This BPS-accredited conversion course is designed for graduates who wish to pursue a career in psychology but need to acquire the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS). You do not need to have studied psychology to be eligible for this programme. However, you should note that it is an intensive course and requires hard work and independent study outside the contact hours – full-time study IS full-time. We welcome applications from graduates with upper second class degrees who have either completed a degree in another subject or who have insufficient psychology in their degree to be eligible for GBC.
You will take modules at Masters level in core areas of psychology, as specified by the BPS. You will also take one option module in psychology from a selection available within the department. We offer a work experience in psychology module as an option for those who would like to gain valuable experience in the work place. The content of the curriculum of the MSc covers the core areas of psychology stipulated by the BPS for GBC. This consists of Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, History and Philosophy of Psychology, Individual Differences, Empirical Project, Psychobiology, Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods, and Social Psychology. In all of the modules there is a strong emphasis on critical evaluation of theory and practice.
The following modules are indicative of what you study on this course.
Core modules
This Masters programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), provided the minimum standard of an overall pass mark of at least 50% is achieved. Students must also pass the empirical project element to be eligible for GBC. This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. Gaining GBC through the Psychology MSc will enable you to progress towards a career in psychology.
Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. It is the prerequisite for progression to Postgraduate professional training in psychology and subsequent registration as a Chartered Psychologist working in any of the fields of professional psychology – including clinical, counselling, educational, occupational, and health psychology. It is a requirement for Masters and Doctorate courses in Psychology that lead to professional qualifications such as Doctorates in Counselling, Clinical and Educational Psychology, and Masters courses in Organisational/Occupational Psychology.
This BPS-accredited conversion course is designed for graduates who wish to pursue a career in psychology but need to acquire the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS). You do not need to have studied psychology to be eligible for this programme. However, you should note that it is an intensive course and requires hard work and independent study outside the contact hours – full-time study IS full-time. We welcome applications from graduates with upper second class degrees who have either completed a degree in another subject or who have insufficient psychology in their degree to be eligible for GBC.
You will take modules at Masters level in core areas of psychology, as specified by the BPS. You will also take one option module in psychology from a selection available within the department. We offer a work experience in psychology module as an option for those who would like to gain valuable experience in the work place. The content of the curriculum of the MSc covers the core areas of psychology stipulated by the BPS for GBC. This consists of Cognitive Psychology, Developmental Psychology, History and Philosophy of Psychology, Individual Differences, Empirical Project, Psychobiology, Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods, and Social Psychology. In all of the modules there is a strong emphasis on critical evaluation of theory and practice.
The following modules are indicative of what you study on this course.
Core modules
This Masters programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), provided the minimum standard of an overall pass mark of at least 50% is achieved. Students must also pass the empirical project element to be eligible for GBC. This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. Gaining GBC through the Psychology MSc will enable you to progress towards a career in psychology.
Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. It is the prerequisite for progression to Postgraduate professional training in psychology and subsequent registration as a Chartered Psychologist working in any of the fields of professional psychology – including clinical, counselling, educational, occupational, and health psychology. It is a requirement for Masters and Doctorate courses in Psychology that lead to professional qualifications such as Doctorates in Counselling, Clinical and Educational Psychology, and Masters courses in Organisational/Occupational Psychology.
This unique programme accredited by the British Psychological Society aims to equip students to apply the scientific and theoretical principles and ideas of health psychology using a scholarly and critical approach, and to develop the practical skills and knowledge required for employment or research in the field.
The programme is regularly reviewed by an advisory board including world-renowned experts in health psychology. It provides a thorough grounding in theories, concepts and empirical findings central to current health psychology. Students are encouraged to develop their own area of specialisation, and are given formal training in quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of eight core modules (120 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits). Please see departmental website for more details.
Core modules
Optional modules
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation written up as a mock paper submission to the British Journal of Health Psychology.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, class exercises, project work, training workshops, journal clubs and hands-on computer-based teaching on statistical analysis techniques. Assessment is through coursework (including critical reviews and essays), one unseen examination and the research project. Students are also offered a short work placement.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Health Psychology MSc
Many graduates of the programme continue with PhD studies, or find work as researchers or other positions allied to psychology, health, illness and healthcare delivery.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
Given the academic nature of the programme, our students tend to do exceptionally well securing funded PhD studentships or clinical doctorates. As the focus of the MSc is on improving health care and delivery, many students also take up positions within the public or private healthcare sector.
