Course details

Study options

Full-time: 2 years

UK fee

£13,500 for the full course (2024/25)

International fee

£14,900 for the full course (2024/25)

Start date

September

Location

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

Professionally accredited course

This course is accredited by the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK (ADMP UK) which can allow an opportunity for routes to UKCP accreditation. This way you can be confident that you will be learning the most up to date thinking on Dance Movement Psychotherapy. On successful completion, you will be eligible to register as a Dance Movement Psychotherapist within ADMP UK.

How Kelly is improving children's mental health

Kelly jumped at the opportunity to work for the charity Place2Be after graduating from her MA Dance Movement Psychotherapy course. See how she is using the skills she gained to improve children's mental health.

Read Kelly's storyRead Kelly's story

Build your experience

This course will encourage you to build on your knowledge, experience and creative expression whilst developing new skills within the field of clinical Dance Movement Psychotherapy. You will be guided by the principles that underlie humanistic and integrative psychotherapy while creatively exploring self-expression through body, movement and dance.

Lectures will incorporate presentations, reflexive discussion and experiential aspects. You will consider the relationship between theory and practice, becoming familiar with the most up to date research and applying learned theories and methods within your clinical placement. You will be supported through weekly tutorials and supervision sessions; these will assist you in developing your ideas and considering critical perspectives when reflecting on your work. Assessments will vary to encourage your creativity and reflective process; these include presentations, video production, facilitation and written critiques.

As well as the taught modular components, you will engage in personal therapy throughout the course. This can be individual therapy or within a group setting. 80 hours of personal therapy, at an additional cost to your course fees, is a requirement for professional registration as a Dance Movement Psychotherapist. We feel confident that you will appreciate the personal and professional benefits of this therapy as a means of support and understanding of the psychotherapeutic process. 

We welcome guest speakers and offer perspectives on international, national and global approaches. There is the possibility to develop projects and relationships with employers when you are on clinical placements and develop local and global networks. It is also possible to present your ideas at conferences as well as develop your research ideas.

Understand theory and practice

It’s important to understand the roots of Dance Movement Psychotherapy, from the early pioneers through to the current perspective. You’ll cover concepts such as the theory and practice of Dance Movement Psychotherapy and the importance of improvisation, creativity, and play.

You’ll use and reflect on psychotherapeutic theory, while considering the implications for placement and practice.

The somatic understanding in psychotherapeutic practice is an essential foundation of Dance and Movement Psychotherapy. You’ll also explore anatomy and physiology, which are essential to your understanding of movement and its relevance for psychotherapy through experiential mediums in arts- based practice and in particular dance.

We have excellent facilities, including a dance studio and enjoy cooperation and commonality with the other Arts Therapies.

We’re proud to say that our courses are closely mapped against the health and social care sector and for work in schools. This ensures that our curriculum and practice is up-to-date, providing you with the assurance that your learning is current and relevant. This does mean that we do have to respond to national changes such as government policy. As a result, some of the information about our courses may change. Please check the website for the latest information.

Aishwarya Deshpande stands with her palms closed and her arms in a triangle shape above her head with her eyes closed

Move for Wellbeing

After graduating from the University of Derby with a Masters Degree in Dance Movement Psychotherapy, Aishwarya Deshpande established Move for Wellbeing with the help of our business support services.

Read Aishwarya's storyRead Aishwarya's story
Multi-Faith Centre, Kedleston Road

Postgraduate Open Event

Join us at an upcoming Postgraduate Open Event, where you will get the opportunity to meet our expert academics and find out more about your course.

