IoP launches new MSc in Mindfulness research

The Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King’s College London has launched a new MSc in mindfulness, the only course in the UK to focus on mindfulness research. 

The new MSc Mindfulness: Neuroscience and Clinical Applications will begin teaching in September 2014. 

Academically, the course will explore the concept of mindfulness from a historical perspective – from its roots in Buddhist contemplative traditions to its recent adaptation into scientific, clinical and secular settings. Students will examine the neural, cognitive and emotional regulation mechanism of mindfulness, as well as recent developments in mindfulness-based interventions and applications in clinical populations. 

The MSc will start with an 8-week mindfulness training course, followed by ongoing support to help students establish their mindfulness practice for their personal benefit and well-being, and to help guide their research.

Dr Elena Antonova, Programme Leader for the new MSc at the IoP at King’s, says: “Unlike other post-graduate programmes in the UK that are primarily designed as mindfulness-teacher training courses, our MSc is unique in providing a platform for training in mindfulness research. In order to fully engage in this field of research, it’s essential that students gain experience in mindfulness practice which is why we begin the MSc with the training course.”

Professor Susan Lea, Vice-Dean for Education at the IoP at King’s: “Our new MSc draws on the Institute’s expertise in the field of mindfulness and will be taught by internationally recognised leaders in the field. Our aim is to forge a new generation of neuroscientists and clinical researchers to further our understanding of the efficacy and mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions.” 

The MSc will be of interest to graduates wishing to pursue research or clinical training in the field of mindfulness.  It will also be of interest to professionals who wish to explore the neural and psychological mechanisms of mindfulness practice, and integrate these into their existing professions, such as personal coaching, psychotherapy, physiotherapy, and others. 

For further information about the course, please visit the prospectus, or contact Sophie Lansdowne, Programme Administrator mscmindfulness@kcl.ac.uk / (+44) 020 7848 5795