Masters Degrees (Advertisement)

Sunderland's Psychology Department was rated top four in the UK for teaching excellence by the Sunday Times University Guide 2013.

Course overview

This course is a conversion course that is suitable for graduates who have not studied psychology as a first degree. Successful completion provides the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership by the British Psychological Society, which is an essential first step towards becoming a chartered psychologist. It also supports careers where professional insights in human behaviour are valuable such as social work, public services, advertisement, general management and Human Resources.

This course provides in a compact form the same grounding in psychological science as a three-year undergraduate course but at a masters level of skill and knowledge. As a result, this conversion course is both challenging and demanding.

This course is not suitable if you have already studied psychology at undergraduate level. Instead, you may wish to consider MSc Psychological Research Methods. The course has three parts, consisting of:
a) the six core areas of psychology, which include social psychology, individual differences and developmental psychology, as well as cognitive psychology, biological psychology and conceptual and historical issues in psychology
b) qualitative and quantitative research methods and statistics
c) the Masters Project, which provides an opportunity for in-depth research into an area of psychology near to your personal interests and career aspirations. The research elements of the course are supported by Sunderland’s thriving Health Sciences and Well-being Research Beacon that explores many different aspects of mental health and health behaviours

At the end of the course, you could choose to undertake the further study that is required to become a chartered psychologist. Alternatively, your understanding of psychology will help you in sectors such as advertising, social work, public services, general management and Human Resources.

Course content

The course mixes taught elements with independent research and self-directed study. There is flexibility to pursue personal interests in considerable depth, with guidance and inspiration from Sunderland's supportive tutors. Modules on this course include:
-Everyday Motivations and Biases (30 Credits)
-Experimental Design and Analysis in Psychology (30 Credits)
-Non-experimental Design and Analysis in Psychology (30 Credits)
-Cradle to Grave: Stability and Change (30 Credits)
-Master Project (60 Credits)

Teaching and assessment

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. The research aspects of the course are supported by Sunderland’s thriving research programme. Our tutors’ specialisms include social psychology and evolutionary psychology, and the University carries out research into health behaviours and mental health.

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters requires a higher level of independent working. There are around three hours of contact time a week.

Assessment methods are a combination of exams and coursework including essays, reports and seminar presentations.

Facilities & location

The University has specialist psychological and computer laboratories, plus dedicated space (the ‘sandbox’) for psychology students to develop ideas collaboratively. The course is based at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s, on the banks of the River Wear and less than a mile from the seaside.

Our specialist facilities include:
-Cognitive Laboratory
-Visual Psychophysics Laboratory
-Linguistics Laboratory
-Computing Laboratory
-Multimedia and Games Research Room

University Library Services
The University boasts a collection of more than 430,000 books with many more titles available through the inter-library loan service. There are nearly 9,000 journal titles, mostly in electronic format. Each year the University invests around £1 million in new resources.

Learning environment
Sunderland offers a vibrant learning environment with an international dimension thanks to the presence of students from around the world. At the same time, the University is fully plugged into relevant industry organisations, with strong links and an exchange of ideas and people.

IT provision
When it comes to IT provision you can take your pick from hundreds of PCs as well as Apple Macs in the David Goldman Informatics Centre and St Peter’s Library. There are also free WiFi zones throughout the campus. If you have any problems, just ask the friendly helpdesk team.

Employment & careers

On completing this course you will be equipped to apply for the further postgraduate training that is required to become a chartered psychologist. There are nine types of psychology in which it is possible to become chartered: clinical, educational, forensic, occupational, counselling, sport & exercise and health psychology, as well as neuropsychology and teaching/researching in psychology.

As an example of salaries, clinical psychologists within the NHS typically have a starting salary of around £30,000, progressing up to more than £80,000 for higher level posts. Salaries in private hospitals and private practice will vary.

Equally, the course prepares you for employment in a broad range of sectors. The insights, rigour and methodology of psychology are valued in roles in management, advertising, marketing, Human Resources, the police force, the prison service, social care, health services and teaching.

