Psychology (Conversion) (Taught)

The programme is the first of its kind at the University of London, offering a scientific approach to the study of human behaviour. You will develop a broad understanding of psychological theory and research, and the processes influencing how people think, feel, behave, and interact.

• The MSc is particularly well suited to those interested in a career change into the field of Psychology, or who have previously studied some psychology (but where the previous qualification does not meet the British Psychological Society criteria for Graduate Basis for Chartership).

• The programme covers all the core areas of psychology, namely cognitive psychology, biological psychology, individual differences & personality, social psychology and developmental psychology, as well as thorough training in research methods.

• You will also be able to choose from a vibrant range of specialist postgraduate option modules, enabling you to get a flavour of niche areas of psychology.

• You'll get to work alongside academics who are experts in their fields. You may also have the opportunity to get involved in world-class research taking place in the department, specifically in your MSc research dissertation. Faculty members sometimes run their own research labs, which could give you the opportunity to develop your understanding of a broader range of psychological issues alongside your formal education.

Accreditation
This masters is fully accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Upon passing the MSc, you'll be eligible to apply for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) through the BPS. This is a necessary requirement to apply for any professional training programmes in the field of psychology in the UK. These include:

• Clinical Psychology

• Educational Psychology

• Counselling Psychology

• Forensic Psychology

• Organisational Psychology

Please note that a programme that makes you eligible for GBC is simply the entry requirement for professional training and in itself does not allow you to call yourself a psychologist. Please see the BPS website for further information.

Overview
This masters is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials and practical lab work. Due to the practical nature of the course, it is delivered in person, and cannot be studied online.

Most of the modules are taught in formal lectures. A number of core modules also have tutorials, which are delivered by a specialist academic from within Psychology and Neuroscience. Tutorials also give you the opportunity to work with and learn from students from other psychology programmes.

For some of the modules, you will be in lectures that are shared with students on other postgraduate programmes while for others, you will be in lectures shared with undergraduate programmes; this is done so that you receive teaching in each module that is necessary for BPS accreditation.

For certain modules, you'll also have regular lab classes which are designed to give you the opportunity to put your learning into practice. You'll also regularly meet with your personal tutor in small groups, to help support you throughout the course.

We try to concentrate our teaching as much as possible, and typically, this will mean coming to campus three days a week. Timetables are always subject to change from year to year and a fixed timetable is only available towards the end of September.

You'll complete the following compulsory modules:
Cognition & Culture
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Life & Society
Introduction to Statistics in Psychology
Research Design and Analysis for MSc Psychology (Conversion)
Critical Analysis
Clinical Applications of Psychology
Research Dissertation

Please note: it is not necessary to have a strong background in maths to study and do well in the statistics module. If you are concerned about this module, we offer a free ‘bootcamp’ before the start of the academic term. This bootcamp introduces you to basic concepts that will help you transition into the formal lectures at the start of term. Information about this bootcamp will be communicated to students in advance.

For each of the core modules, you'll have one coursework assignment per term. A number of different forms of assessment are used including essays, oral presentations and poster presentations. You'll be provided training in each of these formats. In addition to these assessments, most modules will have an exam at the end of the year.