MPhil, PhD Counselling
ApplyResearch opportunities
Our MPhil/PhD in Counselling is an opportunity for practising counsellors/psychotherapists to develop their research knowledge and skills by conducting a substantial practice-based research study related to the process or outcome of counselling. We specialise in person-centred-experiential therapy and have our own research clinic that offers the opportunity to access our substantial data archive or to conduct new data collection.
You can study an MPhil in Counselling with us over one year, or a PhD over three years, with the option of studying on a part-time basis.
Research areas
- developing the theory underpinning person-centred-experiential therapy through empirical research
- investigating counselling outcome according to a range of variables and through a variety of methods
- exploring counselling process through a variety of methods, including systematic case studies
- measure development (e.g. Strathclyde Inventory, Therapeutic Relationship Scale)
The Place of Useful Learning
UK University of the Year
Daily Mail University of the Year Awards 2026
Scottish University of the Year
The Sunday Times' Good University Guide 2026
Strathclyde Counselling & Psychotherapy Research Clinic
The Counselling Unit at the University of Strathclyde has its own research clinic, the Strathclyde Counselling & Psychotherapy Research Clinic.
Established by Professor Robert Elliott in 2007, the research clinic is open to members of the local community who are willing to take part in research activities alongside their counselling process.
Our counsellors and researchers are usually students currently registered on our MSc in Counselling & Psychotherapy. We collect quantitative and qualitative data:
- from clients at intake
- during therapy
- at the end of therapy and at follow-up
- from therapists during the therapy process
Clients and therapists give consent as to how their data may be used in future research studies. Our data archive is substantial and includes audio recordings of therapy sessions and research interviews. The research clinic operates within a generic framework of ethical approval provided by the University Ethics Committee (UEC). Time-limited studies approved by the UEC can be embedded within our established protocol.
Fees & funding
All fees quoted are per academic year unless otherwise stated.
Entrants may be subject to a small fee during the writing up period.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually.
The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year. This cap will apply to fees from 2026/27 onwards, which will not increase by more than 10% from the previous year for continuing students.
| Scotland | £4,786 |
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland | £4,786 |
| Republic of Ireland |
If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process. |
| International | £18,050 |
| International students | International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information. |
Fees & funding
All fees quoted are per academic year unless otherwise stated.
Entrants may be subject to a small fee during the writing up period.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually.
The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year. This cap will apply to fees from 2026/27 onwards, which will not increase by more than 10% from the previous year for continuing students.
| Scotland | £5,006 |
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland | £5,006 |
| Republic of Ireland |
If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process. |
| International | £19,850 |
| International students | International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information. |
Supervisors
| Name | Areas of expertise |
|---|---|
| Susan Stephen |
|
Support & development
The Graduate School
The Graduate School is a friendly and supportive study environment for research students studying subjects within Humanities & Social Sciences.
Our staff will support you through your studies and you'll become part of a community of students who get involved with our workshops, seminars and competitions.
Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional Development (PgCert RPD)
Our PgCert RPD programme aims to ensure you get the most out of your current research activities at Strathclyde and helps you prepare for your future career as a researcher.
We'll help you recognise and develop your transferrable skills that'll have a positive impact on your research, now and in the future.
Careers
The University Careers Service can help you with everything from writing your CV to interview preparation. Take a look at our careers service pages to get more information.
Student support
From financial advice to our IT facilities, we have a wide range of support for all students here at Strathclyde. Get all the information you need at Strathlife.
International students
We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 140 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.
Postgraduate research at the Strathclyde Doctoral School
The Strathclyde Doctoral School offers a vibrant, student-centred research and training environment, dedicated to supporting both current and future research talent.
Bringing together all four of our faculties, it is committed to enhancing the student experience, increasing research outputs and opportunities, and ensuring that training is delivered at the highest standard.
As a postgraduate researcher, you will automatically become a member of the Strathclyde Doctoral School.
Apply
Entry requirements
Our MPhil and PhD students are usually practising counsellors or psychotherapists who have completed professional training at postgraduate level (PgDip or MSc) and hold a first-class or upper second-class UK Honours degree, or overseas equivalent.
If English isn't your first language, you'll also need to have a recent UKVI recognised Secure English Language Test (SELT) qualification.
The application
During the application you'll be asked for the following:
- your full contact details
- transcripts and certificates of all degrees
- proof of English language proficiency if English isn't your first language
- two references, one of which must be academic
- funding or scholarship information
- research proposal of 1500 to 2000 words in length, detailing the subject area and topic to be investigated
By filling these details out as fully as possible, you'll avoid any delay to your application being processed by the University.
Supervisors
You'll need to identify your research supervisor before you finalise your application, preferably as early as possible. When you've identified a potential supervisor, based on how well your research interests match theirs, drop them an email to introduce yourself. In the email, make sure you attach a draft of your research proposal along with a copy of your CV for the supervisor to look at. Don't worry about how rough your research proposal may be at this stage – you'll have help from the School of Psychological Sciences and Health to refine it.
If your chosen supervisor is available to work with you, they'll confirm this and nominate a potential second supervisor. As soon as a second supervisor is confirmed, an offer of study will be sent to you through Pegasus; our online application system.
When you accept our offer, you'll receive a full offer in writing via the email address you provide.
Accepting an offer
When you've accepted our offer, we'll need you to fulfil any academic, administrative or financial conditions that we ask.
UK or EU students
If you're applying as a UK or EU student, you'll then be issued with your registration documentation.
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