Cognitive Behaviour Therapy High Intensity Postgraduate Diploma FAQs

Most of the information you will need can be found on the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy High Intensity Postgraduate Diploma course page.

No, applicants need to find posts as trainee CBT therapists in NHS Talking Therapies or NHS Talking Therapies-commissioned services within the West Midlands area. These posts are often advertised on the NHS jobs website. They should apply to the placement (for the post) and the University (for the course) separately. The only exception to this is for placements who like to conduct their recruitment jointly with the University. In either case, speak to the placement providers and they will tell you their application requirements AND apply to the University anyway.

Yes, the course gives you everything that you need to become a British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP) accredited psychotherapist.

No, PWP training is a separate course entirely: See the BSMHFT website. 

Applicants will need a placement in an NHS Talking Therapies or NHS Talking Therapies-commissioned service in order to be eligible for the Health Education England funding. Their current workplace would not be a viable alternative if it is not an NHS Talking Therapies or NHS Talking Therapies-commissioned service.

Applicants either need to have a core profession, or, need to be able to meet the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes (KSA) criteria in order to be eligible. If they are not a qualified professional, the best thing to do is to look at the KSA eligibility criteria here and do a self-assessment. We welcome applications from people who can satisfy all of the KSA criteria.

Health Education England commissioners do not support and will not fund repetition of training if an applicant has completed the training and failed (at the same or another University), or has been removed from the training because of academic or other misconduct. Applicants who have previously withdrawn from a High Intensity CBT course (at the same or another University) will only be supported by HEE funding if the University is satisfied by an academic reference from the original University, indicating that there are clear extenuating circumstances which would suggest that a repetition of training would be good use of public money.

No. This course is in-person only.

No. Unfortunately, due to the nature of this course, all the modules are required to be taken, and credit transfer is not an available option. You would of course be welcome to apply for the programme, provide you meet the eligibility criteria.

There should be an option for applicants to enter referees’ email addresses, rather than uploading a document – they will then be contacted automatically once an application is submitted.

We don't have any specific book recommendations for the KSA criteria. Most applicants satisfy them through training courses and occupational experience rather than self-directed study. 

The KSA portfolio does not need to be submitted to BABCP prior to training. It is something that we require successful applicants to submit in the first few weeks of the course.

They are usually advertised on the NHS jobs website from about Spring onwards.

Applicants could do this, and it can be a useful proactive step to form a relationship with local NHS Talking Therapies service providers. They will be able to give more precise information about their vacancies and dates for job adverts.

Health Education England (HEE) commissioners consider progression from PWP to HIT training an integrated training pathway within which PWPs are eligible to apply for HI training when they have completed a minimum of two years of employment as a PWP after passing all PWP course requirements at internal exam board. HEE will not fund trainees who do not meet this requirement.

The only exception to this two-year rule is if a PWP holds a previous core professional qualification recognised by the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).