In Walden’s MS in Developmental Psychology online program, you can acquire and apply knowledge of human growth and development to advance your career in hospitals, advocacy organizations, research institutions, or nonprofits.
Our online master’s in developmental psychology program is geared toward the working professional. In this career-oriented program, you will interpret research and apply your learning to address the needs of diverse populations—and promote lasting change in the lives of children, teens, and adults.
The MS in Developmental Psychology program is not designed to prepare students to become a licensed psychology or counseling professional.
Save Time and Money Toward Your PhD
If you are interested in teaching, researching, or consulting, you can accelerate your progress toward a PhD by applying credits to Walden’s PhD in Developmental Psychology program.
Why Earn Your Online Master’s in Developmental Psychology From Walden?
As a graduate of this program, you will be prepared to:
Find detailed information for this program, including possible occupations, completion rate, program costs, and median student loan debt.
With an MS in Developmental Psychology, you can work in a variety of settings, such as:
Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this program.
The MA in Research Methods (Developmental Psychology) is designed for students who plan to continue their graduate studies at PhD level in an area of developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, or social psychology. It is recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as providing suitable training for this purpose, and the course is one of the named routes on the MA in Research Methods. It is a Social Sciences faculty degree that involves other departments within the University.
Students intending to have a career as a research psychologist need to acquire a high level of research skills at postgraduate level. Research methods training therefore forms a central part of the MA programme, including both quantitative and qualitative research methods. One third of the course is also devoted to the dissertation which may be carried out in any area of psychology related to development. The taught course modules include both generic and subject level components, providing an introduction to broad issues and methodological approaches in developmental psychology and the social sciences.
Teaching is generally organised into a number of 10 week course units involving 2 to 3 hours of lectures, seminars and workshops. Each 10 week unit is assessed by means of formative and summative assessments. The summative assessments count towards the final degree outcome. For the programme as a whole, the assessments include examinations, written assignments, oral presentations and the dissertation.
Core Modules
The programme is delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars and practical classes. Lectures provide key information on a particular topic, such as social and emotional development. Seminars are held in order that smaller group teaching can take place, with focused discussion on specific topics. Finally, practical and workshop classes allow students to gain direct experience, particularly in Applied Statistics and in how to use statistical tools.
The balance of this type of activity varies as a function of the module. This is a one year course, with students having the summer term to work on dissertation related activities. Students typically attend approximately 12 hours a week comprising lectures, tutorials and seminars. Outside timetabled contact hours, students are also expected to undertake their own independent study to prepare for their classes and broaden their subject knowledge, as well as conduct their dissertation. Independent study is a key element to the course, with complex factors raised in lectures that do assume some prior knowledge of the topic area.
The programme is divided into three parts. One third, comprising three modules, is of subject specific topics related to developmental psychology and developmental psychopathology, including issues relevant to clinical work throughout development. Across these modules the material is delivered via a combination of lectures, seminars, practical workshops and discussions. A further three modules focus on placing psychology in the larger framework of social science research and providing generic research skills. For example, skills such as qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The final third of the programme is the dissertation module, which reflects the culmination of learning and practical endeavours from throughout the course via the production of an independent and original body of research material. This is performed under supervision with a member of staff, with meetings varying in duration and frequency throughout the year as a function of the needs of the research project and student.
On this course you study
This course is accredited as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership. This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.
The course is ideal if you are a
During your studies you
You improve key skills such as • critical thinking • group working • report writing • data analysis • IT ability.
We also offer you the opportunity to gain experience of teaching students on our undergraduate programmes.
International students are most welcome on this course. At Sheffield Hallam University we provide international students with a wealth of support, from pre-arrival right up to, and including, study support while you are studying here. Please see the International Experience Team webpage for more information.
This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and confers eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), provided you achieve an overall mark of at least 50 per cent and pass your dissertation. This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.
Full-time – one day per week for one year
Part-time – typically one day per week for two years
Modules
Option module
To make sure you graduate with the degree you want, you also choose an option module from one of the following
This is one of the few developmental psychology postgraduate courses to study human development through the lifespan and confer eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership.
Students completing this course have gone on to apply for both educational and clinical psychology training posts, and have also used the course to assist in career change to working with children or for progression in their current positions.
Our careers central website contains useful careers information for students studying psychology.
Lancaster is one of the largest centres for developmental psychology research in the world. This programme provides students with knowledge of advanced methods, analytical techniques, theories and major findings across a range of areas.
The course is delivered through a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, interactive discussion sessions, direct practical experience of modelling developmental phenomena, plus the gathering, analysing and presentation developmental data.
