PGDip in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Severe Mental Health Problems)
About the course
The Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Severe Mental Health Problems) is a two-year course providing training in the core competencies required to become a competent CBT therapist, with specialist training for SMHP.
This course is designed to enable students to meet the minimum training standards for British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) accreditation as a CBT psychotherapist. It is currently BABCP accredited at Level 1 and is seeking Level 2 accreditation.
If you have completed the PGCert in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at Oxford and are intending to apply to start the PG Diploma within two years, please contact the Course Administrator for advice before you apply.
Oxford is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence in CBT research, practice and training. This PGDip has evolved from a course established more than 30 years ago and draws on an impressive body of local specialist knowledge and skill.
On successful completion of the course you should expect to have achieved the following:
1. a sound knowledge of cognitive behavioural models, concepts and method
2. an understanding of issues of importance relating to the theory and practice of CBT including:
- the relationship between CBT theory and therapy
- the use of CBT with a variety of client groups and disorders
- related research on outcome and process.
3. competence to establish and maintain warm, respectful, collaborative therapeutic relationships, including:
- having a conceptual framework for understanding and managing difficulties in the alliance
- using clinical supervision to identify and resolve difficulties in practice.
4. competence in assessing and treating patients using CBT by:
- assessing patient suitability for CBT
- developing CBT case-formulations
- devising and implementing individualised treatment programmes
- evaluating their effects.
5. the ability to convey clearly to clients and others the central concepts of CBT and how CBT interventions work.
The course does not aim to prepare students to teach and supervise CBT. The emphasis is on acquiring, practising and communicating specialised clinical skills, within an explicit theoretical framework in relation to associated empirical research.
Course structure
An overview of the course structure is provided below. Details of the compulsory and optional elements of the course are provided in the Course components section of this page.
Year one
At the beginning of year one, you will learn the core skills of CBT relevant to working with clients presenting with single and more common mental health problems. As the course progresses, you will go on to build on these foundations to develop skills for working with presentations which are characterised by issues associated with greater complexity, such as comorbidity, chronicity, or where systematic factors play a role in maintaining current problems.
The course will begin with five days of teaching over the first two weeks and one day per week (Fridays) thereafter.
The majority of the teaching will take place online. There will be a 3-day in-person teaching block in week one and approximately two further in-person teaching days per term. These will take place in Oxford and attendance is compulsory. Overseas applicants should check their eligibility for visas to travel to the UK to attend these teaching days.
All students can expect to receive two hours of small group supervision weekly with a course supervisor, focussing on CBT skills development. In teaching sessions, emphasis is placed on observation of CBT in action and on experiential learning with participation in role-play and other practical exercises.
Some of the teaching days on this course may be made available to a wider audience as publicly bookable workshops via the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre. All participants will be expected to have an appropriate level of competence to participate fully.
Year two
The structure of the second year will vary according to the specialist pathway you choose.
Reading, completion of written assignments and presentations will be undertaken in addition to the teaching days. Many students find it effective to set aside at least six to seven hours a week for private study.
You will undertake one of the following two specialisms:
Specialism 1. Psychological Trauma and Personality Development
This innovative programme offers comprehensive, specialist training in CBT with a strong grounding in current psychological and CBT theories and research. It is designed to offer an in-depth understanding of the range of difficulties experienced by those who have suffered adversity and psychological trauma, alongside an in-depth understanding of the development of personality traits.
The course highlights the CBT principles, theory and research that can guide optimal treatment delivery to people struggling with the legacy of trauma and/or with personality issues.
Twenty-one days of training and supervision are spread over an academic year, between November and July. Five days of teaching in November (a combination of taught material and self-directed study), are followed by four intensive four-day teaching blocks in January, March, May and July. At least one of these teaching blocks will be held in Oxford and in-person attendance is compulsory.
There will be four summative assignments spread out over the period of training.
Over the duration of the specialism, students will be normally expected to complete a course of therapy (under supervision) with at least three patients, where at least one patient has a trauma history and at least one patient has personality issues. Students are encouraged to engage in CBT with more than three patients before the end of this training. Therapy must demonstrate the specialist CBT skills and knowledge relevant to working with patients who have experienced psychological trauma and/or struggle with personality issues.
