Please note the course details apply to 2025 entry. Details for 2026 entry for our postgraduate courses will be published from mid-October 2025.
Affective Disorders MSc
Key information
Study mode:
Full time
Duration:
One year full-time, September to September
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent):
UK 180/ECTS 90
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2025
Scholarships available, see Fees & Funding section for more information. “We are proud to have been awarded an IoPPN Excellence Award in 2023/2024 for student satisfaction based on the Postgraduate Taught Education Survey (PTES)”. Our Affective Disorders course has been created for a broad spectrum of students and mental health professionals who are interested in specialist training from world-class experts. You will study all aspects of affective disorders, ranging from their characterisation and assessment to the challenges in treating these conditions. Our course is designed to be interdisciplinary and its focus is on both biological and psychological aspects. It is therefore suitable for students who seek to broaden their knowledge beyond professional boundaries, such as medicine, psychology or neuroscience.
Key benefits
- Specialist careers for those interested in studying or researching affective disorders.
- Valuable insight from internationally leading clinicians and scientists specialising in affective disorders.
- An optional clinical observership in a key mental health service that treats patients with affective disorders.
- High levels of student experience - The MSc achieved 100% overall satisfaction in the 2023/4 postgraduate taught experience student survey.
Affective disorders are also known as mood disorders and the main types include depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders. Affective disorders are leading contributors to the global burden of disease and specialist training in this area is currently sparse. The purpose of our course is to meet the growing need for a graduate training course that focuses exclusively on affective disorders. Our Affective Disorders course is accessible to a wide audience, but is of particular interest to psychiatrists, GPs, psychologists, neuroscientists, biomedicine, related medical professionals and pharmaceutical scientists. It is particularly suitable for health professionals who wish to refocus their career and specialise in affective disorders. It is equally suitable for health professionals who already work in a relevant field and wish to gain recognition for their expertise. It is very well suited for psychology graduates who wish to pursue clinical psychology training, or graduates from any related discipline who consider pursuing a research PhD in affective disorders. This course adopts a multidisciplinary approach by capitalising on the most recent findings from a range of clinical and non-clinical disciplines, such as psychiatry, psychology, genetics, neuroscience, epidemiology and biostatistics. Upon completion, you will be able to integrate knowledge from different disciplines and relate it to the behaviours and symptoms present in affective disorders. You will be trained in the key scientific and methodological aspects of affective disorders, their care and related research. You will also gain transferable skills through a variety of tutorials and exercises. You will benefit from the teaching of world-renowned experts in the field, conduct a research project and have the option of a clinical observership across the full range of affective disorders services within the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. You will be taught by The Centre for Affective Disorders, within the IoPPN, which represents a centre of excellence for understanding the science related to mood and anxiety disorders and using this knowledge to develop new treatments, including both psychological and pharmacological treatments. The clinical observership will enable you to observe various presentations, treatments and outcomes first-hand. We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face-to-face teaching will be complemented and supported with elements of digital learning.
Base campus
Denmark Hill Campus
Home to the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
Regulating bodies
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
UK applicants
Standard requirements
A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Programme-Specific Requirements
A minimum 2:1 degree classification will be required in Psychology, Nursing, Pharmacy, professions allied to medicine (e.g. Radiography), or a scientific degree such as Biomedical Science, or Neuroscience. Medical degrees can also be considered.
In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree, if you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
International applicants
Equivalent International qualifications
English language requirements
English language band:
B
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Selection process
Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.
All applicants are welcome to visit the department by arrangement.
After review of the initial application, the admissions tutor may invite selected candidates to interview. It will be possible for overseas applicants to make arrangements to be interviewed via Skype or phone.
Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
| Personal Statement | Yes |
A personal statement is required, answering the two questions detailed on the application form:
|
|---|---|---|
| Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
| References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. |
| Other | Optional | You may also wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of your application |
Teaching methods - what to expect
Lectures
Seminars
Tutorials
Teaching on this course takes place in lectures, seminars and tutorials and through practical workshops. The rest of your time will be spent on self-study, including reading, research and writing assignments, as well as work on your research dissertation under supervision of your thesis supervisor.
