Psychology MSc

In this module you'll develop a wide ranging knowledge of the key developmental concepts used within psychology, enabling a deeper understanding and appreciation of human psychological development. This module will also provide you with an opportunity to learn about the major psychological theories and key practical skills relating to individual differences in intelligence and personality. Material covered will range from historical and conceptual foundations, to current research and contemporary practice.

The module will provide you with a broad, synoptic overview of the scope of academic and professional psychology with a focus on epistemological and methodological debates within the discipline. You will be introduced to the assumptions underlying different ways of articulating and investigating research questions from psychological perspectives.

This module requires you to carry out an independent research project, under supervision from your tutor. It aims to provide you with the skills to conduct a literature review and to identify viable and valuable topics for research. It will enable you to deploy the practical skills learned in other modules, including designing and executing a research study, analysing the data collected, and presenting a high quality report of the whole process in written form.

This module enables you to examine the fundamental concepts of the biological bases of human behaviour, to develop a familiarity with the relevant scientific terminology of psychobiology and to critically evaluate the key concepts and findings in this area. You will also develop an insight into the discipline of cognitive psychology via an appraisal of the history, methodology and key empirical findings of the area. This will promote your understanding of cognitive theories and models within the context provided by the information-processing paradigm that characterises the discipline.

This module covers a range of foundational and advanced techniques and methods for collecting and analysing qualitative data in psychology, including issues and techniques in data transcription and epistemological issues in qualitative psychology. You'll be encouraged to engage with significant debates concerning the different research methodologies and to critically reflect on key studies and approaches.

Key skills and advanced knowledge of quantitative research methodologies within Psychology; critical thinking about research problems and the most appropriate experimental designs and methods for different types of research; an understanding of levels of data, statistical distributions, non-parametric tests, t-tests, correlation, multiple regression, analysis of variance, and post-hoc testing; skills necessary to perform key statistical procedures.

This module will introduce you to theoretical and empirical aspects of both social psychology and applied psychology. Key ideas will be considered in conjunction with contemporary research. Core aspects of social psychology will include social perception, social influence and social relationships. You will also be introduced to different areas of applied psychology with a focus on understanding how theoretical and methodological approaches can be applied in practical ways.

You'll work in voluntary or paid positions in settings related to psychology. You are enabled to gain valuable work experience, develop skills which will help to prepare you for the workplace, and consider your future career development plans.

A systematic literature review in an area of psychology compatible with your MSc course, while receiving one-to-one supervision from a member of staff, and written up in a style suitable for a review paper in a peer-reviewed psychology journal.