Small group supervision from specialists is offered within each block and between training blocks (12 supervision sessions in total) and you will be required to secure additional field supervision. One training day in each block is open to a wider clinical audience. This enables course participants to interact and share with a broader group of specialist practitioners
Specialism 2. Psychosis and Bipolar
This specialism seeks to enable students to develop a sound understanding of cognitive behavioural models of psychosis and bipolar, and the related evidence base. This includes competence in engaging, assessing and developing collaborative formulations with individuals with psychotic and bipolar presentations and competence to deliver high quality, individualised, evidence-based interventions in accordance with THE National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance, the competence framework for work with people with psychosis and bipolar disorder (Roth & Pilling 2013), and the National Health Service England national curriculum for CBT for severe mental health presentations.
You will benefit from teaching from renowned experts as well as from close supervision enabling you to develop new skills.
The course comprises teaching over three terms running from October to the end of June. Teaching and supervision typically take place on Thursdays and students should keep all Thursdays during term time free for course related teaching, supervision, and study. There will also be some Fridays required for teaching and supervision (a total of seven Fridays across term one and the start of term two). The majority of teaching will be delivered online, but students are required to attend a total of seven days in person in Oxford (2 days in term 1, 3 days in term 2, and 2 days in term 3).
This is in line with BABCP requirements for face-to-face teaching. Over the duration of this specialism, students are normally expected to complete a course of therapy (under supervision) with at least four patients, where at least one patient has a bipolar presentation and at least two patients are experiencing active symptoms of psychosis. It is recommended to work with more clients than this to ensure that you have suitable cases to write up and provide recordings for assessment.
There are five summative assessments over the year which will take the form of two recordings, one case presentation, one case report, and a training portfolio.
You will have a course supervisor and course tutor to support you to make the best of this learning opportunity. Small group supervision fortnightly in term time focuses on the development of specific cognitive and behavioural skills for working with clients with psychosis and bipolar presentations.
Clinical practice
You will be responsible for sourcing suitable adult training cases to enable you to complete the clinical practice elements and assessments for the course.
You will also be responsible for arranging regular CBT supervision for your training cases from a qualified CBT practitioner, as not all supervision needs can be met within the small group skills supervision provided by the course. Supervisors should hold Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist accreditation with the BABCP.
Reading and completion of written assignments will be undertaken in addition to the teaching days outlined above. Students should expect to require around 7 hours per week for private study. Shortlisted applicants’ capacity to meet these requirements will be assessed at interview.
Year one clinical practice
In the first term, it is essential that students have access to adult treatment settings where they can access training cases suitable for novice CBT therapists (ie mild-moderate presentations of common mental health problems, such as those likely to present within primary care mental health settings) and where cognitive behavioural therapy skills can be practised and refined on a regular basis. This may require liaison with a service other than that where the student routinely works.
From the second term, students will need to continue to access training cases suitable for CBT interventions, but these can be more complex (eg with co-morbidity, longer duration or involving systemic issues, such as those likely to present in secondary care mental health settings).
Year two clinical practice
In Year 2, students are often able to work with patients in their own secondary or tertiary service. However, if they are unable to identify suitable clients as per the specialism requirement within their own service, they will be required to seek patients outside of their usual workplace. The patients’ presentations must be in keeping with the content of the course specialism.
Attendance
This course is part-time. Part time students are required to attend course-related activities in Oxford, including residential sessions.
The attendance requirements for the course vary depending on your chosen pathway. Please refer to the Specialist pathways above for full details.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students to support with learning and research, as well as guidance on what technology to bring with you as a new student at Oxford.
All students have free access to the full catalogue of Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre online training library, comprising an extensive programme of video demonstrations and tutorials on a range of CBT skills and clinical presentations.
The virtual learning platform for the course contains a wide variety of resources to supplement the live teaching and to direct self-study. The department provides various IT facilities, including the Student Computing Facility which provides individual PCs for your use.
The Rewley House Continuing Education Library, one of the Bodleian Libraries, is situated in Rewley House. The department aims to support the wide variety of subjects covered by departmental courses at many academic levels. The department also has a collection of around 73,000 books together with periodicals. The Jessop Reading Room adjoining the library is available for study.
