MSt in Psychodynamic Practice

This section provides an overview of the course structure, while details of the individual course components are provided below.

The course consists of:

• weekly Wednesday evening clinical and research seminars during Michaelmas and Hilary terms
• two Saturday workshops, in September at the start and end of the course
• two tutorials with the clinical tutor
• four tutorials with the research tutor
• up to three tutorials with an off-course research project advisor
• clinical placement to be ongoing throughout the MSt course to complete a minimum total of 200 clinical hours including hours completed during the PG Diploma in Psychodynamic Practice, with supervision at a minimum 1:6 ratio to clinical hours
• a minimum of 40 hours personal therapy over the year, with a psychodynamically trained and course-approved therapist/counsellor

The hours of private study are those needed to bring both clinical understanding and the dissertation to the standard required by the MSt; both tutors will assist in monitoring this. However, at least ten hours of private study per week is envisaged.

Additional time is required for the clinical placement. This would include sufficient time for the required clinical and supervision hours plus other commitments, such as placement team meetings and organisation-based training, as agreed between the student and the clinical placement provider.

The on-course research tutor and off-course research project advisor will support and guide you with regard to the research project dissertation, which nevertheless must remain an original piece of individually researched work authored entirely by you.

This course is intended for those who have successfully completed, or are currently in the second year of, the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Practice and who wish to progress to advanced clinical and research training. Applicants should be continuing their clinical placement and personal therapy as part of their professional development. On completion of the MSt, the Diploma qualification is incorporated into the Master’s award.

Please note that applicants who are currently in therapy or counselling with a member of the course teaching team are not eligible to apply.

The course is delivered using the following teaching methods:

Clinical Seminars

The aim of the clinical seminars is to further the clinical training, seeking to integrate personal and professional development via increased clinical experience and theoretical knowledge.

Research Seminars

The aim of the research seminars is to enable course members to develop an interest in, and understanding of, research, and to appreciate its value and implications for their therapeutic work. Course members’ research projects will be presented and discussed as they develop. The on-course research tutor and off-course research project supervisor will support and guide the course member with regard to the research project dissertation.

Saturday workshops

There will be all-day workshops on a Saturday in September at the start and end of the course.

Supervised placement

Clinical placements, which must be approved by the Programme Director, are a central aspect of trainees’ learning. Client work with supervision at a ratio of 1:6 must be ongoing throughout the course, and a total of 200 client hours, inclusive of hours completed during the PG Diploma course, is required by the end of the course. The placement setting itself may form part or all of the subject of the research project dissertation, or course members may elect to structure their research independently of their placements.

Personal Therapy

Personal therapy is a cornerstone of the psychodynamic approach and trainees are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours with a course-approved therapist during the course.

Oxford College affiliation

As a matriculated postgraduate degree student, you will become a member of one of the University’s multidisciplinary colleges, enabling you to encounter new perspectives in your field or learn more about many other subjects from fellow college members.

The collegiate system makes studying at Oxford a truly special experience. Oxford colleges are friendly and diverse communities, where you could find yourself absorbed in fascinating conversations with students and academics from a variety of disciplines at college seminars, dinners and informal occasions.

For a list of colleges that accept students on the MSt in Psychodynamic Practice, please see the ‘college preference’ tab on the Graduate Admissions course page.

To find out more about Oxford University colleges, please consult the University’s Graduate Admissions website.

The Course Director is Dr Jo Molle. All tutors are professionally qualified and accredited counsellors or psychotherapists.

Assessment is primarily by an individually-researched dissertation and viva voce examination. The dissertation, which must not be more than 15,000 words, must be submitted in September. The subject matter, be this qualitative or quantitative, must be approved by the research tutor in consultation with the Director of Counselling Courses, and where appropriate the external examiner.

To be successfully awarded the Master of Studies, you will need to pass the dissertation and viva voce, meet attendance requirements, satisfactorily complete your placement, and receive satisfactory reports.

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours as a minimum, in any subject.

It is necessary to have successfully completed the PG Diploma in Psychodynamic Practice, or to be currently studying on the second year of the PGDip, in order to apply to this course. For reasons of professional accreditation, applicants must have maintained membership of UPCA during any gap between the courses, and will normally be expected to have continued clinical placement work and relevant CPD.

For applicants with a bachelor’s degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.5 out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University’s higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. Further information on English language requirements can be found here.

Please visit the MSt in Psychodynamic Practice course page on the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions website for details of course fees and costs.

Please see our funding page for help and information with regard to funding postgraduate studies. We further recommend that applicants search for funding opportunities via the online Fees, Funding and Scholarship search tool.

In order to be considered for many scholarships, applicants are required to apply by the January deadline. However, applicants should note that some scholarships require additional application materials and may have different deadlines, so applicants should make sure they check the application process for each scholarship carefully.

Applications for this course should be made via the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions website. This website provides information on fees and entry requirements, along with help on preparing and submitting your application.

Application deadlines

12:00 midday UK time on:

• Stage 1: Friday 14 November 2025 (Applications more likely to receive earlier decisions)
• Stage 2: Wednesday 28 January 2026 (Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships)
• Stage 3: Tuesday 3 March 2026

When to apply

Early application for the programme is strongly advised. After the March deadline, the course will only stay open for that year’s entry if places are still available.

Remember that it can take a number of weeks to obtain all of the documents you need and to prepare a competitive application. You should also allow your referees plenty of time to submit your references. We therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible.

Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process within six weeks of the application deadline.