This document is a key source of evidence that our reviewers need in order to evaluate your programme’s fulfilment of programme
standard 1.
Core skills
Accredited programmes are expected to support their students’ development of a range of core and
transferrable skills that are central to health psychology practice and to a range of other areas of
employment. You should outline below the modules in which students will be able to develop and
demonstrate the required core skills.
Core skill
CRITICAL EVALUATION
Critically evaluating the current knowledge,
theory and evidence base relevant to the
discipline (note: this may comprise both
psychological theory and knowledge from other
disciplines), and understand that this is an
important first-step for all work/activities
SKILLS
Identifying and developing skills and capabilities
relevant to progression to health psychology
practice
PSYCHOLOGICAL ENQUIRY
Using a range of techniques and research
methods applicable to psychological enquiry
APPLICATION
Applying relevant ethical, legal and professional
practice frameworks (e.g. BPS, HCPC), and
maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
COMMUNICATION
Communicating effectively (verbal and nonverbal) with colleagues, research supervisors,
and a wider audience.
REFLECTION AND SYNTHESIS
Critically reflecting on and synthesising all of the
above to inform their developing professional
identity as a trainee health psychologist.
DISSEMINATION
Students should be able to communicate and
report their work in a range of appropriate written
Module(s)
(e.g. professional reports, journal papers,
conference posters) and oral (e.g. presentations,
one-to-one feedback) formats.
2
Curriculum
Accredited programmes are expected to address the full range of core curriculum areas, as outlined
below. Programmes are encouraged to develop specific emphasis and focus on some areas in
more depth than others, to reflect the areas of strength of the staff team delivering the programme,
or to promote a distinctive identity for the programme as a whole. You should highlight any particular
strengths or emphases of your programme in the table below.
Curriculum area
Module(s)
Research and research methods, including
mini systematic review and at least one empirical
study.
Contexts and perspectives in health
psychology, including critical understanding of
relevant theories and awareness of related
disciplines.
Physiological and psychosomatic disease
processes, including appraisal and evaluation of
evidence relating to the epidemiology of health
and illness.
Client groups and other stakeholders,
including the knowledge and skills to enable
them to progress to working with a range of
client groups across the lifespan, and those
relevant to working with other professionals.
Health-related behavior and cognitions,
including critical evaluation of relevant
theoretical models.
Interventions: applications of health
psychology, including being able to compare
and contrast a range of interventions applicable
to health psychology settings and health and
well-being outcomes (e.g. cognitive-behavioural
approaches, motivational interviewing), and
understanding issues relevant to the design
and evaluation of a range of interventions.
Healthcare and professional settings,
including the knowledge and skills required to
progress to working within a range of settings
and contexts relevant to health psychology.
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Measurement issues, including critical
understanding of psychometric issues,
exposure to the practical administration of
some psychometric tests, and an
understanding of scale development.
Professional issues, including taking
responsibility for their own professional
development (e.g. through PDP), awareness of
the legal and statutory obligations and
restrictions on health psychology practice in the
UK, and familiarity with the implementation of
policy, strategy and legislation in health
contexts (including European and international
perspectives on health psychology).
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