University of Edinburgh

For the 2025 intake we anticipate that around 46 places will be available. Trainees are funded through NHS Education for Scotland (NES), which pays University fees, trainee salaries, and travel expenses related to teaching. Trainees are reimbursed for business travel during placement days. Current trainees are full-time employees of the NHS and have annual leave and other benefits in line with usual NHS entitlements. We do not offer any self-funded places.

All trainees are responsible for their own accommodation costs for the duration of the Programme, apart from those in distant NHS Boards (Orkney, Grampian, Tayside, and Dumfries and Galloway) who are given accommodation expenses in accordance with Agenda for Change terms and conditions during teaching blocks in Edinburgh. Trainees in all other Boards are reimbursed for travel expenses to attend teaching on a daily basis in accordance with Agenda for Change terms and conditions. Salaries will commence at the first point of the Agenda for Change band 6 for all trainees regardless of previous experience or bandings in previous roles.

Please note that the Enhanced Psychological Practice (EPP) programme and the MSc in Psychological Therapy in Primary Care and the MSc in Applied Psychology for Children and Young People have been designed as innovations in training for psychology and aim to provide suitably qualified professionals within NHS Scotland. NES funds these places in addition to places on the University of Edinburgh/NHS Scotland Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. NES will not fund places on the University of Edinburgh/NHS Scotland Doctorate in Clinical Psychology for candidates who apply while in receipt of NES funding for another programme (e.g. the EPP programme, the MSc in Psychological Therapy in Primary Care or MSc in Applied Psychology for Children and Young People.

This means:

• Applicants currently enrolled on either the MSc in Psychological Therapy in Primary Care (Universities of Stirling and Dundee) or the MSc in Applied Psychology for Children and Young People (University of Edinburgh) are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants in receipt of NES funding for the Enhanced Psychological Practice (EPP) programme (i.e. for at least 18 months from date of enrolment on EPP programme). This means, if you enrolled on the EPP programme in April 2023, or before, then you are eligible to apply to the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in the current (Sept – Nov 2024) application window. If you enrolled on the EPP programme in the November 2023 or April 2024 intakes or you have accepted a place to start the EPP programme in November 2024 then you are not eligible to apply for a Doctoral training place in the current (September – November 2024) application window.