MSc Psychological Science

An intensive one year Master’s course with accreditation from the British Psychological Society, enabling you to pursue a career in this area even if your background is in another discipline.

Why this course?

This conversion course will appeal to you if you do not already have a psychology degree.

It is approved and accredited by the British Psychological Society, (it confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership), which means you’ll have the essential knowledge to undertake professional training.

This intensive programme means with focused work and preparation, you will get a fully-accredited course in the space of 12 rewarding months.

Please note:

Applications for this course received after 30th June 2022 may not be accepted. In addition, a deposit will be required to secure a place.

Psychological Science Highlights

Applications for this course received after 30th June 2022 may not be accepted. In addition, a deposit will be required to secure a place.

World-Class Facilities

• The School has specialised facilities for human experimental psychology, movement and perception, individual differences, social psychology, child development, psychophysiology and animal behaviour.

Internationally Renowned Experts

• Research in the School has been judged to be ‘world-leading’ and ‘outstanding’ by the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF).

You might be a recent graduate or someone who’s been at work for a while and wants to change direction.

You’ll be fascinated by how psychology underpins everything we do and aids our understanding of behaviour – not just of people, but of animals too.

Please note that the MSc Psychological Science (Conversion) programme is intended for students who have completed a degree in a subject other than Psychology, to undertake an intensive foundational course and achieve a Psychology qualification which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and entails Graduate Membership of the BPS. It is not an advanced specialism degree in Psychology, but rather covers the core areas of Psychology and associated research skills as required for BPS accreditation.

We ask that you take note of this when considering your application. If you require further information about the content or structure of the MSc Psychological Science (Conversion) programme, please feel free to contact us.

The degree confers eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society and many graduates will go on to complete training in one of the 7 registered professions of psychology as well as undertaking many other jobs, (management, HR, analysts) where a psychology degree is of benefit.

Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts help our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.

Employment after the Course

You might have your eye on a career in clinical or educational psychology.

The qualification you’ll gain allows you to go on and undertake training to qualify as a professional psychologist, e.g. clinical, educational, forensic, etc.

Or you could return to your existing job with a valuable qualification and a greater understanding of what underpins the world around you.

But the applications of this course are far-reaching. We at Queen’s created a spin-out company, Adoreboard, which analyses customer data to help brands understand how people feel about them online.

Students may enrol on a full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years) basis. Taught modules are delivered over two semesters.

Full-time students follow taught modules in Semester 1 (Autumn) and Semester 2 (Spring) and they carry out an independent research project and write their MSc thesis (dissertation) in the summer.

Part-time students normally complete three taught modules in year 1, one taught module and a research thesis (dissertation) in year 2, however, there is flexibility in module selection during the part-time study.

The MSc is awarded to students who successfully complete four taught modules (120 CATS points) and a 7,000-word research dissertation (60 CATS points).

One other exit qualification is available: students may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma by successfully completing 120 CATS points from taught modules.

The course is tailored towards analysing data in the real world.

You’ll learn methodological analysis skills and the core principles of psychology:

• Psychobiology
• Developmental
• Social
• Individual differences
• Cognitive psychology.

You’ll learn everything from how people behave as social groups to how the brain works.

Your research project will take place over the summer.

Programme Modules

There are two modules per semester, and the proportional mix of time spent in classes, tutorials/seminars/labs, and private study in a teaching semester is approximately 30% lectures and lecture-related activities, 20%/Labs/Tutorials and 50% private study.

• Core Psychology I: Social, Individual Differences, Cognition and Psychobiology
  (30 CATS, Semester 1, Assessment: 60% coursework, 40% exam)
• Applications of psychology in the ‘real world’
  (30 CATS, Semester 1, Assessment: 50% coursework, 25% practical, 25% exam)
• Core Psychology II: Developmental, Conceptual & Historical Issues, Applied & Professional and Perception.
  (30 CATS, Semester 2, Assessment: 60% coursework, 40% exam)
• Methods, Design and Analysis in Psychology
  (30 CATS, Semester 2, Assessment: 100% coursework)
• Research Thesis Psychology
  (60 CATS, Semester 2 & 3, Assessment: 100% Thesis)

Learning and Teaching

People

Your tutors are experts in their subject areas and are active researchers in those subjects. They have used various aspects of psychology in the real world, so you’ll be getting a practical as well as a theoretical flavour.

The Environment

You’ll work on your thesis as part of a research team. We’re moving away from individual supervision into more of a team approach, with post-doctoral and postgraduate students all working together, mimicking project work in real-world employment situations.

Assessment

Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:

• Coursework essays
• Exams
• Multiple-choice questions
• Practical lab work
• Group work
• Presentations
• Literature review
• Independent thesis report