PGCert Systemic Practice

Year 1

Learning outcomes

On completion of the programme students should have shown evidence of being able to:
- demonstrate in-depth specialist knowledge of techniques relevant to the discipline or to demonstrate an advanced understanding of concepts, information and techniques informed by knowledge across, or in aspects at, the forefront of the discipline;
- exhibit competence in the exercise of generic and subject-specific intellectual abilities;
- demonstrate an advanced understanding of techniques applicable to their own research, advanced scholarship or area of specific interest within the broader discipline;
- take a proactive and self-reflective role in working and to develop professional relationships with others;
- proactively formulate ideas and hypotheses and to evaluate these;
- evaluate current issues and research in the discipline.

At the end of the first year students should be able to demonstrate:
- a basic understanding of the systemic approach to family and other relationships;
- an ability to describe a range of systemic models and approaches and give examples of their application to practice;
- an ability to take a critical stance to ideas and their value;
- an ability to demonstrate a range of practice skills (e.g. through role play);
- an ability to describe and critique the concept of the family life cycle perspective and its application to different family forms;
- an ability to explore the implications of adherence to AFT's Code of Ethics and Practice for both individuals and organisations;
- an awareness of the impact of the wider social context especially in respect of race, class, religion, culture, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability;
- a commitment to anti-discriminatory practice;
- a familiarity with a range of key literature relating to systemic practice;
- a basic familiarity with some aspects of research in the field, which should include an appreciation of the need for client feedback and service evaluation;
- an ability to begin to consider their own personal family and cultural experiences from a systemic perspective;
- an ability to place the development of systemic therapy into a historical context;
- an ability to explore and give an account of their personal learning process over time.

Transferable (key) skills

Masters (Taught), Postgraduate Diploma & Postgraduate Certificate students will have had the opportunity to acquire the following abilities as defined in the modules specified for the programme:

- the skills necessary to undertake a higher research degree and/or for employment in a higher capacity in industry or area of professional practice;
- evaluating their own achievement and that of others;
- self direction and effective decision making in complex and unpredictable situations;
- independent learning and the ability to work in a way which ensures continuing professional development;
- critical engagement in the development of professional/disciplinary boundaries and norms.

Assessment

Achievement for the Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the programme and will involve the achievement of the students in:

- demonstrating the ability to apply breadth and/or depth of knowledge to a complex specialist area;
- drawing on a range of perspectives on an area of study;
- evaluating received opinion;
- making sound judgements whilst understanding the limitations on judgements made in the absence of complete data.