PMSCMNSPET9-2024-5-O - L-Università ta' Malta

Course Title

Master of Science in Mental Health Studies

MQF Level

Duration and Credits

6 Semesters

90 ECTS

Mode of Study

Part-time Evening

Information for International applicants

Applicants must be in possession of:

Refer to the list of country-specific qualifications

Applicants shall be warranted professionals in possession of a valid registration/licence with the relevant professional council and a first cycle qualification or higher, awarded by this University or any other higher education institution recognized by Senate, obtained with at least Second Class (Honours) or equivalent, in any one of the following areas:

a Communication Therapy, Counselling, Education, Medicine, Midwifery, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Psychiatric Nursing, Psychology, Psychotherapy, Social Work and Youth Work or
any other area deemed suitable by the Board of Studies.

Applicants in possession of all the required academic qualifications for the acquisition of the respective warrant/license to practise (according to Maltese law) but who are still not in possession of the warrant/license to practice shall also be considered eligible,

provided that holders of temporary warrants who do not hold the full academic requirements required by the respective regulatory body to obtain a permanent warrant to practice will not be accepted.

All applicants shall submit with their application a Police Good Conduct Certificate issued by the Commissioner of Police in terms of the Conduct Certificates Ordinance.

During the first year of the Course, accepted applicants may be required to undergo an occupational health assessment so as to ascertain that they are fit for the duties related to their proposed studies. Students who do not fulfil this requirement may be barred from progressing with their studies. Failure to disclose information about a physical or mental health problem that could affect patient safety is considered to be a serious breach of the University Suitability to Practise Regulations.

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Applications for our February and October intakes have been officially open since the third week in November. You can submit your application online. The deadlines for submission of applications vary according to the intake and courses. We encourage all international applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible. This is especially important if you require a visa to travel and eventually stay in Malta.

You can compare your national qualifications to the local requirements by visiting our qualifications comparability webpage. Access more information about our admission process and English language requirements.

The University of Malta has student accommodation on campus called Campus Hub. Campus Hub is just a 2-minute walk from the main campus. For more information, visit the accommodation website.

Our dedicated team at the student recruitment office is here to support you every step of the way. From the moment you start your application to the moment when you receive your decision letter, we're here to assist you. If you have any questions or need further information, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can contact us at info@um.edu.mt, and our team will be more than happy to help.

After you receive an offer from us, our International Office will assist you with visas, accommodation and other related issues.

The Master of Science in Mental Health Studies is an interfaculty programme of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and Faculty for Social Wellbeing, at the University of Malta.

Where possible, the lectures for the Master of Science in Mental Health Studies will also be delivered through video conferencing in Gozo.

The main strength of this programme is its learning and multidisciplinary aspect. Whilst this renders it innovative, it is also a direct reflection of the need to odder synergistic, holistic and comprehensive services to individuals experiencing mental health difficulties. The course responds to local needs related to the areas of long-term Mental Health Recovery, Addictions, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health. It is congruent with the development of Mental Health Services in Malta and reflective of the current strategies that are being employed in order to improve service delivery. This course will instil you with a multidisciplinary and critically reflective mentality which can be directly translated into your practice.

The main strength of this programme is its learning and multidisciplinary aspect, both in relation to its co-ordination and in the target student body. Whilst this renders it innovative, it is also a direct reflection of the need of a mode of practice in the clinical field where a multidisciplinary approach is strongly advocated in order to offer synergistic, holistic and comprehensive services to individuals experiencing mental health difficulties. The course responds to local needs related to the areas of long term Mental Health Recovery, Addictions and Child and Adolescent Mental Health. It is congruent with the development of Mental Health Services in Malta and reflective of the current strategies that are being employed in order to improve service delivery. Furthermore, the target of this course is not simply to offer facts of knowledge but to instil you with a multidisciplinary and critically reflective mentality, which can then be directly translated into your practice. This is a crucial aspect of this postgraduate programme since potential students are ones who are already offering a service and therefore they are the ones who can bring about change and so they need to be actively involved in the programme proceedings. It is also important to note that this programme reflects one of the main principles and goals of the initiating Faculties which is that of collaborating with other entities in order to enable skill mix and multidisciplinary learning to take place whilst avoiding the unnecessary overlapping that may take place if each entity works in isolation.

The course involves theoretical sessions and observational ones (namely in areas related to General/Acute psychiatry, Child and Adolescent services, Rehabilitation/Community services and Addictions). During the observational sessions, you will not undertake any hands-on work but will observe the care being provided according to a set of pre-set objectives for each session.


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

HSC5111	Research Methods for Health Care Professionals	10 ECTS


Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

SWB5002	Interdisciplinary Approaches to Mental Well-Being	10 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

PSC5100	Professional Issues in Mental Health Care	10 ECTS

During their second year of study students are required to register for study-units from their chosen stream to cover a total of 30 ECTS credits in their registered year. (The Streams mentioned below will only be offered if a minimum of 3 students register for the same stream.)

