The Master of Science in Experimental Psychology degree program at the College of Psychology provides students with a strong academic foundation in the theories and concepts of experimental psychology. Students are equipped with comprehensive skills in scientific inquiry and research methodology. These skills may prepare students for admission into a doctoral program in psychology or for career opportunities that include teaching and research in industrial, government, private consulting, health care, and community settings.
The college's Master of Science in Experimental Psychology degree program is offered on NSU's main campus.
The M.S. in Experimental Psychology degree prepares students for research-focused doctoral programs as well as career opportunities that include teaching and research in industrial, government, private consulting, health care, and community settings.
The successful M.S. in Experimental Psychology graduate is expected to:
The Master of Science in Experimental Psychology degree program provides students with a strong academic foundation in the theories and concepts of experimental psychology. Through focused coursework and the experience of mentored independent research, students are equipped with comprehensive skills in scientific inquiry and research methodology. These skills may prepare students for admission into a doctoral program in psychology or for career opportunities that include teaching and research in industrial, government, private consulting, health care, and community settings.
Core Courses (12 credits)
Required Methodology Courses (9 credits)
Thesis (6 credits)
Graduates of the M.S. in Experimental Psychology program can pursue doctoral education in subfields of experimental psychology or become leaders in a variety of professional positions and settings, including:
Our innovative MSc Health Psychology programme applies the theories, methods and techniques of psychology to issues of health and illness.
These are integrated into the psychological processes related to the maintenance of health, the promotion of the psychological wellbeing of the physically ill, and the normal and pathological responses to ill health and stress.
Our MSc Health Psychology programme will equip you with a sound knowledge of theories and practical issues relevant to health psychology.
You will consider the psychological and physiological responses of the individual to ill health, as well as the social and community contexts of health-related behaviours and healthcare systems.
The programme will equip you with a sound knowledge of theories and practical issues relevant to health psychology, in addition to a solid understanding of quantitative and qualitative approaches to research.
The programme, which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), provides the academic component (Stage One) on the route towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The aims of the programme are:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
Students will gain knowledge and understanding of the following:
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Students will be able to:
Professional practical skills
Students will have the skills to:
Key / transferable skills
Students will be able to:
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
As an MSc Social Psychology student you will learn theories, methods, and empirical findings in the field of social psychology, which are relevant to current social issues.
These include: prejudice and discrimination; the relationship between moral judgement and emotions; the study of how individuals and groups interact to construct and maintain identities; and how these are related to social change and influence in contexts such as family systems and romantic dyads.
The programme aims to provide you with an awareness of the historical and philosophical background of social psychology, an in-depth knowledge of contemporary theoretical and methodological approaches and research findings, and the ability to conduct quantitative and qualitative research in the field.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time students must study at least two taught technical modules per academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Occasionally, students receive financial support from industry through sponsorship, negotiated by individual students.
This would involve students undertaking research for their dissertation which would be of interest and value to industry or commerce, in return for which they will be given a grant by the commissioning company. In practice, though, most students are self-funded.
The social psychologists at the University of Surrey have an international reputation in research and teaching. Students on the MSc in Social Psychology are encouraged to participate in the School of Psychology’s ongoing activities, particularly research seminars.
The social psychologists at Surrey have undertaken research for the EU, UK research councils, government departments and agencies, industry and commerce, and the charitable sector. They have attracted a large number of research projects to the School, including:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
The MSc in Psychology of the Arts, Neuroaesthetics and Creativity is the first postgraduate programme in the world for the scientific study of aesthetics and creativity.
At the intersection of the arts and the sciences, the programme introduces you to the psychology and the cognitive neuroscience of how humans generate new ideas, how we appreciate beauty, and how we form preferences.
Aesthetic and creative decisions are relevant in the visual and the performing arts, and in many applied and commercial contexts, ranging from clinical interventions to curating exhibitions, from dance choreography to marketing and advertising. Based in the Department of Psychology, in collaboration with Computing, Media and Communications and the Institute of Management Studies, the course builds critical knowledge, research and communication skills across the arts and the sciences, centred around two key topics: the psychological and brain mechanisms of making (Creativitiy) and appreciating (Neuroaesthetics) art. Conducting a research project with an interdisciplinary focus will prepare you for a research career in aesthetic or creative science, working in the creative industry, or to develop your artistic practice.