This course provides ESRC accredited training and is aimed at graduates who wish to progress to a PhD in Developmental Psychology, or seek to boost their research skills en route to clinical or educational psychology training, or for graduates who require additional developmental knowledge to apply to their work environment.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
This MSc aims to encourage an integrated understanding of child development and a range of childhood disorders, and to give students an opportunity to apply this understanding in a clinical setting through a supervised placement in the second year within a mental health service.
The programme draws together theory, research and therapeutic thinking from a range of perspectives, including clinical and cognitive psychology, systemic thinking, psychoanalysis and neuroscience. In a workshop setting, students develop competencies in engagement, assessment and evaluation, and practical skills necessary for therapeutic work with children and families. These are then put into practice during the clinical placement.
This two-year MSc has a total value of 270 credits. Each year students complete modules to the value of 135 credits.
Year one: taught modules (135 credits). Year two: clinical skills modules (35 credits), a clinical practice in context module (15 credits) and the research dissertation (85 credits).
Year one core modules
Year two core modules
Dissertation/research project
All MSc students undertake a research portfolio which may include both a developmental and a clinical focus, such as the evaluation and understanding of clinical and therapeutic services for children and young people. This culminates in a dissertation made up of an 8,000-word journal paper and a poster.
Teaching and learning
In year one students attend weekly lectures complemented by small group seminars. Modules focusing on clinical skills are classroom based. In year two, as well as taking further modules, students move into a 2-3 days per week placement in a child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) setting, supervised by an experienced clinician. Assessment is by a mixture of coursework, examinations and the dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Developmental Psychology and Clinical Practice MSc
Since the MSc was established in 2011 graduates have gone on to work with children and families in various therapeutic settings, or to undertake further doctoral-level clinical training, such as clinical psychology, child psychotherapy, or counselling psychology. Some of our graduates also pursue research careers, including PhD study.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
Completing this MSc will help you develop several core clinical competencies and provide direct supervised experience of work in a child and adolescent mental health service, placing you in a very strong position to proceed to a full clinical training, such as in clinical psychology or child psychotherapy.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
The programme is based at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in London, a world-renowned centre for research, training and clinical practice in the field of child mental health. Distinctive features include teaching by highly experienced clinicians and researchers working in the field of child mental health; the opportunity to develop clinical skills for working with children; practical training in conducting research in clinical settings.
Please note: during the course of the academic year 2018/19, the centre will relocate from Hampstead to a new, purpose-built campus near King's Cross Station.
You will also gain exposure to clinical work within NHS and/or voluntary sector organisations involving children, adolescents and families, under the supervision of an experienced clinician.
To read past students' testimonials, please visit the departmental programme page.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Division of Psychology & Language Sciences
83% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
This programme, run in conjunction with, and based at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, provides a unique foundation for individuals interested in pursuing a psychotherapy training or an academic career in childhood development. The programme combines psychoanalytic theory of development and inter-family relationships with a year-long observation of infants in a family setting, and a research project.
Students develop a theoretical grounding in psychoanalysis as related to child development and clinical practice. Observations of parents and children allow students to witness some of these theoretical constructs in real world contexts and help students develop the observational skills essential in clinical work. The research teaching covers qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and gives students the tools necessary for conducting reliable, valid and ethical research.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits, with the research dissertation accounting for 60 of these credits.
The programme consists of seven core modules (105 credits), one elective module (15 credits), and a research disseration( 60 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) is also offered on both a full-time and part-time basis.
Core modules
Optional modules
Students choose one of the following:
Dissertation/report
All MSc students undertake an independent research project, supported by a supervisor, which culminates in a dissertation of a maximum of 12,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, workshops, and theory and observation seminars. Seminar groups are small, often led by clinicians and allow plenty of opportunity for discussion and reflection. Research work is supported by an individual supervisor and by workshops throughout the year. Assessments include a variety of essays, examinations, observation papers and a research dissertation. Assessment occurs throughout the programme (usually at the end of the relevant module).
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Psychoanalytic Developmental Psychology MSc
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Students who successfully complete the MSc can apply their degree in a variety of settings. Our graduates have found work as psychology assistants or child mental health workers, taken up posts as research assistants and have been admitted to psychotherapy trainings in both adult and child programmes and to PhD positions.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
Teaching on the programme is based at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in London, a world-renowned centre for research, training and clinical practice in the field of child mental health.
Please note: during the course of the academic year 2018/19, the centre will relocate from Hampstead to a new, purpose-built campus near Kings Cross Station.
The MSc is based within UCL's Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, one of the world’s leading integrated departments of research and teaching in mind, behaviour, and language.
Testimonials from previous students are available on the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families website.
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