Stream A: Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery
Stream B: Addictions
Stream C: Child and Adolescent Mental Health


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Stream A: Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery

MNH5012	Interdisciplinary Understanding and Approaches in Mental Health Care, Rehabilitation, Community Care and Recovery	10 ECTS

Stream B: Addictions

PSC5102	Therapeutic Interventions in Addictions	10 ECTS

Stream C: Child and Adolescent Mental Health

SWB5005	Systemic Approaches to Understanding Mental Wellbeing of Children	10 ECTS


Semester 1

Stream A: Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery

SWB5003	Recovery and Rehabilitation in the Context of Community Care for Individuals with Complex Mental Health Needs	10 ECTS

Stream B: Addictions

MNH5013	Theories of Addiction	10 ECTS

Stream C: Child and Adolescent Mental Health

PSC5103	Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conditions	10 ECTS


Semester 2

Stream A: Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery

PSC5101	Clinical Syndromes, Assessment and Management of Persons with Mental Health Needs in Rehabilitation and Community Care	10 ECTS

Stream B: Addictions

SWB5004	Social Policy and Social Contexts of Addiction	10 ECTS

Stream C: Child and Adolescent Mental Health

MNH5014	Psychological Development: Infancy - Adolescence	10 ECTS


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

IFC5000	Dissertation	30 ECTS

This programme of study is governed by the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2021 and by the Bye-Laws for the award of Master of Science in Mental Health Studies - M.Sc. - under the auspices of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty for Social Wellbeing and Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Demonstrate a wide and in-depth interdisciplinary understanding of the persons affected by mental health issues in the fields of Child and Adolescence, Addictions or Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery, depending on the chosen stream. This will focus on the issuesҠorigins and manifestations, treatment and therapy, impact and challenges on living and relating, and best ways to respond to these in order to enhance quality of life and human dignity.
Communicate and cooperate across disciplines in an effective manner resulting from mutual understanding and an appreciation of what is involved in interdisciplinary.
Apply such an understanding to professional and work practice by exercising engagement, assessment, intervention, good management, advocacy and/or support, in ways that are appropriate to your profession and role, both in relation to mental health in general and to the chosen study stream in particular.
Use the insight given by the experience of having conducted postgraduate research to improve the appropriateness and effectiveness of professional and work practice in the fields of Child and Adolescence, Addictions or Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery, depending on the chosen stream.

Demonstrate deepened and widened interdisciplinary understanding of the persons affected by mental health issues in the fields of Child and Adolescence, Addictions or Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery, depending on the chosen stream. This will focus on the issuesҠorigins and manifestations, treatment and therapy, impact and challenges on living and relating, and best ways to respond to these for better quality of life and greater human dignity.
Communicate and cooperate across disciplines in an effective manner resulting from mutual understanding, the experience of enhanced and guided cooperation and an appreciation of what is involved in interdisciplinarity.
Apply such an understanding in their professional and work practice and as active members of society, in exercising engagement, assessment, intervention, good management, advocacy and/or support, in ways that are appropriate for their profession and role, both in relation to mental health in general and to their chosen study stream in particular.
Use the insight given to them by the experience of having conducted postgraduate research to improve the appropriateness and effectiveness of their professional and work practice in the fields of Child and Adolescence, Addictions or Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery, depending on the chosen stream.

At the end of the Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Studies, participants should be able to:

Demonstrate deepened and widened interdisciplinary understanding of the persons affected by mental health issues in the fields of Child and Adolescence, Addictions or Community Care, Holistic and Long-Term Mental Health Recovery, depending on the chosen stream. This will focus on the issuesҠorigins and manifestations, treatment and therapy, impact and challenges on living and relating, and best ways to respond to these for better quality of life and greater human dignity.
Communicate and cooperate across disciplines in an effective manner resulting from mutual understanding, the experience of enhanced and guided cooperation and an appreciation of what is involved in interdisciplinarity.
Apply such an understanding in their professional and work practice and as active members of society, in exercising engagement, assessment, intervention, good management, advocacy and/or support, in ways that are appropriate for their profession and role, both in relation to mental health in general and to their chosen study stream in particular.

Non EU Applicants:

Total Tuition Fees: Eur 13,400
Yr 1: Eur 6,700 - Yr 2: Eur 6,700 - Yr 3: NIL

You are viewing the fees for non EU nationals. Switch to EU nationals if you are a national of any country from within the EU/EEA.

The career opportunities in the branches targeted in this programme are wide and varied. This course will provide you with sound knowledge that allows for critical, reflective and informed decisions in these areas of employment. Moreover, it will provide you with the necessary tools to function in a team that consists of different professionals from multiple disciplines who all need to be involved in care management.

If you would be interested in furthering your studies, you may opt to pursue a doctorate degree at the University of Malta or at a foreign institution abroad.

Every effort has been made to provide information that is current and accurate. However, as the content is being constantly updated, users are advised to verify the details contained in these web pages with the relevant University office or authority before making decisions based on the published information.