|
Module name |
Lectures (hours) |
Seminars/ tutorials (hours) |
Field/lab/ studio/ supervised learning (hours) |
Self-directed study (hours) |
Total (hours) |
|
Causes & Correlates of Affective Disorders |
30 |
15 |
15 |
240 |
300 |
|
Challenges in Treating Affective Disorders |
30 |
15 |
15 |
240 |
300 |
|
Research Methods & Statistics for Studying Affective Disorders |
29.5 |
|
17.5 |
253 |
300 |
|
Understanding Affective Disorders |
30 |
15 |
15 |
240 |
300 |
|
Research Project on Affective Disorders |
- |
- |
- |
600 |
600 |
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Location
Our course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Denmark Hill Campus. The location of optional clinical observerships is variable but may include:
- The Maudsley Hospital
- The MAP CAP Treatment Service in Lewisham
- Lambeth Hospital
- The Assessment, Liaison and Treatment Service in Southwark and Croydon
- King’s College Hospital
Assessment
- Written examinations
- Course Work
The primary methods of assessment for this course are written examinations and coursework. The study time and assessment methods typically give an indication of what to expect. However, these may vary depending upon the modules.
Regulating body
King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Structure
Courses are divided into modules. Over the course of your study you will take modules totaling to 180 credits.
Required modules
Courses are divided into modules. Over the course of your study you will take modules totaling to 180 credits. Students on this course are required to take:
Understanding Affective Disorders (30 credits)
Causes and Correlates of Affective Disorders (30 credits)
Challenges in Treating Affective Disorders (30 credits)
Research Methods & Statistics for Studying Affective Disorders (30 credits)
Research Project on Affective Disorders (60 credits)
Optional modules
There are no optional modules for this course.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Employability
Upon completion, you will have a solid understanding of the concepts, theories and practice relevant to affective disorders. You may go on to enhanced careers in mental health as clinicians and/or policy makers, conduct further full-time study in an academic research environment (e.g. PhD) or in taught clinical courses (e.g. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, if you have completed a BPS accredited undergraduate course before and have enough clinically relevant experience), gain employment in an academic, clinical or pharmaceutical organisation. You may also enter scientific publishing.
Tuition Fees
UK:
Full time: £16,950 per year (2025/26)
International:
Full time: £40,000 per year (2025/26)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
Deposit
If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.
The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.
- If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
- If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.
If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
IOPPN Postgraduate Taught Scholarships
Scholarships of £5000 are available for this programme for 2025/26 entry, to support students with the financial commitments of postgraduate study. the scholarships are available for all full-time Home and International fee status students, with a deadline to apply of Friday 21 February 2025 click here to find out more.
Additional Costs
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
- Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
- Library fees and fines.
- Personal photocopies.
- Stationery.
- Travel and accommodation for teaching weekends and exams if taken in London or overseas
- Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses
- Graduation costs.
Funding
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
Affective disorders are also known as mood disorders and the main types include depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders. Affective disorders are leading contributors to the global burden of disease and specialist training in this area is currently sparse. The purpose of our course is to meet the growing need for a graduate training course that focuses exclusively on affective disorders. Our Affective Disorders course is accessible to a wide audience, but is of particular interest to psychiatrists, GPs, psychologists, neuroscientists, biomedicine, related medical professionals and pharmaceutical scientists. It is particularly suitable for health professionals who wish to refocus their career and specialise in affective disorders. It is equally suitable for health professionals who already work in a relevant field and wish to gain recognition for their expertise. It is very well suited for psychology graduates who wish to pursue clinical psychology training, or graduates from any related discipline who consider pursuing a research PhD in affective disorders. This course adopts a multidisciplinary approach by capitalising on the most recent findings from a range of clinical and non-clinical disciplines, such as psychiatry, psychology, genetics, neuroscience, epidemiology and biostatistics. Upon completion, you will be able to integrate knowledge from different disciplines and relate it to the behaviours and symptoms present in affective disorders. You will be trained in the key scientific and methodological aspects of affective disorders, their care and related research. You will also gain transferable skills through a variety of tutorials and exercises. You will benefit from the teaching of world-renowned experts in the field, conduct a research project and have the option of a clinical observership across the full range of affective disorders services within the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. You will be taught by The Centre for Affective Disorders, within the IoPPN, which represents a centre of excellence for understanding the science related to mood and anxiety disorders and using this knowledge to develop new treatments, including both psychological and pharmacological treatments. The clinical observership will enable you to observe various presentations, treatments and outcomes first-hand. We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face-to-face teaching will be complemented and supported with elements of digital learning.
