The Doctorate in Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology (DECAP) is the only professional training course in Educational Psychology in Northern Ireland. The DECAP is a three year (36 month) postgraduate professional training course, approved by the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as conferring eligibility for chartered status and for employment as an educational psychologist.

The DECAP is funded by the Department of Education (DE) to provide highly qualified educational psychologists who can take up employment in the Education Authority (EANI). The course is based in the School of Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast and placements are undertaken in a variety of educational, health or community settings.

An intermodular teaching programme provides cohesion and continuity, introducing core professional skills gradually and incrementally, and linking the academic and placement components of the programme. The DECAP provides innovative teaching in intervention work across the three years, including in the following areas: Video Interaction Guidance (VIG), Dynamic Assessment (DA), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), The Incredible Years Parenting Programme, and Family Systemic Therapy.

On the DECAP programme we are committed to the principles and practices of equality, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI); these permeate all that we do on the programme and as practitioner psychologists. We believe the principles and practises of EDI are everyone’s responsibility, and we aim to build on a culture where all people feel valued, appreciated, and safe – free from discrimination and inequality.

The University is committed to equality of opportunity and to selection on merit.  We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons including candidates who identify as being from minority, marginalised, under-represented or diverse groups.

The DECAP programme supports the development of the following core competencies, as outlined in the BPS Standards for the Accreditation of Doctoral Programmes in Educational Psychology.

Course Administrator: Mrs Alison Jeffrey
Email: a.jeffrey@qub.ac.uk
Phone: (028) 9097 5651