Accreditation of Prior Learning

It is also possible for those who join the training at The Berne Institute from another training programme to register for the MSc programme. In order to gain an MSc a student has to accrue 180 credits. When people join The Berne Institute with previous TA training, an assessment has to be made as to how many credits can be awarded for the learning that they have achieved, through the process of Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). The student can then make up the total number of 180 credits in the rest of their training programme at The Berne Institute.

If this is the route you wish to take to the award of an MSc, you need to apply for APL for the training that you have already done. 

In order to do this you must:

a. Provide a transcript based on the Core Disciplines of The Berne Institute’s curriculum, identifying in detail what subjects you have covered; when; if with written work; for how long; and with which trainers, etc. (a curriculum list will be provided for you to work from). Having drawn up this transcript document, both you and your previous trainer(s) from the original institute, must sign it.

b. Provide evidence of your written work, e.g. essays and any other written materials, with marks and comments if you received these.

c. Attend an APL assessment interview, with the APL Supervisor or another assessor nominated by him, at which you will discuss your APL application document and written work. This interview may take place in person, by telephone, by email or online.

The focus in this assessment will be on learning outcomes, i.e. on what you know and are able to do, and on the evidence that this is the case.

On the basis of this information and interview, the APL Supervisor will then recommend the award to you of a certain number of credits by APL for the MSc. This recommendation will then go to an Assessment Board consisting of the Programme Leader(s), the Academic Registrar, the External Examiner and a representative from Middlesex University. The Assessment Board will then award credits to candidates as it sees fit, and the candidate may then go on to join the MSc programme at the appropriate point.

If you are qualified as a Certified Transactional Analyst you can have your CTA qualification taken into account for the award of the degree of Master of Science in Transactional Analysis, in the APL programme conducted by The Berne Institute and validated by Middlesex University. This programme is quality assured by Middlesex and you will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion. You are eligible for entry to the programme whether you studied for your CTA at The Berne Institute or undertook your training with any other transactional analysis trainers—accredited by EATA or ITAA—anywhere in the world.

APL applicants who hold the CTA will automatically be granted 120 credits at academic Level 7, towards the total of 180 credits required for the award of the Masters’ degree. The remaining 60 credits then have to be earned during a programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

The CPD options have been made as flexible as possible. All candidates have to attend at least one Professional Excellence Workshop (PEW) and present a paper there, of a standard suitable for publication in a professional journal.  Professional Excellence Workshops run for three days and are held twice per year at The Berne Institute. You will then have a choice of two other options:

- attend a second PEW and present a paper, again of a standard suitable for publication; or

- submit a long essay of 5,000 words on an aspect of TA theory or practice, as agreed with programme tutors.

Academic supervision of the process of preparing your presentation, the article(s) and other written work is an essential part of the programme. Whatever other arrangements you make for this, you will be expected to have supervision with an Academic Supervisor, approved by The Berne Institute, at least three times per year. If you live outside the UK, or in the UK but a long way from The Berne Institute, you may arrange to have some or all of your academic supervision by telephone, Skype, Zoom or email, by agreement with your Academic Supervisor.

Students who already have a Berne Institute Diploma, which has been passed at Level 7, can APL to the Postgraduate Diploma as long as they have satisfactorily completed four Modules (and therefore gained 120 credits), satisfied the client practice and supervision hours and paid the registration fee.

If a student achieves the Postgraduate Diploma and then wishes to convert the award to an MSc, the difference between the two fees will be payable, the CTA must be passed, and the student should remain in enrolment. In addition, the Diploma will be rescinded. The Diploma certificate must be handed back to the office and it will then be sent back to Middlesex University with the relevant paperwork. Students are not allowed to advertise that they have both awards.