PMPSLOGY - MSc Psychology

The MSc Psychology provides a specialist psychology course which enables students to develop knowledge and skills in each of the core subject areas within the discipline, along with a range of transferable skills. It is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and aligned with the QAA (2019) benchmark statement for psychology (Level 7). Successful completion of the course provides graduates from non-psychology or non-accredited psychology degree programmes with eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the BPS, which is a pre-requisite for progression to accredited postgraduate training programmes leading to Chartered Psychologist status. Programme accreditation also provides eligibility for BPS student membership and access to career development information, resources, and events.

The teaching and learning strategy employed across the programme is designed to:
• stimulate students’ interest in all aspects of human behaviour and its causes.
• promote students’ self-management of the learning process with a view to future training, employment, and continuing professional development.
• encourage students to think of themselves as active and productive partners in a collaborative venture of learning.
• equip students with the ability to participate in ethical and inclusive practice across a range of contexts, including conducting ethical research in line with the principles of open science, ethical and inclusive conduct in the workplace, and social responsibility.
• provide opportunities for students to examine issues that resonate with their lived experiences from a psychological perspective.
• develop students’ confidence and ability to challenge established psychological knowledge and practices.
• equip students from diverse backgrounds with the skills and opportunities to transform their lives and make meaningful contributions to their communities.
• prepare students for accredited postgraduate training programmes and employment in different occupations and roles.

As well as access to the University-wide learning facilities, students on the MSc Psychology also have access to dedicated psychology laboratories and specialised equipment and software for conducting supervised research. Throughout the programme, students work collaboratively with tutors and the course team to help ensure that the curriculum meets their needs and career aims and are actively involved in decision-making processes of relevance to the course and the student experience.

The MSc Psychology is designed to equip graduates from non-psychology or non-accredited psychology degrees with a comprehensive and thorough understanding of the core subject areas in psychology (biological, cognitive, developmental, social, individual differences, and psychological research methods) and awareness of the historical and cultural context of psychological knowledge within each subject area. It allows students to develop a critical understanding of the empirical basis of psychological knowledge and to apply ethical and inclusive principles and practices across different areas of the discipline, including conducting ethical and inclusive research in line with the principles of open science, and ethical and inclusive conduct in the workplace. The teaching, learning and assessment strategy is designed to enable students to develop and demonstrate competence in all aspects of the curriculum and to develop and apply a range of transferable skills across different contexts, thus providing students with a firm foundation for progression to accredited postgraduate training or employment in a range of psychology related occupations.

The course thus aims to:
• provide students with a comprehensive and critical understanding of the core subject areas in psychology, including the historical and cultural specificity of psychological knowledge, and the confidence to challenge existing knowledge and practices.
• equip students with advanced knowledge and expertise in the design, analysis, evaluation, and presentation of empirical research in psychology using specialised technology and software as appropriate.
• introduce students to BPS codes of professional, ethical, and inclusive practice in psychology, including conducting ethical and inclusive research and ethical and inclusive conduct in the workplace, with an emphasis on open science.
• promote students’ self-management of the learning process with a view to future training,
employment, and continuing professional development.

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
1. demonstrate a comprehensive and critical understanding of psychology as an academic
discipline and awareness of how psychological knowledge can be applied in different contexts.
2. initiate and sustain arguments and solve problems using appropriate methods and techniques.
3. discuss and demonstrate awareness of the historical and cultural context of classic and contemporary psychological knowledge.
4. manage their own learning and engage self-reflective practice to identify developmental
needs.
5. ethically apply the knowledge and skills developed throughout the programme in different
contexts.
6. critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, and data to make evidence-based judgements.
7. communicate information, ideas, and both problems and solutions to specialist and non-
specialist audiences through different modalities.
8. exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including decision-making in complex and
unpredictable contexts.
9. progress to accredited postgraduate training programmes or employment with the knowledge, skills and confidence required for success.
10. demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition, and creativity and become inclusive,
ethical, and socially responsible professionals in their chosen careers.

Module Code
PY7011
PY7012
PY7015
PY7017
PY7018
PY7019
PY7P91

Learning Outcomes LO1 - LO9

QAA Statement for Psychology (2019) (Level 7):
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/subject-benchmark-statement-psychology.pdf?sfvrsn=6935c881_13

Learning is assessed using a range of formative and summative methods. Assessments are designed to be sufficiently challenging but also engaging, inclusive, and anticipatory, while providing students with a choice of assessment topics/methods (where appropriate). This allows students to demonstrate their learning in different ways while providing opportunities for them to reflect on their developmental needs as they progress through the programme. The assessment methods used across the course include empirical research reports, exams, essays, case studies, technology-mediated presentations, quantitative and qualitative data-analysis and data-interpretation tasks, a project proposal and a dissertation. Formative assessments and group work provide opportunities for students to receive tutor and peer feedback to help the to prepare for assessments and identify gaps in their knowledge or understanding. The assessment process is used to provide valuable insight into the learning and teaching strategy and the curriculum design and delivery, and through the ongoing iterative process of module monitoring, contributes to the continued development and improvement of the programme and the student experience.

1. Accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) is not permitted on this course.

MSc Psychology is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as conferring eligibility for Graduate Membership and Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC).

Modules must be passed with a minimum aggregate grade of 50%.

PY7223 Introductory Research Methods for Psychology is a pre-requisite for PY7224 Advanced Research Methods for Psychology

PY7224 Advanced Research Methods for Psychology is a pre-requisite for PY7P11 Dissertation.

Students must comply with the British Psychological Society's ethical standards in all course-related activities, as outlined in the following document:

https://www.bps.org.uk/guideline/code-ethics-and-conduct

Failure to comply with appropriate professional standards, including failure to follow the codes of ethical and inclusive practice produced by the BPS and the University, will result in an allegation of academic misconduct.

Part-time structure:

There is a recommended part-time structure. A degree of flexibility is possible if required to meet students’ needs.

Year 1
PY7223 Introductory Research Methods for Psychology (20 credits)
PY7220 Social Psychology (20 credits)
PY7211 Developmental Psychology (20 credits)

Year 2
PY7224 Advanced Research Methods for Psychology (20 credits)
PY7222 Biopsychology and Cognition (20 credits)
PY7219 Individual Differences (20 credits)
PY7P11 Dissertation (60 credits)

For award of MSc Psychology successful completion of all modules is required.

Interim awards
PGCert Psychological Studies (60 credits)
PGDip Psychological Studies (120 credits)

The teaching, learning and assessment strategy underpinning the MSc Psychology is designed to enable students from diverse backgrounds to develop and demonstrate competence in a range of professional and transferable skills. It aims to stimulate students’ interest in all aspects of psychology; provide an appropriate intellectual challenge; promote self-management of the learning process; encourage students to think of themselves as partners in a collaborative venture of learning; and equip them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their potential.

The MSc Psychology by its very nature is an integral part of personal development planning for those who are looking to pursue a career in psychology. This is actively supported with the provision of formative assessments and constructive feedback, group exercises and discussions providing opportunities for students to receive tutor and peer feedback, and career planning events where guest speakers and alumni offer help and advice related to further training or employment in psychology and related professions. Experiential and reflective learning methods are used throughout to allow students to learn from experience and manage their own learning and professional development and to take responsibility for identifying gaps in their knowledge or understanding. Students are encouraged to reflect upon and discuss how the knowledge and skills developed within each module and the course as a whole can be applied to a wide range of settings and to align this information with their immediate and longer-term career plans. This emphasis on reflective and experiential learning and professional development helps to prepare students to progress to and excel in postgraduate training and employment in different professional contexts.

The course has been designed to meet the master's degree characteristics produced by
the QAA (Level 7 descriptors). In addition the course aligns with the BPS's GBC curriculum.

There are a range of opportunities for graduates to progress to further postgraduate training or employment in arrange of psychology-related professions. The programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), conferring eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC), which is a pre-requisite for progression to accredited postgraduate training programmes leading to Chartered Psychologist Status. Programme accreditation also provides eligibility for BPS student membership and access to career development information, resources, and events. The knowledge and skills developed in the programme also leave students well-positioned to progress to and excel in occupations and industries as diverse as advertising and media, human resources, teaching, social services, the police and prison services, healthcare, and the charity sector.

The programme also provides a firm foundation for progression to the various employment focused postgraduate programmes in the School of Social Sciences and Professions (SSSP). This includes MSc Counselling and Psychotherapy; MSc Addiction and Mental Health; MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health; MSc Psychology of Mental Health; and MSc Criminology and Psychopathology, all of which provide accessible and clearly signposted pathways into graduate employment and/or Doctoral programmes.

Successful completion of this British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited degree will make you eligible for Graduate Membership and Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC). GBC is required to obtain Chartered status whereafter you can use the letters CPsychol after your name.

After completion of this conversion degree, you’ll qualify for a Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the British Psychological Society (BPS). This will allow you to progress to a postgraduate professional training programme in an area of psychology including forensic, clinical, health, educational, occupational and counselling psychology.

You will be required to have:

• a lower second class honours degree (or above) or overseas equivalent
• Mathematics GCSE at grade C (grade 4) or above (or equivalent)