Study SEMH at Masters Level – ONLINE

SEBDA’s Postgraduate Diploma in Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties

Develop your understanding and practical skills when working with children and young people with social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH)

The PG Dip in SEMH difficulties is an online course delivered by SEBDA in partnership with Oxford Brookes University

The Diploma’s tutor team includes authors, psychologists, behaviour support team professionals and SEN advisers – all of whom are experienced in supporting children and young people with mental health needs.

The Diploma is a two-year part-time course that is entirely online and has been designed for potential students who are also working fulltime in schools, support teams, care settings or hospitals.

The Diploma aims to enhance your understanding, skills and expertise in relation to children and young people with social, emotional and mental health difficulties and there will be opportunities to critically reflect a range of practical, theoretical and research issues relating to SEMH. At every turn, you will relate SEMH theory to your own professional context and consider the impact on your own practice. For this reason, it is important that you are working with children and/or young people in a professional setting during the course of the Diploma.

The online learning undertaken throughout the Diploma is designed to be challenging, interactive and focused on the practicalities of effective support for children and young people with SEMH needs.

Each Module includes structured study tasks, extended reading, asynchronous Discussion Forum tasks and a series of Reflective Journal tasks that are shared with your experienced Tutor. Round the clock access to the electronic resources of the University library promises a rich seam of new knowledge and dynamic professional growth.

Online study days in September and March allow you to meet virtually with your peers and engage with live presentations and tutorials with the SEBDA team. Group and individual tutorials are also a regular feature of the academic year.

Professional testimonies:

Qudus Popoola, M.A. Education (SEND). Senior Assistant Headteacher, Beckmead College, Croydon UK.

‘I found the two-year PG Diploma in SEMH Difficulties extremely helpful for my work leading staff and students in an Alternative Provision setting. After the Diploma, I completed a Dissertation project at Brookes in my third year, and I now hold the M.A. Education (SEND) degree’.

Katharina Schaal, M.A. Education (SEND). SEN Teacher, Germany.

‘The tutor team are all SEMH specialists and they will guide you through your studies with skill and expertise. Everything you learn on the Diploma will challenge you to reflect carefully on your own practice and do your best for the children and young people that you work with’.

Jude Ussy – Support Assistant, Cornwall

‘The Postgraduate Diploma in SEMH difficulties has changed my life for the better. The course has given me a huge amount of confidence in my practice. Before doing the course, I used to second guess my actions however I now feel that I trust my instincts more. I have definitely become more empathetic in my practice. The overarching theme to every assignment I did on the PG Diploma was the importance of making a connection with CYP so this is now always at the forefront my practice.

The major strength of the course was the tutors – their experience, areas of interest, advice and warm humour made it an incredibly enriching experience. The social side of communicating with peers via the Online Forums was also extremely beneficial to my practice and understanding. I cannot recommend this course enough.’

Christine Jenkins, Hospital Teacher, Bucks

‘I am so glad I found the SEBDA PGDip SEMH difficulties. It has allowed me to do my job as a hospital teacher with greater understanding and work with families with greater empathy.

For me, the main strengths of the course were the content being highly relevant to my role, the 2- weekly units keeping me on track, and the forums to discuss with colleagues. It really felt like a connected, supportive and collegiate experience, despite being a distance learning course. The access to the library was also a really valuable feature and I enjoyed the study days too. It has been the best CPD I have ever undertaken as a teacher.

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.

For more information regarding the course content, fees and the Application process, please visit:

PGDip in Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties at Oxford Brookes University

For an informal online discussion regarding the course and its relevance for you and your setting, please email Programme Manager Dr David Colley: dcolley@brookes.ac.uk