Goldsmiths is uniquely placed to offer this programme, with an internationally renowned reputation in the arts and the sciences. Existing courses combining art and psychology often have a largely therapeutic focus and rarely cover the psychology of aesthetic appreciation or creative cognition, in a broader profile. In contrast, business-oriented courses in marketing, advertising and consumer psychology often lack adequate scientific training in experimental psychology or cognitive neuroscience methods, which is required for a scientific approach to aesthetics and creativity. Optional modules based in the departments Media & Communications, Computing, and the Institute of Management Studies will complement and challenge the scientific perspective, acknowledging the richly diverse, unique and culturally-specific nature of human aesthetic and creative practice.
On this programme you will study the following modules:
Neuroaesthetics (15 Credits): This module provides an in-depth introduction into the cognitive neuroscience of art appreciation, aesthetic perception and judgement from a basic science and an applied perspective. Topics include: psychological theories of aesthetic appreciation, aesthetic evolution, brain mechanisms of pleasure and reward, face and body attractiveness, and aesthetic science across the visual and performing arts, in laboratory and real-world settings.
Creativity (15 credits): This module provides a comprehensive introduction to the science of creative cognition. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, this module covers latest research findings from various disciplines within cognitive psychology, social psychology, comparative and developmental psychology, creative arts and media, and neuroscience
Foundations of Neuroscience (15 credits): This module covers brain anatomy and function as well as an introduction to the available techniques to study the neural basis of behaviour. Topics range from single neuron architecture to the functional organization of brain systems. Neuroimaging methods covered include: fMRI, EEG, MEG and TMS.
Statistical Methods and Experimental Design (30 credits): This module covers experimental design and the theory and practice of quantitative data analysis. You will cover statistical techniques in the lectures, and learn to implement these techniques using statistical software in computer-based tutorials and workshops.
Research Skills/ Invited Speaker Series (15 credits): This module covers fundamental research skills: seminars on bibliographic searching, essay writing, research report writing, oral presentation skills, career planning and lab sessions. The second strand exposes students to cutting edge research in the field of aesthetic and creative cognition by means of an invited speaker series from a variety of academic disciplines, the creative industry and arts organizations. This module will be shared with students on the MSc in Music, Mind and Brain.
Research Project with an interdisciplinary focus (60 credits): You will conduct a quantitative research project in relation to aesthetics or creativity. The course encourages interdisciplinary and collaborative projects with other departments at Goldsmiths, or with external partners such as arts organizations or the creative industry.
Optional Modules (2 x 15 credits): You will choose two optional modules from within the Psychology Department (Advanced Quantitative Methods, Magic and the Mind) or collaborating Departments including Computing (Physical Computing and Workshops in Creative Coding), Media and Communications (Embodiment and Experience, Politics of the Audio-visual) and the Institute of Management Studies (Psychology of Marketing and Advertising, Consumer Behaviour). Optional modules will complement the scientific perspective with alternative views, approaches and extend your knowledge and skill base.
Please note that not all modules will be available and may change subject to approval
The Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science is designed to provide students with an integrated, comprehensive, and complete education in the discipline of psychology. Students undertake advanced training in a range of methodological (research methods, psychometrics, statistics) and applied areas, and develop competence in conducting research. All applied material is based on the scientist-practitioner model, and evidence-based approaches to psychological intervention are stressed. The Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science provides students with advanced education and training in the core psychology graduate attributes, including but not limited to the following: Advanced theoretical and empirical knowledge in some of the core research areas of the discipline Knowledge of the theoretical and empirical bases underpinning the construction, implementation and interpretation of some of the most widely used cognitive and personality assessments Knowledge of the theoretical and empirical bases underpinning evidenced based approached to psychological intervention Explaining how the science and practice of psychology is influenced by social, historical, professional and cultural contexts. The Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science prepares graduates for a career in psychology. On completion of this course, graduates may apply for provisional registration as a psychologist providing they enrol in further postgraduate studies or undertake two years’ supervised training.
Under supervision, graduates can pursue careers in the professional practice of psychology including clinical, forensic or organisational psychology, counselling, health and community psychology, research, and other specialist areas.
This program has been granted accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).
View the Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science - Program Structure and Sequencing
The Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science comprises seven (7) subjects, as follows:
Foundation subjects (5)
Electives (2)
And any two (2) of the following psychology subjects:
International students
To fulfil your student visa requirements, you will need to enrol in 40 credit points per semester.
Domestic students
Full time study is 40 credit points per semester. Students enrolling part-time can undertake the degree over four semesters. Part-time students should complete the coursework aspects in the first two semesters of their enrolment and undertake the thesis in the third and fourth semesters of enrolment.