Do I need to have completed my Psychology degree before applying?

Yes, applicants must have at least a 2.1 Psychology degree or the equivalent at the time of application.

If I got a 2.2 in my Psychology degree but have completed further study since, would my application be considered?

Candidates who have not obtained a 2.1 in their Psychology degree may apply if they can show 
evidence of a postgraduate degree relevant to educational psychology (e.g. Master’s or PhD). In the 
case of a Master’s degree, the percentage mark should be given and/or academic qualifications 
(conversion) transcript.

References - do I need to send them at the time of application?

No, you don’t need to send references. The application form asks you to name three referees and provide contact details for each. Please make sure to include their email addresses. These should normally include someone familiar with your first degree in Psychology or higher degree where this is recent, and someone who has known you in a work setting. In accordance with Safeguarding procedures, one of the three referees must be from the last place of employment (or voluntary work) in which you worked with children or young people. Where possible, you should name psychologists or others familiar with the demands of educational psychology training. Your referees will only be contacted if you are shortlisted for interview. Please see the Guide for Applicants for further information.

References - are they scored and will this affect my overall score at interview stage?

No, references are not scored. They inform selectors regarding a candidate’s suitability.

Personal Statement - what should I ideally include here?

Selectors will make a judgement on how well the applicant has been able to reflect on his or her personal qualities, as expressed in the personal statement, and how they have been developed by means of training, employment and voluntary or other experiences. In this section of the application form you should demonstrate evidence of your capacity to reflect on your motivation to undertake educational training as an educational psychologist, the experiences and values which have shaped that decision, as well as the personal qualities you would bring to this career. You may wish to include information about your personal and/or professional interests. You should indicate how you relate your experiences, skills and competencies to the training programme for educational psychology.

Work Experience - what is considered to be the best type of previous experience?

Please see DECAP Voluntary & Work Experience for an outline of relevant work experience. Applicants are expected to have appropriate experience working with children, young people and young adults for at least two years full-time equivalent (FTE) by the application closing date (or a minimum of 2,000 hours). This can be cumulative or continuous and may be remunerated employment or work undertaken in a voluntary capacity. Experience acquired during university placement of less than 10 months will not be counted. Whatever kind of work has been undertaken, applicants should reflect on what they have learnt from their experiences and its relevance to the work of an educational psychologist, and, how they have been able to apply the knowledge of psychology from their studies. The ‘quality’ of experience in work experience is as important as the quantity of experience gained. Breadth and variety of experience will be favourably considered.

Proof of English Language Proficiency for overseas students - is this required at the time of application?

Overseas candidates should provide evidence of proficiency in written and spoken English, unless you obtained your degree through English. Candidates must be able to communicate in English to the standard equivalent to level 7 of the International English Language Testing System (with no element below 6.5) or in an equivalent English Language test acceptable to the university - see http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs

Usually this must be forwarded as part of your application.

Brexit - will NI/UK applicants be favoured?

A Memorandum of Understanding between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (not yet formally signed) is expected to continue to provide students from the Republic of Ireland with the same terms as students from Northern Ireland. International students who require a work permit/visa cannot usually be considered, due to the terms and conditions of the training award contract (i.e. to study for three years, followed by a minimum of three years’ work in the Education Authority in Northern Ireland).

Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) - is eligibility required at the time of application?

Yes, eligibility for GBC with the British Psychological Society (BPS), or The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI), is required at the time of application.

Driving Licence - do I need to have a full driving licence at the time of application?

Preferably yes, applicants should have a full driving licence at the time of application unless they are unable to for health or disability reasons. Those applicants with only a provisional driving licence would need to have a full driving licence before commencing studies.

Shortlisting - what is the process?

A shortlisting panel of tutors and practitioner psychologists scrutinise all valid applications. The applications are first judged on whether a candidate meets the minimum entry requirements. Those who do not will not be shortlisted. The candidates are then rated by individual panel members on Readiness for Training and Personal Qualities. On the basis of the combined panel scores, a shortlist of candidates for interview is drawn up.

Shortlisting decisions - when will I know if I have been shortlisted?

You should hear within four-five weeks of the application closing date.

Interviews - when will they take place?

Interviews are planned for March each year.

Interviews - will they be online or face-to-face?

Interviews will again be in person this year. There will be two separate interviews, one with an Academic-Research panel and the other with a Professional-Personal panel, both on the same day. Interview marks from both panels are equally weighted. In exceptional circumstances, e.g. for disability or health reasons, or if an interview candidate is living overseas at the time of the interviews, it may be possible for the interviews to take place online.

Interview Panels - what is the composition of each panel?

Each interview panel comprises three members of staff from the DECAP tutor team/School of Psychology, and one senior practitioner psychologist.

Interview marks - will my shortlisting score be used to calculate a final mark?

No, shortlisting scores are not used at interview stage. Following interview, marks are awarded to each candidate for three components (Academic Ability, Personal Qualities, and Readiness for Training). Those candidates with the highest overall ratings in the three components, and who have reached a satisfactory standard in each, are offered places on the course.

What is the best way to prepare for the interviews?

You can prepare by reading lots of journal articles and reflecting on research you have been involved with.

If I am offered a place on the programme, will I be asked to sign a contract?

Any offer of a place on the DECAP programme is made in conjunction with a bursary offer/contract. Funding for the programme is provided by the Department of Education. The bursary contract must be signed and returned within a 2–3-week period. This contract is legally binding and ties you in for three years of study/training, followed by a minimum of three years’ work as an Educational Psychologist in the Education Authority in Northern Ireland post-qualification, subject to the availability of jobs.

Placements - can I be placed somewhere close to home?

Placement offices are currently located across Northern Ireland. While some consideration would be given to your home address and the distance to travel to placement offices, particularly for longer placements, you will be expected to travel on occasion. It would not be possible to place you in the most convenient office for all of the placement days. If your placement venue is a long distance from your home (e.g. one hour’s drive or longer), you will be offered the opportunity to stay at accommodation close to your placement office. Placement accommodation is organised by DECAP, in conjunction with the university travel company, and is funded by the DECAP programme.

Placements - how much time will be devoted to placement?

300 days are spent on placement over the three years of training. The current Year 1 placement schedule is outlined below. Please note that this is subject to change but will give you an idea of what to expect. Placements 1-3 are typically spent in the same EA office with the same supervisor(s). Placement 4 is in a different EA office, and Placement 5 (Elective) is organised by the student, in conjunction with the personal tutor/year tutor. All of our fieldwork supervisors complete mandatory supervision training prior to supervising a student.

Timetabling - can you provide an outline of the Year 1 timetable?

Semester 1: September-December

The majority of the first semester is spent at university for a teaching block. Typically, classes are scheduled over four days and one day is set aside for study (where possible).

There are two short 5-day placements in Semester 1.

Semester 2: January-March

You will complete a 20-day placement in January (Placement 3). Placements 1-3 are spent in the same Education Authority (EA) office. You will be back at QUB for a short teaching block at the beginning of February, before Placement 4 commences. This is a block placement initially. Typically, you are on placement Monday-Thursday and Friday is often a study day.

Semester 3: Easter to end of semester

After Easter, you will continue Placement 4 two days a week only, and the rest of the week will be teaching days at QUB or study. The final placement in Year 1 (Placement 5) is an elective placement and this takes place during the month of June.

Classes - can you provide an outline of the topics covered?

The DECAP curriculum is a graduated, spiral curriculum that allows for the incremental development of skills and knowledge throughout the progression of the course. All elements of the curriculum are introduced (or at least prefaced) in Year 1 through five modules.