Applied Child Psychology MSc
About this course
Psychology is the systematic study of behaviour and experience, and this course offers you the chance to undertake an in-depth look and critical evaluation of psychological development in children and adolescents. On this degree you'll get to explore everything from social and cognitive development, to psychological and behavioural difficulties in childhood.
You’ll focus on psychological theory and research, and their impact on the development of policy and practice across education, clinical and social settings.
Please note that the BPS do not accredit MSc Applied Child Psychology courses.
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Apply your learning to real world problems across education, clinical and social contexts. -
Put your skills into practice with your independent research project, focusing on a topic of your choice. -
With 3 set days in university each week (2 for part-time students), balance your studies around your other commitments such as part-time work. -
Benefit from excellent support from our academic team to enhance your learning.
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What you’ll study
In addition to focusing on social and cognitive psychology, and psychological and behavioural difficulties, we’ll also focus on the child in context – developing your understanding of contemporary, historical and cross-cultural understandings of childhood psychology.
We’ll also develop your research skills and observational methods in the context of working with children, and you’ll conduct an independent research project on a topic of your choice with support from an academic supervisor.
You will complete an extended essay on a relevant topic of your choice and an empirical research project, both under the supervision of a research active member of staff.
Child in Context
This module aims to challenge understandings of child development that have emerged within the discipline of psychology. It will examine the range of ways by which knowledge and understanding of the psychology of childhood has been developed, referring to the social construction of childhood from contemporary, historical and cross-cultural frameworks. It will assess critically the consequences of this knowledge and understanding and consider different methodological approaches to understanding the child in context. The module challenges traditional approaches to understanding a range of issues related to children.
At the heart of the module is the assumption that an inclusive approach to education systems, policy and an understanding of difference is crucial for overcoming the challenges often faced in childhood.
Social and Cognitive Development in Children
The module will consider the importance of social and cognitive explanations for understanding, and critically explaining, children’s development within different education settings. The module will consider aspects of social and cognitive developmental psychology within an applied educational setting and aims to challenge some of the traditional approaches to understanding a range of issues related to children within the school context. At the heart of the module is the recognition that social and cognitive explanations need to be integrated to provide better understanding of educational development in children.
Specifically, the module will focus on examining key concepts in social development, such as the importance of peer relationships, school exclusion, victimisation and bullying alongside cognitive explanations for language and literacy and the development of mathematical and scientific thinking.
The module will examine the development, and integration of, social and cognitive explanations for understanding children’s development both within (and beyond) different educational settings.
Research Skills for Working with Children
The module aims to introduce you to the quantitative and qualitative research methods that are typically used to study child and adolescent psychology. In doing so the module aims to facilitate a critical understanding of the field and explore research methodology that leads to applied initiatives in child and adolescent development.
The module’s content intends to provide you with a grounding in the approaches used by researchers in child and adolescent psychology. The content is likely to include discussions of the practicalities and ethics of working with children, designing surveys, secondary data analysis, questionnaire design, qualitative methods and developing experimental studies for use with young participants.
The main methods of analysis that will be introduced include, qualitative analysis, bivariate regression, multiple regression, and analysis of variance.
Observational Methods
This module will provide you with a knowledge of, and practical skills in, observational methods. More specifically the module aims to:
- Develop understanding of the use of different observational methods to address psychological questions.
- Demonstrate the processes involved in the coding and analysis of observational data.
- Enable students to conduct a piece of observational research.
- Allow students to appraise critically the quality of observational designs and address issues concerning relating to reliability and validity.
- To develop students’ abilities to handle observational data.
- To further develop students’ abilities to report, present and evaluate observational designs and data.
- The module aims to provide specialist training in observational methods.
Topics may include:
- Observational research designs (the use of structured and un-structured observations).
- Quasi-experimental techniques.
- Data gathering techniques.
- Advantages and disadvantages of observational designs.
- Data handling, organisation, and management techniques.
- Developing valid and reliable coding schemes and the application of these coding schemes to analyse video material.
- Reliability and validity.
Developmental Profiles of Language and Learning
The module will consider current theory and research to explain a range of developmental profiles around language and learning. Alongside exploring current perspectives on language and learning ability in children, several types of distinct profile may be covered (e.g., specific language impairment, dyslexia, and downs syndrome).
Psychological and Behavioural Difficulties in Childhood
The module is designed to extend knowledge and encourage reflection on psychological and behavioural difficulties that children may experience, and are likely to be identified and managed within clinical settings. The module will consider contemporary approaches to understanding clinical aspects of children’s behaviour. The topics will focus on both emotional and behavioural difficulties across clinical settings.
Career Focus and Development
This module will offer the opportunity to reflect on the key professional skills necessary to enhance employability and access to further training courses and ensure you are equipped to best present yourself to prospective employers. Specific overall aims include:
- The opportunity to develop an application for a position of your choice.
- Encouraging you to reflect on your own abilities and experiences in relation to the workplace.
- Application of the principles of communication to different settings and audiences.
Child Psychology Independent Research Project
This module will enable you to develop and demonstrate professional psychological research skills appropriate to the discipline by designing (including addressing ethical issues) and undertaking an extended independent research project in psychology, using an advanced research method, under the guidance of an appropriate supervisor.
The module content will depend on the your choice of topic. Regular supervision will be provided to guide your research projects. Supervisory support will be provided as you plan and prepare their project proposals (e.g., advanced research skills and use of specialist equipment) and at regular intervals afterwards.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
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How you're taught
The MSc Applied Child Psychology starts in late September. A dedicated induction day is provided for all students which introduces you to your course, to your teaching teams and to the university facilities. The day ends with an informal social event.