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 Health Psychology MSc is run within the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, which houses 13 research groups, of which two – the Health Behaviour Research Centre (HBRC), and the Psychobiology Group – provide direct support to the MSc.
The HBRC is one of the largest health psychology research groups in the UK, and undertakes research aimed at advancing understanding of behaviours that have a major impact on health, and contributing to the development of interventions to promote healthy lifestyles. The Psychobiology Group is a multidisciplinary group concerned with the pathways through which sociodemographic and psychosocial factors influence physical disease processes.
This environment provides students with unique networking opportunities, being taught by specialists in their field, and completing relevant placements in clinical, academic or policy-related settings. In addition, students are also encouraged to integrate themselves into the research groups and networks closely associated with the programme which can provide invaluable real-world research experience and potential collaborations with national and international leaders in health psychology and related disciplines.
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: Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care
81% 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 trains you in the fundamental aspects of quantitative and qualitative research, including research design, data collection and data analysis, and provides practical, ‘hands-on’ experience.
The programme will appeal to you if you would like to develop your career in experimental research, or to enhance your ability to apply research skills in either the public or the private sector.
The programme will enable you to:
You also complete a research project leading to a dissertation, and you participate in general research skills training modules with students from other departments at Goldsmiths.
For more than ten years now, the programme has been recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council(ESRC) as providing the generic and specific research training required by students in receipt of ESRC studentship awards.
Since 2011, the programme has been the research methods training masters for the psychology pathway within the Goldsmiths and Queen Mary ESRC-funded Doctoral Training Centre (2011-2015).
Students in receipt of an ESRC 1+3 PhD studentship in the psychology pathway have to take this course as the first year of a 4-year PhD programme; students who have completed the Masters self-funded, are eligible to bid for an ESRC funded +3 PhD studentship in the psychology pathway at Goldsmiths or Queen Mary.
The MRes runs for one academic year full-time or two years part-time. Most of the lectures, seminars and workshops on the programme run in the first two terms, but you are expected to pursue your studies beyond formal term times, particularly in respect of your research project.
Lectures, seminars and workshops for the programme are timetabled mainly for Mondays and Tuesdays, but you may occasionally be required to attend other seminars and workshops held by the Department and College. You must take all the modules listed in the syllabus.
The list below provides an overview of the topics covered in each module. All modules include a strong practical component.
In addition to these modules, you will also complete:
Research Project (60 credits)
You will produce an empirical piece of research leading to a research project, supervised by at least one member of the lecturing staff in the Department. The project provides invaluable, practical ‘hands on’ experience of evaluating a particular research question. You have the opportunity to set your research question, determine and apply the methods to obtain the answers, and present, discuss and interpret the results. You normally start your project in the second term, together with necessary literature reviews and research design. Work on your project will continue full-time following the formal examinations in May up until project submission in mid-September.
Additional workshops and seminars
You are also required to attend some of the Department’s programme of Invited Speakers’ talks given by distinguished academics in psychology, and to produce a written critique on one of these. You are welcome to attend the Department’s other seminar series, which are hosted by eminent academics and practitioners.
Assessment
Written examinations; coursework; dissertation.
The programme aims to equip you with a sound understanding of methods and skills necessary to conduct high-level research in psychology, using a wide range of approaches and techniques.
The programme provides the ideal preparation for a research career. Many students go on to do a PhD, or to conduct experimental research in a wide variety of settings.
Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths.
Sign up to the Health Psychology Open Evening on Thursday 22 March
New Master's Scholarships available. Find out more and apply.
Our BPS-accredited MSc in Health Psychology is specifically designed for graduate psychologists who wish to go on to becoming registered Health Psychologists with the HCPC. Our Health Psychology course combines classroom teaching, individual study and practical work in statistics, a supervised research project and a 100-hour health-based clinical placement.
Our Health Psychology course provides up-todate and thorough grounding in the theories, concepts and empirical findings in health psychology. It will prepare you for a subsequent research degree or professional training in health psychology (ie PhD and/or BPS Stage 2 training in Health Psychology).
We aim to equip you with the skills to apply the scientific and theoretical basis of health psychology using scholarly and critical
approaches. We also provide formal training in quantitative and qualitative research methods so that you are able to evaluate, plan and conduct research. Clinical placements provide the opportunity to observe health psychology in practice and to learn basic clinical skills.
