The published course and module descriptions were accurate when first published and remain the basis of the course, but the University has had to modify some course and module content in response to government restrictions and social distancing requirements. In the event of changes made to the government advice and social distancing rules by national or local government, the University may need to make further alterations to the published course content. Detailed information on the changes will be sent to every student on confirmation in August to ensure you have all the information before you come to Oxford Brookes.
Education - Advanced Study in SEMH Difficulties
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Key facts
Start dates
September 2021 / September 2022
Location
Course length
Part time: 12 months
Department
Accreditation(s)
Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Association (SEBDA)
Overview
Our Postgraduate Certificate is offered in partnership with Social Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Association (SEBDA).
SEBDA is a national organisation with a history of promoting the emotional well-being of children and young people through the training of professionals who work with them.
This course is aimed at professionals who have already acquired a good working knowledge and understanding of social, emotional and mental health difficulties, either through their professional experience, or because they have completed the Understanding and Managing SEMH Difficulties (PG Cert) or the National SENCO Award.
Our teaching staff have practical experience in managing SEMH difficulties in a range of settings. You will gain insight and training in SEMH difficulties driven by evidence-based practice.
You have the option of an autumn residential and spring study day. These will help you to develop collaboration, networking and learning skills.
The Master's-level course is delivered online. You can choose to complete it via the flexible Distance Learning option.

How to apply
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
Students must hold a degree qualification at 2.2 or above and must be working in a relevant setting where they will be working with children and/or young people with SEMH difficulties as part of their practice.
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Application process
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year your fees will increase each year.
Financial support and scholarships
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course, if any, are detailed below.
Learning and assessment
We teach this course predominantly by distance learning. The online activities can generally be completed at a self-paced rate but there will be some opportunities for synchronous online engagement.
There are also two optional residential study days.

Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from that shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Research
The School of Education is a thriving centre for educational research and teacher professional development.
We hold two major research conferences each year - the School of Education Research Conference and the EdD Colloquium. All students are invited to attend our annual Research
Seminar Series (which attracts both internal and external speakers).
The School’s six research groups exist to encourage engagement in research, publication, conference presentations, seminars and workshops:
- Inclusion and Wellbeing
- Policy, Partnership and Leadership
- STEAM pedagogy and learning
- Humanistic Perspectives on Education
- Early Years
- Applied Linguistics
View all staff profiles for School of Education
SEBDA publishes the research journal ‘Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties’ on a quarterly basis. You have access via the Brookes library services. SEBDA is also engaged with national campaigns around social, emotional and mental health.
After you graduate
Career prospects
Working at Masters level in SEMH demonstrates a professional interest and commitment to this important aspect of SEND. This qualification can support career progression and professional knowledge.
Programme Changes: On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website.
For more information, please visit our Changes to programmes page.