MA

CAMH (Child and Adolescent Mental Health)

Explore the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people through a course grounded in evidence-based practice and research. This is a non-clinical MA that offers a supportive, interdisciplinary environment where you’ll develop reflective insight and contribute to advancing the field of child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing.

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Key Course Details

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Newport

  • Campus Code

    C

Fees

  • Home students

    £11,060*

  • International students

    £17,900*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Newport

  • Campus Code

    C

Fees

  • Home students

    £1,229*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
Make an Enquiry

This research-informed MA will help you reflect on current practice, explore key issues in the field of CAMH and wellbeing, and make a positive, lasting impact through your professional or academic journey.

DESIGNED FOR

Professionals working with children and young people broadly across the education sector, health and social care services, schools, support environments and the third sector. This course also welcomes recent graduates from disciplines such as social sciences, education, and youth work who are ready to explore child and adolescent mental health at postgraduate level.

Career Paths

  • Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead
  • Researcher
  • Consultancy and training
  • Policy development  
  • Further study (PhD)

Skills taught

  • Research
  • Problem solving
  • Critical thinking
  • Applying ethical and evidence-based approaches
  • Academic writing and analysis  

Course Highlights

Research that makes impact

Build strong research skills and dive into real issues shaping child and adolescent mental health.

Shape your own path

Choose from a wide range of modules to tailor your learning depending on your current career path and future aspirations.

Real-world perspectives

Learn from expert staff and guest speakers working across education, youth services, and mental health.

A multi-disciplinary approach

Allows for a broad understanding of CAMH and wellbeing across a range of support and educational settings.

Outstanding Graduate Outcomes

99% of USW Education graduates are in Employment and/or Further Study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022/23)

Module Overview

Students on the Masters in CAMH will complete three core 30-credit modules, one or two additional specialist modules, and a Dissertation Module (30 credits or 60 credits).  Choosing the shorter Dissertation allows students to take an extra specialist module.  

CAMH: Contexts and Concepts
This has a theoretical focus and introduces students to key concepts within CAMH, and develops their ability to look critically at CAMH issues in context, looking for example at the concepts of risk and protective factors in relation to good outcomes for children and young people.

 Managing and Supporting CAMH and SEBD
This looks more at theory of practice and develops your ability to look critically at the range of approaches to prevention and interventions through an exploration of a range of approaches and evidence-based interventions.

 Research Methodology 
This provides you with the knowledge, skills and confidence to undertake a piece of primary or secondary research.

Dissertation (30 credits or 60 credits)
This module supports students in developing and carrying out a piece of substantive research. Choosing the shorter Dissertation allows students to take an extra specialist module.

Optional Modules are:

  • Promoting Excellence in Learning and Teaching
  • Leading and Managing SEN / ALN
  • Innovation in Curriculum Design
  • Working with Vulnerable Groups
  • Autism: Contexts and Concepts
  • Managing and Supporting Autism
  • Developing Digital Competence
  • Developing Learning in Organisations
  • Developing People in Organisations
  • International Perspectives on Early Childhood

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

This course equips you to become a reflective practitioner with strong knowledge and skills in child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing. You’ll learn through a blend of informal lectures and small group activities with assignments designed to support your professional skills and practice. Throughout, there’s an emphasis on finding and presenting information, with opportunities to regularly share insights and engage in critical discussion.

Teaching is delivered face-to-face in ten 2.5 hour evening sessions per module, offering flexibility for part-time students. Throughout, assessments are designed to connect theory with your real-world practice, ensuring your learning makes a meaningful impact on the children and young people you work with.  All modules are assessed via coursework. Students are encouraged to negotiate their own assignment focus.

Teaching staff

Teaching is delivered by a diverse team from the Professional Learning and Education (PLE) group, bringing expertise in areas such as education, SEN/ALN, autism, youth and community work, and social work. Our staff combine academic knowledge with real-world experience, ensuring teaching is grounded in current practice and research. Throughout the course, you’ll also learn from guest speakers working on the front lines of both primary and specialist CAMH services, providing valuable insights from a range of sectors and professional perspectives.