The clinical placement takes place in the second semester and is organised by a dedicated member of academic staff in NHS departments across King’s Health Partners, in industry and health related charities and public services. Placements consist of a dedicated piece of work completed by the student in their host department coupled with shadowing and observing health and clinical psychologists. Previous placements included auditing patient experiences in an NHS outpatient department, designing an information leaflet on health psychological measurement for allied health professionals and interviewing patients about their experiences of psychological therapy among others, some of which have led to academic and professional publication.
You will also be required to undertake a significant piece of empirical work (a research project). All research projects are conducted in collaboration with a supervisor. While you will be encouraged to develop your own research proposal, you will also have the opportunity to work on projects developed by academic staff in their areas of expertise.
You will be taught through a mix of lectures, seminars and tutorials.
You will be assessed through a combination of coursework and examinations.
Year 1
Examination (20%) | Coursework (60%) | Practical (20%)
Course accreditation
British Psychological Society as Stage One training towards becoming a Chartered Health Psychologist.
Our graduates continue to complete BPS Stage 2 and practise as health psychologists in clinical settings, research assistants, PhD study, jobs in behaviour relevant to healthand illness and health care delivery, such as smoking cessation adviser.
Our Forensic Psychology Masters degree is jointly delivered by the School of Law and the Department of Psychology. By choosing this course at Royal Holloway you will be trained in the research-practitioner model for careers either in forensic psychology or applied psychology, and gain transferable skills that provide a valuable basis for careers in a wide range for fields.
A solid foundation in scientific research methods is developed so that you can design, conduct and analyse empirical psychological research. Teaching will be provided by academics from Psychology, Criminology and Law which will enable you develop skills in integrating concepts and communicating on multidisciplinary levels. You will be trained in qualitative and quantitative methods and in ethical issues relating to research and practice.
Our balanced approach to research and teaching guarantees high quality teaching from both research and practice-led internal and external professionals, cutting edge materials and intellectually challenging debates. You will receive individual attention to enhance your personal and professional development.
On graduating you will have the foundation level knowledge to work towards becoming a qualified Forensic Psychologist and the understanding of the necessary interrelationship between scientific research and forensic psychological practice.
Knowledge and understanding is assessed by a broad range of both informal (i.e. class exercises and feedback) and by formal means (i.e. examination, presentations and oral reports, coursework and dissertation).
A Forensic Psychology masters degree at Royal Holloway, University of London can lead into a variety of career paths. Your career aspirations might change as you are exposed to the breadth of the subject through your course. You will be in a strong position to embark on a career in applied forensic psychological research and undertake a PhD or to pursue a career as a Practitioner Forensic Psychologist. You will also have developed an enviable amount of transferable skills that will be an advantage to you in a wide variety of fields.
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.
We're committed to developing our postgraduates into skilled researchers who can conduct rigorous research using a variety of methods and analytic techniques.
Supervision can be offered in any of the areas of departmental activity.
During your first year you may take a range of taught modules including research methods, theory, and statistics; requirements will vary depending on any postgraduate training you have already undertaken.
You will attend and contribute to research seminars, and through departmental and Goldsmiths-wide modules you will also be encouraged to develop practical skills such as public speaking, poster preparation, scientific writing, and how to interact with the media.
You will meet regularly with your supervisor, and develop a structured approach to designing, executing, analysing and writing up your research.
You will have access to the Department of Psychology's range of laboratories, testing rooms and research equipment. You will also have an annual allowance to contribute towards your research expenses and/or conference attendance.
Find out more about research degrees at Goldsmiths.
Our postgraduate students are offered a stimulating study environment in which to research their higher degree. We have a thriving postgraduate school with some 50 current students on full-time and part-time programmes, including mature students and students from the EU and overseas.
All our MPhil students are assigned a specific research supervisor (or sometimes joint supervisors).
Students undergo comprehensive training in psychological research methods (unless they already hold an MSc approved by the ESRC) in line with current ESRC training guidelines, including quantitative and qualitative research methods. This is mainly during the first year of registration (or first two years for part-time students. Students also attend various short generic research skills and methods training modules run by the College.
