The MSc Health Psychology course is fully accredited by the BPS and confers Stage 1 Training to become a Health Psychologist.
During the course you will:
-Develop an in-depth understanding of the theory underpinning health psychology
-Develop your understanding of advanced research methodology and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data to carry out independent work of publishable standard
-Develop awareness of the contribution and application of health psychology within multicultural and multidisciplinary settings
-Develop professional and transferable skills in preparation for becoming a health psychologist
What you will study
This course follows the BPS curriculum for professional training in health psychology. There are six compulsory taught modules and you would be expected to take one to two modules per term depending on your pace of study. There is also the Research Project module.
-Qualitative Research Methodology
-Quantitative Methods and Advanced Statistics
-Health Behaviours
-Health Inequalities Across the Lifespan
-Illness Processes and Behaviour
-Professional Issues and Applications
-Research Project
In addition to the knowledge that you will acquire, you will be gain a range of transferable skills, such as:
-Critical enquiry
-Report writing
-Active listening
-Research methods
-Statistical and qualitative analyses
-IT skills
-Group work
-Time management
-Reflective practice
Learning, teaching & assessment
Teaching and learning methods include:
-Lectures
-Seminars
-Workshops
-Group work
-Independent study
All students will receive additional support through a tutorial system.
Teaching on campus takes place on two full days in the week (usually Mondays and Wednesdays). All additional work, independent study, coursework etc. needs to be organised to fit your own circumstances. We understand that some students need to work but emphasise that this is a full-time course and so if working in the daytime you will need to work on your studies in the evenings.
There is a range of assessment methods including essays, reports, reviews and presentations. There is only one exam which is in statistics.
Professional accreditation
In the recent accreditation by the BPS the online and campus courses received 5 commendations including the reflective practice incorporated into the course, the online induction programme and the positive feedback from students.
In order to become a Chartered Psychologist with the BPS or a registered health psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council, students must complete Stage II training. A number of routes to stage II are offered at
Aston University. Further details of how to become a Chartered Health Psychologist are available from the Division of Health Psychology or contact Dr Rachel Shaw for further information.
Your future career opportunities
This course will prepare you for membership of the BPS Division of Health Psychology and towards further training and employment in health psychology.
After studying this course, you can apply for posts as a research assistant or assistant psychologist working in a range of chronic health or health promotion fields. Many graduates go on to complete further training (Stage 2) to become a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and a registered health psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council. Stage 2 of the training involves developing and demonstrating competences in research, teaching and training, practice and consultancy.
Recent graduates from both our on-campus and distance learning MSc Health Psychology courses have entered a variety of roles, for example:
-Assistant Psychologist, St Andrew's Healthcare
-Health psychologist, Private health clinic.
-Health Researcher, Unspecified Pharmaceutical Company
-Research Assistant, The University of Hong Kong
-School Programme Co-Ordinator, Food Dudes
-Stop Smoking Adviser, Bannerbrook Pharmacy
-Team Leader, The Midland Eye Institute
-WEA Ambassador, Royal Bank of Scotland
-Working in the NHS running interventions to improve health of patients and management of their illness
-Working in the NHS to evaluate and re-design existing health services
-PhD study
Applicants with an Honours Degree, normally 2.1 or above, (makes student eligible for Graduate Basis Recognition of the British Psychological Society (BPS)) will be considered. Applicants may be called for interview. Students who are applying from outside the UK, or who do not have a BPS accredited Bachelor’s degree in Psychology must check with the BPS to see if they qualify for Graduate Basis Registration (GBR). Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an English language qualification.