Supervision
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre and this role will usually be performed by the Course Director. Small group supervision takes place regularly in each of the specialist pathways.
Supervisors include Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre core staff and associates. It is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. A suitable supervisor may be found outside the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre.
Assessment
Summative assessment requirements vary according to the specialism chosen.
Year one assessment
- One Case Presentation of up to 20 minutes duration
- Two Clinical Recordings
- One Case Report of not more than 4,000 words
Specialism 1. Psychological Trauma and Personality Development
- One Clinical Recording
- One Case Presentation of up to 20 minutes duration
- One Clinical Assessment of not more than 2,000 words
- One Case Report of not more than 4,000 words
- One Training Portfolio
Specialism 2. Psychosis and Bipolar
- Two Clinical Recordings
- One Case Presentation of up to 20 minutes duration
- One Case Report of not more than 6,000 words
- One Training Portfolio
Graduate destinations
Completion of the course provides access to a growing network of course graduates and to an ongoing programme of follow-up workshops on CBT and related topics. Further supervision through the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre (OCTC) may also be negotiated, for example, for participants wishing to achieve accreditation by the BABCP as a therapist, supervisor and/or trainer.
This award forms the foundation for further professional and clinical development, which can be pursued within the larger framework of the OCTC/University of Oxford CBT programme. The programme offers specialist training and can lead to a Postgraduate Diploma or MSc in CBT.
Changes to this course
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Course components
Compulsory teaching
For the first two terms, you will receive two hours of small group supervision on a weekly basis, focussing on CBT skills development. In teaching sessions, emphasis is placed on observation of CBT in action and on experiential learning with participation in role-play and other practical exercises.
As the course progresses, you will go on to build on these foundations to develop skills for working with presentations which are characterised by issues associated with greater complexity, such as comorbidity, chronicity, or where systematic factors play a role in maintaining current problems.
The course structure will vary according to the specialist pathway chosen. Reading, completion of written assignments and presentations will be undertaken in addition to the teaching days. Many students find it effective to set aside at least six to seven hours a week for private study.
Clinical practice
Students are responsible for sourcing suitable adult training cases to enable them to complete the clinical practice elements outlined below and the related assessments. Students are also responsible for arranging regular CBT supervision for their training cases from a qualified CBT practitioner (refer to the Supervision section of this page for further details).
In the first term, it is essential that students have access to adult treatment settings where they can access training cases suitable for novice CBT therapists (ie mild-moderate presentations of common mental health problems, such as those likely to present within primary care mental health settings) and where cognitive behavioural therapy skills can be practised and refined on a regular basis. This may require liaison with a service other than that where the student routinely works.
From the second term, students will need to continue to access training cases suitable for CBT interventions, but these can be more complex (eg with co-morbidity, longer duration or involving systemic issues, such as those likely to present in secondary care mental health settings).
Entry requirements for entry in 2026-27
Proven and potential academic excellence
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our guidance to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying.
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 in a relevant subject.
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.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
Applicants are normally expected to have at least two year's post-qualification clinical experience, and:
- be qualified members of one of the main National Health Service professions, eg clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, general practitioners, occupational therapists, or other recognised professions, eg social worker; OR
- hold the equivalent of a core profession as defined by BABCPs Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes criteria.
Publications are not expected.
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. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| TOEFL iBT* including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 110 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced† | 191 | 185 |
| C2 Proficiency‡ | 191 | 185 |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 165 | 155 |
*Changes to the TOEFL iBT test are being introduced on 21 January 2026. The University will not accept TOEFL tests taken from that date to meet the English language condition until a review of the revised test has been completed. Our Application Guide provides full details of the tests we accept.
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
‡Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.
Applicants will be shortlisted in accordance with their ability to meet the criteria for admissions. Interviews will usually be held four to six weeks after the application deadline.
Interviews will normally be held in person, but may be conducted online, and will be conducted by two members of the course team. They will usually last about 45 minutes and include questions about your professional background and either a role-play to assess clinical skills or a brief presentation on a relevant topic.