Placements and work experience

You’ll have the flexibility to arrange work experience that fits your interests—whether in a school, or another educational or support setting. Work experience alongside your studies can allow you to gain fresh insights, expand your expertise, and build a stronger CV to take your career to the next level. Evening teaching sessions allows you the flexibility to balance study and hands-on experience, giving you the chance to apply what you learn in real-time. The teaching team is on hand to offer support and write references if you wish to undertake work experience whilst you study.  

Facilities

Studying at our Newport campus means you'll have access to fantastic facilities designed for collaboration. From modern learning hubs to well-equipped IT suites and an extensive library, everything you need will be at your fingertips. There is also a dedicated education librarian and online databases that can support your literature research and dissertation module. Bookable study rooms, the Learning Centre and Advice Zone are also all accessible during your time at USW.  

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

Upon completing this course, you’ll gain a Level 7 qualification that will deepen your expertise in practice, theory, and critical insight within child and adolescent mental health. Many of our graduates step confidently into leadership roles, influencing policy development and driving strategic change in their organisations. The course will also prepare you to share your knowledge through education and training, or to pursue research and academic careers. Whether advancing within frontline services or shaping mental health and wellbeing initiatives at a strategic level, our graduates leave equipped to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the wellbeing of children and young people.

Possible career paths

Graduates of this course pursue diverse career paths across education, social work, nursing, and support roles, often moving into consultancy, training, and managerial positions focused on mental health and wellbeing. Some continue their academic journey through Level 8 research programs, advancing as researchers or educators. Graduates frequently report promotions or new roles in trauma-informed care, mental health consultancy, and strategic leadership. 

Career Support

Guest speakers from a range of CAMH, education, and social care sectors bring real-world insights to the course, providing valuable networking opportunities and exposing you to current practice and emerging career paths. The USW careers service will also help you explore career possibilities during and after your degree. You’ll receive support with CV writing, applications, interviews, and navigating recruitment. You can also attend skills workshops, employer sessions, and careers fairs to connect with employers, build skills, and boost confidence.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Typical qualification requirements:

  • A good first degree is preferred but experience is greatly valued.
  • Full-time and part-time students choosing modules which have a placement component as part of the assessment process, will need to provide evidence of a current enhanced DBS check (or its equivalent if you are an EU or international student)
  • Full-time students wishing to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the Internship Scheme will also need to provide evidence of a current enhanced DBS check (or its equivalent if you are an EU or international student)

 

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Fee

£11,060

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£17,900

per year*
UK Part-time Fee

£1,229

per 20 credits*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Busaries Alumni Discount

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

THE COURSE CONTENT WAS EXCELLENT, AND THE LECTURERS WERE SUPPORTIVE AND GENUINELY INTERESTED IN OUR RESEARCH IDEAS AND OPEN TO SHARING THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES.

Lyndsi

MA CAMH

THE MA CAMH COURSE ALLOWED ME TO DELVE DEEPER INTO AN ARRAY OF TOPICS THAT HAS INCREASED MY PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING.

Andy

MA CAMH

MY TUTOR HELPED ME FIND MY ACADEMIC VOICE AND GAIN CONFIDENCE IN CRITIQUING AND ENGAGING WITH THE RESEARCH PROCESS.

Lucy

MA CAMH

GETTING TO LISTEN TO THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF STAFF MEMBERS, GUEST SPEAKERS AND STUDENTS ENHANCED MY LEARNING JOURNEY EVEN FURTHER, SEAMLESSLY TAKING IT FROM THEORY TO REALITY AND PRACTICE.

Katerina

MA CAMH

Studying at USW

Our courses are designed with industry leaders and provide the practical skills and experiences industry demands. Our flexible courses reflect the need for life-long learning. If you value education in practice, not just in theory, then USW is for you.

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How to apply

There is an online application process for this course. Please choose the application form for your preferred start date and mode of study (i.e. full-time or part-time).

International admissions

Please see our international admissions advice for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

Related Courses

Education (Innovation In Learning and Teaching) - MA Learn more
Education (Wales) - MA Learn more
Working for Children and Young People (Youth Work Initial Qualifying) - MA Learn more

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