The course is completed in one year of full-time study (your final piece of coursework is submitted in late August) or two years part-time. The teaching terms run from late September to Christmas and then from January to Easter. The contact teaching for full-time students is delivered over three days per week, and for part-time students over two days per week.
Study and support
The course will be delivered through a combination of methods including:
- taught modules
- lectures
- interactive workshops
- small group teaching
There will also be an expectation that students will engage in independent study during the course.
International students in psychology can also access additional language and study skills support, as well as help in acclimatising, via our own International Student Support Officer. In addition, our library offers unlimited support – both in groups and one-to-one – for all academic skills, ranging from essay-writing to reading journal articles and interpreting statistics. You will also be assigned a personal academic tutor, who will be able to offer more personalised support when needed.
Assessment methods
You'll be assessed in a variety of ways and on a modular basis through:
- examination
- coursework
- essays
- laboratory reports
- literature reviews
- research project.
An active research environment
Throughout the course you will benefit from research-informed teaching. All staff teaching on the course are research-active in their field of interest, which includes members from the Communication for Inclusion Research Unit (CIRU) and the Specific Language Impairment Research Unit (SLIRU).
Find out more about psychology research, including the Centre for Research in Language, Education and Developmental Inequalities and the Language and Psycholinguistics research group.
World-leading research
- In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 100% of NTU's research environment in Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience was assessed to be world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of quality.
In-sessional English language support
In-sessional English language support classes are available to all international (non-EU) students studying on degree courses at NTU. There is no extra charge for these classes and students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of them according to need.
Careers and employability
Students generally choose the MSc Applied Child Psychology because they wish to pursue a career working with children (as a teacher, support worker, and so on).
Many already work with children and complete the course in order to improve their prospects of promotion and career progression. Others see the qualification as a means of helping to secure a path to teacher training or a doctoral training place in educational psychology*. It is also possible to pursue an academic and / or research career in child / developmental psychology following graduation (by working as a research assistant or associate, for example, or by studying for a PhD).
Your qualification in psychology is likely to be popular with a whole range of potential employers because you will have demonstrated an ability to write essays and reports, to master advanced statistics and to talk and present in front of other people (amongst other transferable skills).
Careers and job application advice is available to all our postgraduate students and is provided on a one-to-one basis by a subject specialist within the Department, supported by the university wide careers service.
The job titles below give an indication of the careers our recent Psychology graduates are pursuing:
- Education mental health practitioners
- Assistant psychologists
- Research specialists
- Teachers
- Therapeutic support care workers
- Pastoral counsellors
- Learning support assistants
*Data extracted from the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021/22 and 2020/21, surveying graduates 15 months after finishing their degree.
*Further study and / or a BPS-accredited conversion course conferring Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership may be required - please note that the BPS do not accredit Applied Child Psychology MSc courses.
Employability team
Our expert Employability team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice. You can benefit from this service at any time during your studies, and for up to three years after completing your course. Find out more about the service.
Campus and facilities
As a postgraduate Psychology student, you’ll mainly be studying in the Chaucer, Taylor and Newton buildings, at the centre of our vibrant City Campus. As well as a range of classrooms and lecture theatres, you’ll benefit from our dedicated Psychology learning environments.
We have specialist research laboratories including eye-trackers, motion capture labs, virtual reality and driving simulation suites, a mock prison cell, and an £80,000 EEG system. These facilities support your learning alongside staff research in the exciting areas of human cognition, behavioural neuroscience, human interaction and communication, and human development.
NTU’s City Campus has everything you’ll need to stay busy between lectures. As well as the Boots Library and its beautiful roof garden, there’s our stylish Students’ Union building and two-storey, 100-station gym; a whole host of cafés, bars, restaurants and food outlets for every taste; our much-loved Global Lounge; performance and rehearsal spaces for musicians; and much, much more!
Take a few steps off campus and you’ll find yourself in the heart of Nottingham — one of Britain’s top 10 student cities, and one of Europe’s top 25. It’s stuffed with history, culture, and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure. Enjoy lush green spaces, galleries, hidden cinemas and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink and social scene by night.
Take our virtual tour to get a real feel for the campus.
Entry requirements
UK students
Applying with prior qualifications
You will need an undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1) in Psychology, or an allied discipline (supported by relevant experience of working with children) or other recognised equivalent qualification. Allied disciplines include childhood studies, behavioural sciences, education, social sciences and speech or language therapy.
Applying with non-standard entry qualifications/experience
Applicants without such qualifications will be considered on an individual basis but will be required to demonstrate how their experiences and knowledge would enable them to study this course at Masters level in their Personal Statement.
Additional requirements for UK students
Your application form requires a written statement in which you should outline reasons for wishing to undertake the MSc Applied Child Psychology. We will be looking to ensure that you have a sound rationale for joining the course based on a realistic appreciation of the discipline and profession of psychology.
Other qualifications and experience
We welcome applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds and work experience. We consider credit transfer, vocational and professional qualifications, and any work or life experience you may have.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
Academic entry requirements: You will need an undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1) in Psychology, or an allied discipline (supported by relevant experience of working with children) or other recognised equivalent qualification. Allied disciplines include childhood studies, behavioural sciences, education, social sciences and speech or language therapy. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country
Applicants with non-standard entry qualifications and/or relevant experience will be considered on an individual basis. You will be required to demonstrate how your experiences and knowledge would enable you to study this course at Masters-level in your Personal Statement.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Additional requirements for international students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
We welcome applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds and work experience. We consider credit transfer, vocational and professional qualifications, and any work or life experience you may have.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
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Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