If you are invited to attend an interview, you may be asked about your ability to commit sufficient time to study and fulfil all elements outlined in the course description (eg completing coursework, assessments, and attending course and University events and modules).
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Evidence of ability to study for employed part-time applicants
If you are currently employed, you may be asked to provide evidence that your employment will not affect your ability to study and that you can commit sufficient time to fulfil all elements outlined in the course description. You may be asked to provide details about your pattern of employment and provide evidence to show how you will fulfil your commitment to make time available to study, to complete coursework, and attend course and University events and modules. You may also be asked to obtain a statement from your employer confirming their commitment to make time available for you to study, eg to complete coursework, and attend course and University events and modules.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Funding
For this course, we recommend that you visit our dedicated funding pages which include details of a range of external funding and loan schemes for postgraduate study. Some scholarships may also be available through our fees, funding and scholarship search tool. You should review the information carefully, including the eligibility criteria and application deadlines, noting that not all funding opportunities are available for postgraduate diploma and postgraduate certificate courses.
Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the department's website.
Costs
Annual course fees
The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis.
Fees for the 2026-27 academic year at the University of Oxford
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £8,420 |
| Overseas | £8,420 |
What do course fees cover?
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional costs information below.
How long do I need to pay course fees?
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year fees will usually increase annually, as explained in the University’s Terms and Conditions.
Where can I find more information about fees?
Our fees and other charges pages provide further information, including details about:
- course fees and fee liability;
- how your fee status is determined; and
- changes to fees and other charges.
Information about how much fees and other costs will usually increase each academic year is set out in the University's Terms and Conditions.
Additional costs
Please note that this course requires that you attend in Oxford for teaching sessions, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Accommodation costs in Oxford can start at around £98 per night in University accommodation or around £120 in a hotel (single rate).
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for part-time study
Your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you will still need to cover your cost of living on a full-time basis for the duration of your course, even if you will not be based in Oxford throughout your studies. While the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student living in Oxford in the 2026-27 academic year is between £1,405 and £2,105 per month, living costs outside Oxford may be different.
Part-time students who are not based in Oxford will need to calculate travel and accommodation costs carefully. Depending on your circumstances and study plans, this may include the cost of a visitor visa to attend for short blocks of time (if visitor visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and periods of high national inflation in recent years make it harder to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2026-27 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation.
A breakdown of likely living costs for one month during the 2026-27 academic year are shown below. These costs are based on a single, full-time graduate student, with no dependants, living in Oxford.
| Lower range | Upper range | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | £315 | £545 |
| Accommodation | £825 | £990 |
| Personal items | £160 | £310 |
| Social activities | £50 | £130 |
| Study costs | £35 | £90 |
| Other | £20 | £40 |
| Total | £1,405 | £2,105 |
For information about how these figures have been calculated as well as tables showing the likely living costs for nine and twelve months, please refer to the living costs page of our website.
College preference
Matriculation confers membership of the University on students. Students who enrol on this course will not be matriculated and will not become a member of an Oxford college. Although not formally members of the University, non-matriculated students are expected to observe the same rules and regulations as matriculated students. Further information about matriculation is available on the Oxford Students website.
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £75 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
You do not need to contact the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Referees:
Three overall, at least one professional and one academic
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
A professional reference from your current clinical supervisor is required and at least one of your references should be academic.
Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, ability to work in a group and clinical ability.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
Statement of purpose:
A maximum of 500 words
Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, the specific specialism you plan to undertake in Year 2, and how you plan to use what you will learn in your future career.
During the course, you will be expected to have access to treatment settings with regular clinical and CBT supervision where cognitive behavioural therapy skills can be practised and refined on a regular basis. Therefore, you should describe how you will gain access to suitable training cases and regular CBT supervision during your time on the course. These arrangements will be discussed in detail at interview, should you be shortlisted.
You should provide evidence of your ability to commit sufficient time to study and fulfil all elements outlined in the course description (eg completing coursework, assessments, and attending course and University events and modules).
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
This will be assessed for:
- your motivation for applying to this particular course;
- your relevant academic, research, or practical experience;
- your ability to commit sufficient time to study and fulfil all elements outlined in the course description if you are applying for part-time study; and
- and the areas of study within the subject that interest you.
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.