Masters Degrees (Transpersonal Psychology)

Understanding the nature of consciousness has been described as the primary challenge facing us today. By combining the study of consciousness with recent developments in the psychology of spirituality, this MSc is distinctive in encouraging students to explore the further reaches of human experience.

The MSc will appeal to those who share our vision that three core features are central to the study of consciousness and the human mind:

• Connectedness to a larger scale of being
• Recognition of the sacred
• Sense of quest - that some form of spiritual journey lies at the core of human experience.

The paradigm shift underpinning this course has had significant impact in professional arenas, with increasing recognition of spiritual values in the workplace, the role of transformational leadership, and the importance of transpersonal experience in working towards realisation of our potential.

The masters provides an intellectually-challenging programme of study including:

• The nature of consciousness and its relation to the brain
• The psychology of self and higher states of being
• Creativity and transformation
• Psychological aspects of spiritual and mystical practices
• Transpersonal approaches to therapy
• The dialogue between science and mysticism

Experiential approaches to learning are also used to enable you to integrate insights from the course into your own life journeys.

This Masters operates fully online, enabling you to take control of the timing and pace of your study. There are no external workshops or study days during this programme, enabling us to offer this programme at a competitive rate.

Visit the Consciousness Spirituality & Transpersonal Psychology page on the Professional Development International web site, or http://www.aleftrust.org, for more details!

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This is the only course in the UK to offer a combination of transpersonal, psychoanalytic and critical approaches to psychology. You will explore ways of understanding the self as an open, evolving project that develops through interaction. This reflects developments at the leading edge of psychology, drawing upon insights from the history of human exploration of the self.

On this largely theoretical course, you will explore the relationship between psychology and cultural studies, philosophy, theology and social science. You will develop your understanding of different research methods and explore the use of language and the construction of meaning in real-world situations.

Whether you are working as a counsellor, a social worker, a psychologist or in another related profession, you will gain a unique perspective on mind, self and society. Alternatively, you may simply have a personal interest and want to explore this fascinating subject and its insights into what makes us human. 

Research Excellence Framework 2014

Research Excellence Framework 2014: 40% of our research in the Psychology unit was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent.

Course Benefits

Our course is highly flexible - we will base your learning around your interests and personal development needs. There is the option of studying individual modules if you are looking to focus on a particular area of interest relevant to you or your career, and negotiated assessments are available for all modules, with an Independent Project module tailor-made for your needs such as a voluntary placement or work related research.

Modules may count towards British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) training hours. Our University offers an extensive volunteering programme, giving you the opportunity to participate in work experience in your area of choice and in countries such as France, Germany or the Czech Republic.

Our teaching team is diverse, consisting of academics and researchers including Professor Brendan Gough, and Dr Steven Taylor - who are world renowned and are at the forefront of critical and transpersonal/ integrative psychology. A Chartered Psychologist is a member of the course team, and we welcome applications if you are training as a Psychologist or Psychotherapist.

Core modules

• Contemporary Psychoanalytic Approaches
• Critical Methodologies
• Foundations of Psychoanalysis
• Independent Project
• Mindfulness-Based Approaches
• Transpersonal Psychology
• Central Problems in Psychology

Job prospects

Our course will prepare you for a wide range of careers. You will gain expertise which can be applied to professions including research, education, counselling, art therapy, life coaching, health and social care, human resources and working in media. Individual modules can be taken within the Continuing Professional Development Programme, or counted towards UKCP and BACP training hours.

• Clinical Psychologist
• Counsellor
• Educational Psychologist
• Occupational Psychologist

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This programme is unique in that it enables students to embark on a personal 'spiritual' journey, which incorporates all three facets of life: Mind, Body and Spirit. It will examine the challenge of successfully re-integrating these aspects into everyday life including your professional work.

It will question rationality and seek to develop integral non-linear methods. The programme will explore the study of consciousness and the transpersonal as well as the different aspects of spirituality, bodywork, meditation and breathwork.

You will be looking for transformation, expansion of thinking, self-discovery, personal growth, development of creativity and formation of new perspectives.

During the first two years there will be residential workshops, to enable you to explore deeper with others to support exploration of self. And in the third year there will be an opportunity to carry out your own research study.

This degree does not orientate participants in anyone particular direction but enables the student to seek 'their own path' through a 'transpersonal learning experience'. The main areas covered include transpersonal psychology, eco-psychology, emerging spirituality, consciousness’ studies, positive and humanistic psychology plus exploration into bodywork, breathe work and meditation studies.

We hope that graduates will see themselves and the world in a bigger perspective, with valuable skills and knowledge to advance their chosen field and be part of a possible paradigm shift.

Faculty
Professors, teachers and a spiritual master from across the globe.
Refer to prospectus for further details: http://www.pdf.net/pathways.html

Flexible On-line Study to suit your Lifestyle
This programme is offered on-line via webinars and live discussions. Some daytime and residential workshops are included in the programme, giving you the opportunity to experience experiential practices and met fellow ‘pathways’ candidates. You will be expected to carry out your own spiritual journey and practices, including meditation.

Award Body: Middlesex University UK via Professional Development International

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The Psychology MSc programme offers students who hold an internationally recognised undergraduate qualification, one not necessarily in Psychology, the opportunity to study a master’s course.

This Master’s programme offers modules designed to increase transferable skills into vocational areas (for example mental health provisions, health and research), as well as providing an academic pathway towards a vocationally based Doctorate or research based PhD.

Students will have the opportunity to enhance their studies through volunteer work with influential local service providers including the Police and Social Services as well as through the Psychology department’s’ significant links to social enterprise through the university’s AshokaU status.

