Masters degrees in Cross-Cultural Psychology involve advanced study of the cultural influences that affect psychological processes on individual, communal, and societal levels.
Related postgraduate specialisms include Interdisciplinary Psychology and Social Psychology. Entry requirements normally include an undergraduate degree in an appropriate subject such as Intercultural Communication Studies or Psychology.
The role of Psychologists in our every day lives is becoming much more prominent with more emphasis on areas such as cognitive behavioural therapies, mindfulness, and other support to improve our lives now available via the NHS and more people seeking self help methods and private support to cope more effectively with different situations throughout their lives. Psychologists are also much in demand in areas which need understanding of the most common human behaviours to shape products which are helpful to our lives. This can be anything from our smart devices to websites and products we use at different stages of life. Psychologists can also help to determine what benefits are gained from projects which do not have a monetary value attached but are life enhancing. When Psychologists get involved in user centred design areas the effects on how we interact with our world can be dramatically improved, meeting and exceeding our expectations, working when things didn't work for us before and having a beneficial effect on our thinking and mental health. This often can improve physical health.
The MRes degree programme is designed to provide you with a thorough grounding in the skills required for a career in psychological research. You will gain an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of particular theoretical perspectives, research methods, experimental designs and statistical procedures. You study specific types of people at different stages of life discovering and improving your ability to research and test for specific scenarios which you can then analyse using regression , variance and SPSS. Many projects have been published from this programme into internationally renowned journals.
Introduction to Postgraduate Process
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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.
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.
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.
Why do we become attached to a particular person? How do relationship dynamics change over time? Does objectifying women lead to their mistreatment? When is gender made relevant in and for politics? What does it mean in practice to support someone with autism, and how can we assess support? Does self-modesty differ between cultures? How does economic inequality affect self-perception? What identities are invoked in interview interactions?
In this taught programme in Social Psychology you will enhance your knowledge and understanding of the theories, concepts and methodological tools that constitute social psychology’s distinctive perspective. You will be guided and supported in exploring the social psychological literature. You will be given rigorous training in qualitative and quantitative analyses. You will have diverse opportunities to build your own research experience, through seeking and implementing research-based answers to questions in the field or in the literature. You will participate in our unique problem based approach to providing empirical answers to social psychological questions.
In short, you will learn to think like a social psychologist, and you will learn to do social psychology.
You will benefit from being part of a growing group of friendly, enthusiastic social psychologists working within a vibrant department, in a lovely city. You will benefit from our expertise in working in different cultures, in the field, and with mixed methods. You will also benefit from the breadth and strength of the interdisciplinary academic community at Edinburgh, for example, by having the opportunity to select option courses, attend research seminars across different disciplines, take part in the social psychology reading group or in discursive psychology and conversation analysis data sessions.
You will undertake the following:
Core courses (worth 90 credits in total):
Option courses worth 30 credits in total:
And a Dissertation in Social Psychology (60 credits)
The overall aim of this programme is to advance your understanding of how social questions can be addressed using social psychology, and to provide you with the conceptual and research tools to do so.
More specifically, on successful completion of this programme, you will be able to:
On completion you will also:
The programme will provide relevant preparation for a range of career paths, including:
Are you determined to pursue a professional career in psychology but don’t have an undergraduate degree in the subject? Our online MSc in Psychology will equip you with the knowledge and understanding of core areas of psychology, and will prepare you to make ethical and evidence-based decisions in the field.
Studied through online distance learning, this course is all about learning the foundations of psychology, focussing on the practical application of evidence based decisions in the field – this isn’t a course for armchair psychologists! You will learn to design experiments to gather and analyse data, and explore everything from how our brain influences our perception of the world, to social interaction, abnormal psychology, approaches to intelligence testing and possible therapies, childhood development & behavioural neuroscience.
Exploring the core areas of psychology, you will learn to back up theories with empirical reasoning through rigorous research.
This Masters is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Through this conversion course, you will be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) from the British Psychological Society (BPS), essential for training and pursuing a career as a professional psychologist.
Modules include:
Entry Requirements
To be eligible for this course you must normally have:
And:
For students whose prior learning was not taught in English:
We’ll typically ask you for a personal statement that demonstrates your ability to study the course. We may also want references and evidence of relevant experiences.
Don’t have any of the above?
If you don’t already have an undergraduate degree, we may be able to offer you a place on one of our undergraduate degree programmes.
We offer online degrees in a range of psychology subjects. As they are delivered via online learning, they can fit in around your current commitments.
We also offer blended undergraduate degrees that are delivered on-campus 2 days a week at one of our study centres in London, Birmingham and Manchester. These give you the facilities and structure of face-to-face learning with the flexibility to fit other commitments in around your studies.
