Health Psychology (Taught)

Health psychology is a growing and much needed field. Prevention of and management of conditions is needed at all levels and health psychologists can apply their expertise to develop and evaluate interventions and work within multi-disciplinary teams (The British Psychological Society 2024). Health psychology focuses on understanding how psychological, behavioural, and cultural factors influence physical health, illness and healthcare.

Health psychologists promote healthier lifestyles. They try to find ways to support people to improve and maintain their health and also to improve the healthcare system as a whole. For example, helping people to lose weight or stop smoking, or advising healthcare providers on better ways to communicate with their patients.

Our Masters in Health Psychology will develop your skills to help people improve and manage their health. You’ll learn to use psychology to promote general wellbeing and understand physical illness. You’ll help people deal with the psychological and emotional aspects of health and illness, and to support people who have long-term conditions.

Study a British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited course
The MSc Health Psychology is the first step towards becoming a registered health psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You'll graduate with Stage 1 of the British Psychological Society's (BPS) health psychologist training.

Our Masters in Health Psychology also prepares you with the knowledge and skills you need for Stage 2 doctoral-level training. After completing Stage 2, you can register with the HCPC as a Health Psychologist. You can also apply to become a BPS Chartered Health Psychologist.

Gain practical experience on a health psychology placement
The Health Psychology Masters includes the opportunity to complete an observational placement in a health-related setting. Placements can be in the third sector (charities), industry, community setting or with the NHS. The course teaching includes contributions from health psychology trainees and practitioners.

Specialist psychology labs
We have a new Lifespan Lab that focuses on understanding cognition, health and wellbeing from infancy through to old age. Our on-site Psychology Kindergarten is a unique facility in the UK. It provides an outstanding facility for child development research and teaching.

Laboratory space is also available for you to do:

health research (including GSR and activity and heart rate monitoring),
human electrophysiology research (EEG/ERPs),
face research (including eye-tracking),
vision research (including stereoscopic displays).

Semester 1: Perspectives in health psychology; applications of health psychology: communication, systems and context; quantitative analysis; individual, social and cultural differences.
Semester 2: Qualitative analysis; individual, social and cultural differences; approaches to illness, disability and coping; research project (MSc only).

Students need to complete and pass the seven modules above to be awarded the MSc Health Psychology. Assessment is by formal exams and coursework (including oral presentations, essays, group work and critical reviews of research).

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• British Psychological Society