Who is it for?
-Those interested in pursuing an academic career in psychology – for example research, teaching.
-Those interested in pursuing a career in social care or social justice.
-Those interested in pursuing a practitioner career – for example Assistant Psychologist/
-Those interested in pursuing a career using statistics.
-Those interested in learning more about the theoretical concepts and applications of psychology to explain human behaviour.

Course content

Full time students take six modules for each stage for three years. Some modules are mandatory whilst others are selected from a wide range of options. In stage one important core ideas, evidence and methods are introduced. This basic knowledge is built upon in stages two and three to foster a cutting-edge understanding of topics.

Students will need to undertake the five compulsory modules and one elective module during one year. The dissertation module will be taken at end of each programme.

Course modules (16/17)

-Advanced Developmental Psychology​
-Applied Social and Critical Social Psychology
-Cognitive, Biological and Neuroscience
-Quantitative and Qualitative Research Skills
-The Psychology of Mental Health
-The Psychology of Transpersonal Experience
-Dissertation and Research Methods
-Optional modules are available subject to a sufficient cohort size.

Methods of Learning

A blended learning (lectures, workshops and online activities) and a foundation level of online lectures and activities will be available prior to the Master’s programme/individual modules commencing so that students have the necessary psychological knowledge to progress more easily to postgraduate level.

You will spend (approximately):
-264 hours over the whole taught programme (five modules) – contact time
-610 hours – independent learning/study over the whole taught programme (five modules)
-482 hours – independent learning/supervision for the dissertation only

Schedule

Full time for one year.

Assessments

The assessment strategy is designed to include a broad range of assessment types in order to ensure that students have the maximum opportunity to demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes for the programme.

The breadth of assessment is demonstrated in the following examples:
-Essay assignments.
-Role-play scenarios.
-Oral presentation.
-Case studies.
-Dissertation.
-Critical review.
-Individual project report.

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Why take this course?

If you wish to develop your skills, knowledge and understanding in the rapidly developing field of coaching without giving up employment, then this course is ideal.

This course consists of three separate stages, the Postgraduate Certificate, the Postgraduate Diploma and the Master’s, each taking a year to complete. You can enter the programme at any stage relevant to your qualifications and experience. Completion of each stage enables you to continue to the next, with or without a break between each stage, but there is no obligation to do so. These part-time, work-based courses allow you to fit in studying easily around work and other commitments.

This programme is aimed at leaders, managers and training professionals who want to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in this rapidly developing field. Students may be seeking to use a coaching approach in a line management role, looking to build a coaching culture within their organisation to enhance performance or even embark on a second career as a professional freelance coach. This course is provided by the University of Portsmouth in conjunction with The Performance Coach, a well-respected company which provides coaching, training and consultancy services.

What will I experience?

On this course you can:

Participate in live web-based chat forums to discuss your work with TPC trainers and other students
Make an effective contribution to your workplace, as well as improve your career prospects
Tap in to our Library’s vast selection of electronic resources, which can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection

What opportunities might it lead to?

Previous students have gone on to set up their own coaching companies and coaching training organisations. Here are some other routes our graduates have pursued:

Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:

Business development
Consultancy work
Mentoring
Education
Training
Health sector

Module Details

Teaching is delivered through five workshops over ten days covering a range of specific coaching topics, including 30 hours of coaching practise.

Here are the topics you will study:

Foundation coaching skills:

Develop core coach competencies
Understand the key skills and models for coaching and be able to apply these in a coaching relationship
Define coaching and understand the range of coaching styles
Understand the boundaries for a coaching relationship and how to contract effectively
Explore the importance of supervision within coaching
Learn to self-reflect and appraise coaching capabilities to identify areas for personal development in coaching, and plan for new learning

Creating insights:

Exploring your vision and identity as a coach; understanding your signature strengths and areas of focus
Becoming more self aware and emotionally intelligent as a coach
Learning to self-evaluate performance and ways of being as a coach
Helping clients develop emotional intelligence and personal insight
Exploring a number of different concepts and tools which generate personal insights in others and enable personal change

Applied positive psychology in coaching:

Understand different tools, concepts and approaches from Positive Psychology and how these can be used to impact learning and performance
Helping a system and clients to become more resilient and have more of a strengths-based focus
Working with purpose and meaning
Using transpersonal tools and techniques to create deep awareness and personal change

Coaching leaders:

Understand key leadership models and frameworks
Explore models, tools and concepts for effective leadership development
Experience practical tools and techniques which are congruent with developing leaders
Enabling leaders to create a vision for their leadership, to think strategically, to problem-solve
Coaching leaders in transition
Assess participants' current level of coaching competence

Programme Assessment

The course takes a work-based learning approach which allows you to apply this knowledge and theory to your workplace. This approach means you produce current and applied work-based assignments for assessment.

This programme is assessed, quality assured and awarded by the University of Portsmouth whilst TPC's world-class trainers and facilitators deliver course content and work with you to develop your knowledge and understanding of coaching.

Assessment is also orientated around the workplace in the form of two 4,000-word work-based learning projects.

Progression: This programme offers a work-based Master's qualification using the integrated flexible Master's framework leading to the award of MSc.

Student Destinations

This course is ideal if you are seeking to use a coaching approach in a line management role, looking to build a coaching culture within your organisation to enhance performance or even embark on a second career as a professional freelance coach. Previous graduates have also gone on to set up their own coaching companies and coach training organisations.

Whether you are an internal or external coach, this postgraduate programme will help you make an incredible difference to your clients.

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