MPhil Program

Program Description

1. Philosophy of the program

• That Clinical Psychologists integrate academic knowledge, clinical skills, and research expertise from within the discipline of Psychology.
• That Clinical Psychologists solve problems by the application of fundamental psychological principles.
• That the program is generic, covering all types of patient and setting and a wide range of assessment and treatment techniques.
• That the program should focus directly upon the needs. of the psychiatric services.
• That the course be conceived as a joint enterprise between academic and service institutions, i. e., the University of Dhaka, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Dhaka. Additionally, the course will maintain close working liaison with Psychiatry, Neurology, Medicine, Surgery, Cardiology, Oncology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, Paediatrics and other departments of major public and private hospitals in Bangladesh.
• That ultimately all aspects of course organization and content are driven by service and client need.

2. Aims

• To contribute to the psychological health of the nation
• To contribute to the development and efficiency of psychiatric services.
• To produce a generation of Clinical Psychologists for Bangladesh.
• To train those who will become Clinical Psychology supervisors and trainers.
• To train those who will be mental health researchers from bio-psychosocial perspectives.
• To be the trainer and supervisor of counsellors, psychotherapists and mental health workers.
• To be the manager and director of clinical psychology, psychotherapy and counselling services in both health and non-health community settings.

3. Objectives

• To have a generic, thorough and intensive one and half-year program
• To combine academic courses, a range of supervised clinical work, and research supervision - all in areas of service need.
• To foster a critical understanding of the empirical literature and fundamental theories.
• To achieve experience of a wide range of clients, problems and assessment and treatment methods.
• To create an understanding of the value of research in clinical practice and service development, and to be able to do such research.
• To produce Clinical Psychologists who achieve a high standard of professional conduct and understanding.
• To produce Clinical Psychologists who will be culture and gender sensitive.
• To produce Clinical Psychologists who will be capable to help government and non-government health sectors to adopt positive mental health policies and practices.

4. Basic Course Structure

This is an integrated course comprising MS (one and half years) and MPhil (two years) degree in Clinical Psychology, each consisting of three components, namely: theoretical, clinical, and research work. Students will gradually assume greater clinical responsibilities with increasing experience. It should be noted that the time devoted to clinical work includes supervision time and private study time in support of patient contacts.

Syllabus for MPhil in Clinical Psychology

Year – I

Year – II

2. Specialist Placement

The student must choose an area of specialization and complete necessary training and placement on that specific area. At the end of the placement, the student has to submit a specialist placement report.

3. Thesis

Admission requirement for MPhil in Clinical Psychology Program

• MS in Clinical Psychology.
• At least 6 months of post MS supervised internship/clinical placement work with clear demonstration of professional sense of responsibility, sincerity and genuineness. Case log signed by supervisor should be submitted.
• Experience of successfully moderating group therapeutic intervention of the following categories.
  1. General group therapy (for at least 3 months)
  2. Social skills training (a complete training program)
  3. Any one of the short length homogenous group therapy (relaxation, psycho-education, etc.)
• Availability and acceptance of thesis supervisor on the specific research topic.