In addition, a Masters degree will also enhance career opportunities within Higher Education and prepare you for further postgraduate studies.

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The Master in Graphic Design integrates the knowledge of the tools and technologies, the project culture and methodology with a sensibility towards Visual Communication and its representations.

Particular attention is given to the new media and to the new frontiers of web communication, in order to create professional figures capable of acting within an evolving scenario.

The Graphic Designer figure, today, is particularly dynamic; being not only an expert in Visual Languages, but also a director of Communication Strategies based on the sign that is expressed on physical support in both real locations and virtual environments.

Career opportunities - The Graphic Designer works in advertisement and communication companies, web agencies, publishing houses or as a freelancer in his own facility ; he is able to interact with multiple clients in different fields thanks to a developed versatility. This professional figure, in fact, has the necessary tools to keep updated and anticipate the times, offering innovative solutions to his clients.

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The Master in Fashion Business is designed for professionals and graduates wishing to acquire high-level skills in new technologies applied to fashion communication. Cradle of fashion thanks to Pitti events, Florence is worldwide recognised as the center of Italian fashion industry and its production process as a whole, from the raw material to the displayed object of fashion. The course integrates advanced technologies, traditional techniques and crafts in favor of innovative products and communication services. Moreover, Sara Maino (Vogue Italia Senior Editor) is the scientific coordinator of the school.

Career opportunities - At the end of the Master, the Fashion Business Manager can work for fashion events, public relations, fashion businesses, advertisement and press offices. Students can find a job as Brand Expert, Fashion Promoter, Fashion Marketing Expert, Creative in advertising and Consultant for new media.

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In the Master's program Arts, Culture and Media/ Mapping Arts in Society students examine the role of the arts in society. In particular, students gain insight into arts worlds and their organization, aesthetic dimensions, social impact and the efficacy of arts education for contemporary culture. Further, students learn to analyse and interpret artistic expressions with an enhanced view of how arts phenomena convey, negotiate or hasten cultural change. Additionally, the program explores how the arts relate to economic, social and technical developments in an increasingly mediated world. Digitalization and globalization remain import concepts for this study.

As a student of this program you choose an arts framework:
- Arts Policy and Marketing
- Arts Analysis and Critique
- Arts Education

In addition, you choose an art form to situate your professional framework:
- Film
- Literature
- Music
- Theater

You complete the program with an internship and your thesis.
The one-year Master's program in Arts, Culture and Media is a specialization within the Master's degree in Arts and Culture.

Why in Groningen?

- Fully aims to develop analytical skills in evaluating the role performed by the arts in society
- Unique combination of practical skills and academic reflection
- Specialization in different art forms: Film and TV, Music, Theater, Literature
- Guest lectures by outstanding artists, art organizers, cultural critics and policy makers

Job perspectives

The Master's programme in Arts, Culture and Media ± Mapping the Arts in Society is highly relevant for those students who wish to pursue a career:
- as a cultural critic with a specific interest in the institutional and societal context of art production, art distribution and art presentation;
- as a policymaker;
- in culture consultancy;
- in a managerial position in the professional field of the arts.

Job examples

- Analysis and Criticism
Because writing and thinking about the role of the arts in society is especially important for this framework, a position such as arts journalist editor, researcher or editor is ideally suited for this tack. These positions are found within newspapers, magazines and media companies.
- Arts Education
If you choose for Arts Education, you will work within organizations that consult upon the content and organization within the field of arts and cultural education. Here, you will be ideally suited for a position in the national, provincial or local government or for an educational department within institutions such as a cultural centers or museums.
- Arts, Policy and Marketing
With arts, policy and Marketing you can work, for example, as a professional organizer, manager, marketing or publicity agent. These positions appear in city theaters, festivals, orchestras or publishers and museums. In this field, you could also provide support and consultation for policy and other arts-related advice functions relating to national, provincial or local governments.
- Other job possibilities
There are other employment possibilities such as a position by a media company or for the advertisement and commercial field. Prior students have also begun their own successful arts organization, advice bureau or research institution in the field of arts, culture and event organizations.

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