Doctorate in Family and Systemic Therapy
The Doctorate in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy continues our productive and creative relationship with Birkbeck College, University of London. The course offers the opportunity to do higher level research as well as enabling course members to fulfill the criteria for registration with AFT as a clinical supervisor.
The taught part of the doctorate (years one and two) will concentrate on:
a) supervision, and
b) advanced research methodology
The third and fourth year will mainly be spent on completing and writing up the research, together with tutorials with a research supervisor.
The course is designed to provide a coherent balance between work carried out at the Institute of Family Therapy and Birkbeck College, the course member's own professional community and that carried out in private study time.
Entrance Requirements
Candidates must have completed an MSc in family therapy to a good pass level from IFT/Birkbeck or from an equivalent body. Those applicants without an MSc may be admitted to the course subject to the proving of equivalence.
Candidates should normally have consolidated their advanced training in family and systemic psychotherapy for at least one year, have experience of using systemic ideas in supervision for at least two years, have a commitment to be supervising regularly during the period of the course and have a commitment to continuing to work clinically with families/couples/individuals during the period of the course.
Research Thesis
The award of the degree shall be dependent on the submission of a research thesis which shall make a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and which affords evidence of originality. In order to qualify for submission of this thesis, candidates will be required to complete formally taught and practical elements of the course.
The research thesis will assess the candidate's abilities to apply the principles of research methodology to different areas and levels of research in family and systemic psychotherapy. Normally the research project will be in the range of 35,000 words.
Candidates who already fulfill the criteria for registration as a supervisor with AFT will have different course requirements. People who feel they may be in this category are invited to phone Dr Barry Mason on 020 8802 9165 for further discussion.
Course Structure
Year 1 - two days per month, Mondays and Tuesdays
Year 2 - Tuesday afternoon once a month
Year 3 and 4 - Research tutorials, the writing up of research, and the research viva.
Years 1 and 2
The course will include:
Supervision element (Year 1): One and a half days per month. Consistent with AFT criteria the course will be divided into four componenets:
- Practice
- Theory
- Personal Development
- Ethics
The course opens with a three day block in May 2010. Each subsequent block at IFT begins on a Monday at midday and goes through to 5.00pm. On Tuesday morning the course runs from 10.00am - 1.00pm. (There is also an optional meeting on Mondays between 10.00am and 11.30am for people to meet and discuss any aspect of their supervisory development that interests them.) On Monday afternoons there will be a workshop, given by a visiting presenter, on a particular aspect of supervision. The presenters are senior figures in the field.
Tutorials (supervision element) - each trainee is allocated a tutor and tutorials take place once a term. The small size of the course also enables trainees to have individual time with the Course Chair when needed.
Supervision project - each course member will be required to organise a live supervision project in their professional community/agency which will allow them to develop their supervisory skills. The people being supervised should be post foundation level in terms of their family therapy/systemic expertise. Course staff will visit each course member in this context on one ocassion during the second term to observe both the live supervision and also retrospective supervision. Video/audio of the supervisor working in the agency is also brought ot the course during the year for supervision of supervision. Course participants are also encouraged to visit one other participant's project during the year.
A range of supervisory models will be explored on the course.
Research element
Research seminars and tutorials take place at Birkbeck College on Tuesday afternoons.
Course curriculum and teaching will take into account the contexts of gender, culture and race, disability and sexual orientation.
The first year of the Doctorate programme overlaps with the Advanced Diploma in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy.
Year 3 and 4
Research tutorials, the writing up of research, and the research viva.
Assessment
- Written assignments, including a supervision practice dissertation of 5000-6000 words
- Portfolio of written assignments, including a supervisory practice dissertation of 5,000 - 6,000 words. Total lenght of portfolio - 20,000 words.
- Research dissertation (25,000 - 30,000 words)
- Presentation to a panel at the end of Year 2 which will comprise staff members of the Institute of Family Therapy and the external examiner
There will be a mid course evaluation at the end of Year 1.
Applications
Closing date for receipt of application is 29th January 2010, for May 2010 intake.
Short listed applicants will be invited for interview.
For an application pack please contact Becky Curtis (becky@iftnet.plus.com)
Fee
Course fee: £2,500 p.a. plus a £960 final (4th) year writing up fee.
Programme Chairs
Dr Barry Mason, BA, DSysPsych, ACTFT
Dr Amber Jacobs, BA, PhD
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