Students have full access to the Department's excellent facilities for lab and field research, and first-rate technical support is available from the Department's team of full-time technical staff.
Students initially register for an MPhil until they achieve satisfactory upgrading to PhD status. This is dependent upon satisfactory progress reports, an upgrading report and a viva. The upgrading report is usually completed after 12 months full-time, or 24 months part-time. The report will include a plan of the thesis, a timetable, and one draft thesis chapter (or equivalent) and will be discussed at a presentation to the Departmental Postgraduate Committee.
Students will also be required to present their work at the Postgraduate symposium. Submission of the thesis is the final stage of the work, when your completed thesis is presented for examination (viva voce).
All full-time students have their own workplace and a networked computer with access to relevant software. Part-time students also have access to a networked computer, generally shared between two or three students. We also run a psychological test library for staff and students.
Our postgraduates have regular opportunities to meet with other students and to make contact with staff. The Department runs a number of active visiting lecturer seminar series. There are also several specialised research groups that hold regular meetings and talks that are open to staff, researchers and postgraduate students. Postgraduates are also strongly encouraged to present their work as a paper or poster at national or international conferences and financial support is set aside for this.
The Institute of Management Studies (IMS) will equip you with a sound understanding of the methods and skills necessary to conduct high-level research, using a wide range of approaches and techniques.
It includes a broad training in behavioural and social science research methodologies, including the fundamentals of qualitative research and advanced level quantitative research.
Supervision can be offered in any of the areas of departmental activity, as reflected in the research areas of our staff.
As an MPhil student, you will receive training in and develop wide-ranging research skills, including:
You will attend and contribute to research seminars and, through the Institute of Management Studies, the Centre for Creative and Social Technologies, Department of Psychology, the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship and Goldsmiths-wide courses. You will also be encouraged to develop practical skills such as public speaking, poster preparation, scientific writing, and strategies for interacting with the media.
You will meet regularly with your supervisor at every stage, and develop a structured approach to designing, executing, analysing and writing up your research.
During your first year, you may take a range of taught modules including research design and analysis, advanced statistics, theoretical issues, project management, global leadership, organisational behaviour and health, workplace coaching and counselling, and training and development.
Find out more about research degrees at Goldsmiths.
Sign up to the King's Postgraduate Health & Life Sciences Open Evening - Wednesday 14 March 2018.
New Master's Scholarships available. Find out more and apply.
Our Mental Health Studies MSc course will equip you with the relevant knowledge in the field of mental health and provide you with the opportunity to examine one area further through both theoretical and empirical research.
While our Mental Health Studies course, which was established in 1992, offers mental health professionals a range of opportunities for continuing professional development, an equally high number of our students have not yet embarked on professional training. Some come with a relevant first degree, usually in psychology, and already have work experience in the mental health field.
Our Mental Health Studies course consists of the following modules:
Basic Mental Health, a combination of modules in Research Methods, a Research Dissertation, and a choice of two 30-credit and two 15-credit optional modules.
The Basic Mental Health module provides an overview of the theoretical perspectives on mental illness, diagnosis and assessment, psychiatric disorders and treatment, approaches to management and care.
The modules in research methods cover quantitative and qualitative approaches to research and provides the foundations for your own research project.
You will be taught through a mix of lectures, seminars and tutorials.
You will be assessed through a combination of coursework and examinations and may typically expect assessment by:
Year 1
Examination (30%) | Coursework (50%)| Practical (20%)
Graduates pursue various careers in mental health, including psychology and other clinical training, research assistant positions and PhD study.
MSc Social and Cultural Psychology explores the ways in which culture and society shape how people think, behave and relate to each other.
We draw on theories, concepts and methods of social and cultural psychology to understand how societies think, how communities develop a sense of identity and how they represent controversial and important issues affecting local and global public spheres.
The MSc aims to give you a grounded understanding of theoretical and applied issues as well as a sophisticated training in a broad range of research methods. It will advance your knowledge and professional competence in the area of social and cultural psychology, and enhance your independent thinking and analytical skills.
The programme is unique in its combination of social and cultural approaches to psychology and is one of the world's leading programmes in this field. It offers an extensive choice of specialist courses, addressing a variety of theoretical and applied issues in social and cultural psychology and in the social sciences as a whole.
This programme is intended to equip you for a career in business organisations, communities, health, the media, development and international agencies, government or in research.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