Book your Postgraduate Open EventBook your Postgraduate Open Event

What you will study

You’ll study modules such as:

  • Psyche-Soma: The Body Mind Relationship (20 credits)
  • Movement Observation and Analysis: Studio (20 credits)
  • Clinical Placement and Supervision (20 credits)
  • Experiential Group Skills (20 credits)
  • Dance Movement Psychotherapy: Research, Theory and Skills (20 credits)
  • Clinical Supervision and Advanced Practice (20 credits)
  • Arts Therapies Independent Scholarship: A Body of Work (60 credits)

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

How you will learn

You'll meet Dr Jill Bunce from our teaching team. Jill develops community projects for placement, interacts with placement managers and develops the skills of other professionals. Jill is responsible for the teaching methods and delivery of this course and the design of the course to professional standards of ADMP (the Association of Dance Movement Psychotherapists). Jill specialises in the body and mind relationship in Parkinson's Disease; body image; cultural diverse practice; dance performance and educational psychotherapy.

How you're assessed

You will receive clear guidelines upon the nature of assessment for each module at its commencement. Modules are assessed through the submission of verbal presentations, written work and other art forms including videos, written and spoken language and group facilitation; aimed at demonstrating that you have met the learning outcomes pertinent to the module.

The clinical placements are assessed through the submission of reports completed by the Clinical Placement Manager and the use of Supervision with your University Supervisor. These and your clinical work are then discussed between you and your University Supervisor. You will also need to write a case study which will show how you have approached your work on placement. You will be required to explore and administer the ethical context of writing this case study. 

Who will teach you

Rachael-Louise Stonard
Programme leader

Rachae-Louise Stonard is Lecturer in Therapeutic Arts and Programme Lead for the MA Dance Movement Psychotherapy. 

View full staff profileView full staff profile

Entry requirements

You'll need a relevant undergraduate degree and at least two years’ experience of dance and movement and have worked with a vulnerable population(s) for 200 hours.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is required at the point of accepting a place at the University. The Disclosure and Barring Service was established when the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding

Authority (ISA) merged in 2012 and will now provide the criminal records checking service for this programme.

If English is not your first language, you will need to hold IELTS of at least 7.0 with 6.5 in each skills area or equivalent

Interview information

Admissions information 

Please note that this course operates a pooled admissions approach which had a final application deadline of 12 August. We may look to open another pool for our September 2024 intake, however, this cannot be guaranteed. 

Your portfolio

Following application submission, applicants will be asked to submit an online portfolio. Applicants who are invited to submit a portfolio will have two weeks to do so and will receive guidance information related to the completion of the portfolio.

The portfolio element of your application must be submitted in order for you to be shortlisted for interview.

Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete a satisfactory virtual interview. Non-attendance may result in your application being withdrawn.

Fees and funding

2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)

TypeFull-timePart-time
UK

£13,500 for the full course

N/A

International

£14,900 for the full course

N/A

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

Additional costs and optional extras

About postgraduate awards

Please note at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.

AwardCredits
Postgraduate Certificate60 Credits
Postgraduate Diploma120 Credits
MA or MSc180 Credits

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

Students chatting to each other

International student scholarships

We have a range of scholarships and discounts available to international students which can be used together to offer a reduction in your tuition fees.

Find out if you're eligible for an international scholarship Find out if you're eligible for an international scholarship

How to apply

Please look at our application deadlines before you apply.


We are not currently accepting applications for this course, please check back for further updates. 

Careers

You will become a fully registered Dance Movement Psychotherapist with the Association of Dance Movement Psychotherapy (ADMP UK). This requires completion of the expected training hours and fulfilling all the hours of personal therapy. 

You can develop practice in health, education and in the community and later supervise, lecture and research in the field of Dance Movement Psychotherapy. 

You will gain an MA, which will enable you to become familiar with critical reflection and research ideas.

Our graduates

"This course has absolutely changed my life, not just through doing the training, but also through looking towards getting work after I leave. That's something the tutors really do focus on."

"As an Indian student, at first I found the transition to higher education in the UK difficult. In India I never felt I had room to explore and found the system really rigid. The freedom on this course allowed for so much more than study. It allowed for intense personal development and I found it truly life-changing. I've now gone on to study for my doctorate and hope to teach in the UK in the future."

Graduates, MA Dance Movement Psychotherapy

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Contact us Contact us

Additional information about your studies

Download programme specification

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.