Masters degrees in Personality involve advanced study of the psychological factors that determine individual differences, working how and why certain characteristics develop.
Related subjects include Personality Disorder and Psychology of Individual Difference. Entry requirements typically include an undergraduate degree in a relevant Psychology subject.
Psychologists specialising in Personality are primarily concerned with the ways in which individuals develop characteristics and personality traits, including values, attitudes, personal memories, social relationships, emotional intelligence, habits and skills.
Courses usually take an interdisciplinary approach to learning, combining different schools of Psychology such as Evolutionary Psychology with methodologies from fields such as Anthropology and Social Science. Programmes encourage you to consider the ideological, ethical and philosophical issues related to the concept of personality, along with its development over time.
Training may include scientific methods such as brain-imaging, molecular genetics and biometric models, using them to explore issues such as cognitive ageing and cognitive epidemiology, and their relationship with Personality.
Career prospects are varied, but you may want to specialise in an area such as personality disorders, or how to develop mental health services for individuals in primary and secondary care. Alternatively, you might explore avenues in psychotherapy, counselling or academia.
