Subject Areas
The University of Edinburgh created our School to bring together the long-established but separate departments of Clinical and Health Psychology, Nursing Studies, and Counselling, Psychotherapy and Applied Social Science.
Read more about our individual subject areas below. If you're interested in finding out more about our programmes and our current research, find out more:
| Our programmes | Our current research |
Clinical and Health Psychology
The discipline of Clinical and Health Psychology is focused on the development, understanding, and intervention for psychological difficulties across all stages of life.
We offer a wide range of ways to study the theory, research and practice of clinical and health psychology, including MSc and PhD programmes, and continuous professional development for those working in health and mental health related services. Our professional training programs in Clinical and Health Psychology (DClinPsychol) and Applied Psychology for Children and Young People (MSc), offer comprehensive education and training to aspiring clinicians and psychologists.
Counselling , Psychotherapy and Applied Social Sciences
Since its inception in 2000, Counselling and Psychotherapy has emerged as a premier institution in Scotland for postgraduate education, training, and research in Counselling Studies. The discipline has played a pivotal role in advancing counselling as a professional endeavor, whilst also developing a robust research programme to help shape the future of counselling practice. We have a longstanding commitment to original empirical and theoretical research that engages critically with the practices of counselling and psychotherapy, and we are especially keen to encourage research concerned with the interface between counselling, psychotherapy and social, cultural and political life, and research that draws directly on practitioners’ own therapeutic work.
Our postgraduate taught programmes are based on a dialogue between the person-centred approach, located within the humanistic tradition, and psychodynamic perspectives, located within the psychoanalytic tradition
Nursing Studies
The University of Edinburgh has a long tradition of preparing graduate nurses. As an academic discipline Nursing Studies encompasses a multifaceted approach to understanding healthcare delivery, patient care, and the broader implications of healthcare systems within society. Our focus extends beyond the clinical aspects of nursing practice to include research, education, leadership, and advocacy. Learn about what we are doing to elevate and strengthen the influence and impact of nurses and nurse communities around the world.
Edinburgh Global Nursing Initiative
As well as the undergraduate programme that leads to registration as a nurse (adult branch), the department offers a range of taught and research postgraduate programmes, MSc/Diplomas to PhD, that may be taken on a full or a part-time basis.
In 2026 we will celebrate 70 years of world-class nursing education. Find out more about the close-knit, student and staff nursing community at the University of Edinburgh.