Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
PGDip
Expected move to Headington Campus for the start of the 2025/26 academic year
Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026
Part time: 24 months
Location: Distance learning
Department(s): School of Education, Humanities and Languages
Overview
The PG Diploma in Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Difficulties is delivered by Oxford Brookes University in partnership with the mental health charity SEBDA.
This two year, part time online Diploma generates 120 masters level credits. You can exit the Diploma after one year with a Post Graduate Certificate in SEMH (60 credits) or go on to study a full masters degree.
Our team includes specialist teachers, authors, psychologists, behaviour support professionals and SEN advisers - all with expertise in supporting children and young people with mental health needs.
The Diploma will enhance your understanding, skills and expertise of children and young people with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. You will learn practical, theoretical and research issues relating to SEMH, which you will relate to your own professional context and practice.
Please note, it is important that you are working with children and/or young people in a professional setting when you undertake the Diploma.
Course details
Study modules
You will study one module per semester.
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Research
The School of Education, Humanities and Languages 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, Humanities and Languages
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.
Careers
By completing this course, you've demonstrated a professional interest and commitment to this important area of Social Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH). You’ve gained a qualification that builds your expertise and professional knowledge. It supports your career progression in the field of SEMH and it may also open up new opportunities for you to explore.
Below are graduate examples of career advancement in the field of SEMH needs:
- Support staff participating in strategic development groups
- Promotion of mainstream staff to SEMH roles within mainstream settings
- Mainstream staff securing posts in specialist provision
- Promotion of course graduates to headships of specialist provisions
- Graduates have secured roles in advisory services or gained promotion to advisory services.
Related courses
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
Students must normally 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.
Students who do not hold a 2.2 degree may be accepted on the course following an assessment of prior experiential learning.
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
Please see the University's standard 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.
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.
Credit transfer
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.
International qualifications and equivalences
How to apply
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.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Being a member of SEBDA will give you £100 cashback on your course fees.
Please note: you cannot get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan for a postgraduate certificate or diploma.
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 are detailed below.
Optional costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
---|---|
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
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.