Base campus
Denmark Hill Campus
Home to the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
Regulating bodies
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
UK applicants
Standard requirements
A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Programme-Specific Requirements
A minimum 2:1 degree classification will be required in Psychology, Nursing, Pharmacy, professions allied to medicine (e.g. Radiography), or a scientific degree such as Biomedical Science, or Neuroscience. Medical degrees can also be considered.
In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree, if you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
International applicants
Equivalent International qualifications
English language requirements
English language band:
B
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Selection process
Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.
All applicants are welcome to visit the department by arrangement.
After review of the initial application, the admissions tutor may invite selected candidates to interview. It will be possible for overseas applicants to make arrangements to be interviewed via Skype or phone.
Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
| Personal Statement | Yes |
A personal statement is required, answering the two questions detailed on the application form:
|
|---|---|---|
| Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
| References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. |
| Other | Optional | You may also wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of your application |
Teaching methods - what to expect
Lectures
Seminars
Tutorials
Teaching on this course takes place in lectures, seminars and tutorials and through practical workshops. The rest of your time will be spent on self-study, including reading, research and writing assignments, as well as work on your research dissertation under supervision of your thesis supervisor.
|
Module name |
Lectures (hours) |
Seminars/ tutorials (hours) |
Field/lab/ studio/ supervised learning (hours) |
Self-directed study (hours) |
Total (hours) |
|
Causes & Correlates of Affective Disorders |
30 |
15 |
15 |
240 |
300 |
|
Challenges in Treating Affective Disorders |
30 |
15 |
15 |
240 |
300 |
|
Research Methods & Statistics for Studying Affective Disorders |
29.5 |
|
17.5 |
253 |
300 |
|
Understanding Affective Disorders |
30 |
15 |
15 |
240 |
300 |
|
Research Project on Affective Disorders |
- |
- |
- |
600 |
600 |
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Location
Our course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Denmark Hill Campus. The location of optional clinical observerships is variable but may include:
- The Maudsley Hospital
- The MAP CAP Treatment Service in Lewisham
- Lambeth Hospital
- The Assessment, Liaison and Treatment Service in Southwark and Croydon
- King’s College Hospital
Assessment
- Written examinations
- Course Work
The primary methods of assessment for this course are written examinations and coursework. The study time and assessment methods typically give an indication of what to expect. However, these may vary depending upon the modules.
Regulating body
King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Structure
Courses are divided into modules. Over the course of your study you will take modules totaling to 180 credits.
Required modules
Courses are divided into modules. Over the course of your study you will take modules totaling to 180 credits. Students on this course are required to take:
Understanding Affective Disorders (30 credits)
Causes and Correlates of Affective Disorders (30 credits)
Challenges in Treating Affective Disorders (30 credits)
Research Methods & Statistics for Studying Affective Disorders (30 credits)
Research Project on Affective Disorders (60 credits)
Optional modules
There are no optional modules for this course.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Employability
Upon completion, you will have a solid understanding of the concepts, theories and practice relevant to affective disorders. You may go on to enhanced careers in mental health as clinicians and/or policy makers, conduct further full-time study in an academic research environment (e.g. PhD) or in taught clinical courses (e.g. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, if you have completed a BPS accredited undergraduate course before and have enough clinically relevant experience), gain employment in an academic, clinical or pharmaceutical organisation. You may also enter scientific publishing.
Tuition Fees
UK:
Full time: £16,950 per year (2025/26)
International:
Full time: £40,000 per year (2025/26)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
Deposit
If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.
The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.
- If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
- If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.
If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
IOPPN Postgraduate Taught Scholarships
Scholarships of £5000 are available for this programme for 2025/26 entry, to support students with the financial commitments of postgraduate study. the scholarships are available for all full-time Home and International fee status students, with a deadline to apply of Friday 21 February 2025 click here to find out more.
Additional Costs
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
- Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
- Library fees and fines.
- Personal photocopies.
- Stationery.
- Travel and accommodation for teaching weekends and exams if taken in London or overseas
- Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses
- Graduation costs.
Funding
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
Application closing date guidance
We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed and we may need to request further information from you during the application process.
The final application deadlines for this programme are:
· Overseas (international) fee status: 25 July 2025 (23:59 UK time)
· Home fee status: 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)
If the programme becomes full before the final application deadlines stated above, we will close the programme to further applications. Please note, you will not be eligible for an application fee refund if we are unable to process further offers because places are filled and we close the course before the final application deadline.
Key information
Study mode:
Full time
Duration:
One year full-time, September to September
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent):
UK 180/ECTS 90
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2025
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