Find out more about studying Professional Doctorate Health Psychology at University of Stirling? We've gathered all the key details, entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Professional Doctorate
University of Stirling
Part Time
Jan 2028
6 Year
Health Psychology can help to address health challenges affecting people’s day to day lives, prevent illness and foster health and well-being.This course will train you to develop scientific and practitioner skills in Health Psychology, and to be eligible to become a health psychologist. It is based on real-world placement learning, and includes regular teaching and workshops. You'll acquire specific competencies as defined by the British Psychological Society. You'll also gain competence in carrying out a piece of high quality empirical research to a standard publishable in peer review journals.Supervision is provided by the experienced and enthusiastic health team in Psychology. We have an excellent international reputation in the field of Health Psychology with a record of high quality research into health and health behaviour.International candidates are expected to commence and undertake most of their training in the UK.
Completing this module will set you on the road to becoming an independent health psychology researcher, with the opportunity to carry out your own research in an area that interests you, and to develop transferrable high level research skills. Applied Health Psychology Research is key to becoming an effective scientist-practitioner. In many cases research will be carried out in your workplace, allowing you to develop, utilise and demonstrate research skills in an organisational or other external context. This includes being able to carry out a systematic review of literature, conceptualise, design, sample, implement data collection, carry out data analysis, evaluate methods (both quantitative and qualitative) and discuss implications of the data in contributing to development of new ideas and techniques, of a quality to satisfy peer review.
This module delivers important training in areas of competence for professional health psychologists. These include the ability to develop, deliver and evaluate health psychology interventions. You’ll develop experience of delivering interventions both face-to-face with individuals, and in a different setting (i.e. not involving direct contact with an individual), such as group work or online.
Health psychology offers a unique and positive approach to improving individual and population health and healthcare. In this module you will develop skills in the professional application of health psychology to promote health and prevent illness in specific contexts. Health psychology is an area of professional practice. This module will help you develop competence in the role of scientist-practitioner, building research and professional practitioner skills and competencies.
To become an effective scientist practitioner it is important to understand theories of adult learning, and how to put these into practice, adapting to the needs of different learners in different contexts. Skills in teaching and training others – including providing one-to-one learning, supervision and coaching – are key to many workplace roles. Communication skills are essential for effective teaching and learning and so the module will also cover related theories, and offer you a forum for developing and practicing such skills.
