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Back to Homepage | Undergraduate | Graduate | Postgraduate | Erasmus Information
Applications for entry to the course in session 2013-14 are welcome from November 1st 2012. Application will close on May 31st 2013.
If you want to apply for session 2013-14 please download the application form and fee form and return with supporting documents either electronically to mindfulness@abdn.ac.uk or by post to the address on the application form.
Downloadable course information (pdf)
Mindfulness is an innate capacity of the mind to be aware of the present moment in a non-judgemental way. It promotes a way of being that helps us to take better care of ourselves and lead healthier lives. It also enables us to access inner resources for coping effectively with stress, difficulty and illness. This training in mindfulness is entirely secular and is available as a blended learning opportunity, combining e-learning and face to face teaching. Participants study part-time at a distance while staying in post in their own professional setting. An important part of the programme is that participants develop a daily mindfulness practice.
The programme seeks to meet the needs of experienced practitioners from a variety of settings who aim to enhance their practice and extend their professionalism.
It must be stressed that the Studies in Mindfulness programme is not only academic. Mindfulness cannot be taught as something academic; it is a dynamic experiential and very personal internal process. For this reason the programme team includes a number of experienced practitioners who are practising mindfulness. One of the central aims of the programme is that people can operationalise their meditation knowledge. Therefore the programme is not a course about mindfulness but into mindfulness, with subsequent analysis of the experiences it offers in personal and professional contexts.
The programme aims to offer therefore an integrated method which takes students experientially and academically through graduated stages of learning and personal development. The programme offers a blend of experiential modules combined with information- based input (drawn from a wide range of sources) which has the effect of enabling students to embark upon mindfulness training, discover what happens through direct experience , and then be able to understand and integrate their experience with the aid of relevant taught material and the help of tutors.
The course material has many unique features such as recognising the unsettled mind; learning to settle it with acceptance and without suppression; understanding the importance of attitude; undercurrent and observer; backtracking, and many others. The programme draws upon a large body of knowledge and research relevant to teaching mindfulness, compassion, and insight and wisdom.
The Studies in Mindfulness programme is available as a blended learning opportunity, combining e-learning and face to face teaching. Participants study part-time at a distance while staying in post in their own professional setting. Reliable internet access is essential. Furthermore, in each of the first three Mindfulness-based courses students are expected to attend 2 weekends at Samye Ling and a week long retreat on the Holy Island is part of the experience in each of the first 2 years of the programme.
The programme intends to impart understanding and specific skills with respect to mindfulness and compassion, while providing opportunities to explore how related ideas and techniques, reflexivity and research can enhance and extend practice in a number of professional settings.
The programme provides 3 exit points for students who may wish to complete a Postgraduate Certificate (year 1), Diploma (year 2) or Masters Degree (year 3)
Programme Structure
The programme is comprised of:
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
*SCQF refers to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework and Level 11 within this framework describes study at postgraduate taught masters level.
The programme is available in e-learning mode via WEB CT (the university’s online learning environment). Participants are encouraged to be active and reflective learners and great emphasis is placed on professional action in the workplace setting.
Formative assessment is a feature of all courses. Formative and summative assessments are designed to arise naturally in the workplace and from course work. Most assessment tasks focus on workplace applications and/or critical reflection on mindfulness and its application. Each course is assessed by a set assignment.
The Mindfulness, Compassion and Insight/Wisdom modules will each be taught over two weekend workshops at Samye Ling Tibetan Centre with a seven day retreat on Holy Isle at the end of Years One and Two. Each weekend workshop will begin at 7pm on the Friday and finish at 5pm on the Sunday (or final day). They will involve lectures and progressive mindfulness instructions with group practice sessions and feedback. In between weekend workshops there will be work assignments, involving personal practice, reading and listening to audio teachings on the university online forum.There will also be regularonline and telephone supervision between tutors and students clarifying any issues that may have arisen.
The weekend workshops at Samye Ling will immerse students in the practice of mindfulness, while the retreats at the end of each year will focus on imparting teaching skills and giving students experience of teaching mindfulness. There will be practice sessions in which people lead practices, inquire into the experience of those they have led and then receive feedback.
The professional enquiry module will be taught through a combination of e-learning and direct student/teacher contact. In the case of the dissertation, students will submit an outline proposal setting out the area they intend to research, or the work based project they wish to undertake,and they will then be assigned two tutors, one focusing on process and the other on content.
The cost of each year is £1600 (£800 per 30 credit module) and the total cost of the degree programme is £4800 (i). Board and lodging costs for the residential workshops and retreats are separate.
An undergraduate degree (Hons 2.2 or better) is a normal requirement, but applications will be considered from individuals with other professional qualifications and relevant experience. It is also required that applicants provide evidence of having regular access to a practice context that allows for the application and evaluation of mindfulness techniques in a professional setting.
E-mail: d.c.mcmurtry@abdn.ac.uk
E-mail: mindfulness@abdn.ac.uk
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(i) - Figures correct at the time of writing, but subject to change.
School of Education · University of Aberdeen · MacRobert Building ·
King's College · Aberdeen · AB24 5UA · UK
Telephone: (+44) 1224 274776 · Fax: (+44)1224 274900 · E-mail:
education@abdn.ac.uk
Page last modified: Wednesday, 12-Sep-2012 14:59:54 BST
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