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Psychology MSc / PGDip

  • Level(s) of Study: Postgraduate taught / Professional
  • Start Date(s): September 2024
  • Duration: 1 / 2 year(s)
  • Study Mode(s): Full-time / Part-time
  • Campus: City Campus
  • Entry Requirements:
    More information

Introduction:

Our British Psychological Society (BPS) conversion courses are designed for graduates of other disciplines who wish to pursue a career in psychology but whose first degree is not recognised by the BPS. Entry on to the MSc Psychology does not require you to have studied any psychology previously.

This course attracts a range of students including those who have recently completed an undergraduate degree in a subject other than psychology or a non-accredited degree and also applicants who have come from jobs in the public and private sector, who are looking for a career change. Successful completion of the course provides graduates in other disciplines with a route to becoming a professional psychologist.

  • MSc Psychology is a 180-credit qualification which requires no previous experience or study of psychology.
  • PGDip is a 120-credit qualification which requires that you have already completed 60 credits of study in psychology.

The PG Dip and MSc students are taught together, with the MSc students taking their additional modules from term two onwards. This means that, assuming you meet the entry criteria for both courses, it's easy to transfer from one to the other at any point in the first term.

Accreditation by the British Psychological Society (BPS)

Successful completion of either qualification confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the BPS. This is the first step towards becoming a chartered Psychologist and provides the basis for further professional training in psychology.

As a graduate member of the BPS you will also receive additional benefits including:

  • using the designated graduate member title MBPsS
  • creating contacts and other networking opportunities by joining professional and membership groups
  • free online access to the Society's academic journals
  • reduced rates for our members for conferences and events.

BPS

What you’ll study

*We are currently reviewing the content of our courses to ensure that they remain relevant and current to out students’ future ambitions and society. Please continue to check this course webpage for the latest developments.

Psychology is the systematic study of behaviour and experience. As a discipline it is wide-ranging and overlaps with both biological sciences, such as neurology, physiology and genetics, and with social sciences such as sociology and anthropology.

The course is designed to provide dedicated supportive teaching tailored to the particular needs of postgraduate conversion students and to facilitate the development of a strong course identity among students

The course curriculum covers all of the core knowledge areas within psychology and will also deepen your range of quantitative and qualitative research skills and methods, culminating in an independent research project.

Research opportunities

You'll carry out both an empirical research project with a research active member of staff and an in-depth literature based dissertation. The Department of Psychology has links with several external organisations and you may be able to make use of these links when carrying out your research project.

Core modules

Cognitive and Biological Psychology

This module introduces cognitive and biological approaches to understanding behaviour and mental processes. You will explore the study of cognition (ie: mental processes such as memory, attention, language, problem solving and perception) from the viewpoint that we need to examine both normal, abnormal, and real world application.

Social and Developmental Psychology

The module is concerned with key topics within social and developmental psychology. You will examine the value of social psychology in understanding how social contexts influence human behaviours (e.g., the social self, social cognition, obedience and conformity, and pro-social behaviour). This will be complimented by developmental psychology where you will consider the way in which innate mechanism (nature) and life experience (nurture) interact and how they impact on our development.

Individual Differences and Conceptual Issues

This module provides you with the opportunity to comprehensively explore psychology as the study of humans. You will focus upon key topics such as the development of people’s personality, intelligence, health and emotional wellbeing. In addition to this, you will be provided a guide to the main ideas, people and approaches that have shaped the discipline of psychology throughout its history and how the discipline of Psychology aims to understand humans.

Research Methods

Divided into three areas; experimental research, qualitative research and survey methods / psychometrics, you will be guided through the process of research design, data collection, analysis and report writing. You will be taught important theoretical issues such as ethics, sampling, randomisation and other aspects of research design, but the module is primarily focussed on giving you the opportunity to learn by actually doing research.

Statistics

The module will provide theoretical and practical knowledge of a range of statistical techniques and the skills that are taught will support the Research Methods module. While some mathematical competence is beneficial, we attempt to minimise the mathematical content of the module by teaching you the underlying assumptions and rationale behind the statistical techniques rather than their complex mathematics.

Psychology Research Project

Your project is an independent piece of work that is supervised by a research active member of staff who will guide and support you as you work towards producing a final report for assessment. This will be the main opportunity for you to carry out an extensive piece of independent research of your own choosing and for you to demonstrate that you have the skills to devise, conduct, analyse, present and report an empirical study to postgraduate level.

Support is provided through small group individualised teaching in tutorials and individual supervision of the Research Project and Specialist Essay.

In addition, MSc Psychology students complete an extended essay, again under supervision and focused on a topic of their choosing, as well as 20 credits of 'Contemporary Psychology' selected from a list of available option choices.

Applied Research in Psychology (MSc only)

This module has a focus on the development of skills to enhance employability. The main aim of the module will be to ensure that you are capable of researching applied psychological topics relevant to careers within psychology and that you are able to present the results of that research in a variety of media for both professional and non-professional audiences.

Contemporary Psychology (MSc only)

MSc Psychology students will also chose an option module during the second term. These modules are sourced from the BSc (Hons) Psychology final year options and generally focus on more applied fields of psychology and will reflect the research interests of staff within the Department.

Optional choices

We try to provide a range of option choices for you, so that you are able to tailor your choice to tie in with career plans and specific interests. Examples of modules are provided below, although these vary from year to year.

The number of places available on some optional modules may be limited. These will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Students who are unable to select their first choice will be offered an alternative from the remaining optional modules.

  • Language and Literacy Development in Children
  • Advanced Cognitive Psychology
  • Psychopathology and Offending Behaviour
  • Social Development in Children and Adolescents
  • Addictive Behaviours
  • Psychology of Trauma
  • Psychology of Sex Offending

MSc Psychology students often focus their option choices, essay and project in the same area of psychology with a view to future employment possibilities. It's a good way to target your CV

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves

Student Profiles

Niall O'Hagan

Psychology

The teaching is amazing, the cohort is diverse in every aspect, and the facilities are top class! NTU is more than a university, but a community and a home away from home!

Abbie Cooper

The community and feelings of safety at NTU fostered my growth and increased my confidence, which allowed me to believe in myself.

Georgia Potter

I chose MSc Psychology at NTU as the course gives students the chance to develop a variety of abilities that are crucial for future employment in the field of psychology.

Moein Anari

My experience of the course has been overwhelmingly positive. The course is well-organized and structured, with a clear plan and accountability system in place.

Anna Simkins

I liked how the campus was city centre based, because of this it feels like a more tight-knight community. Nottingham is very vibrant and diverse with a lot going on, loads of entertainment and options for food and drink.

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How you’re taught

This course 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. Part-time students attend for two of the three days only.

Study and support

All of the core modules on these courses are taught exclusively to MSc and PGDip Psychology students by experienced staff used to working with students from a wide variety of backgrounds and with varying skills and experiences.

The course will be delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and lab classes. Further support is provided through a dedicated tutorial system. Tutorials provide an opportunity to discuss the course content, studying methods, careers and assessments in small groups. You'll also make full use of the facilities provided by the University's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

During the course you'll be assessed in a variety of ways and on a modular basis; through examination (both seen and unseen exams are used), coursework (including essays, laboratory reports and literature reviews), oral presentation and via your research project.

The Psychology department is large, with around 50 academic staff covering all areas of the discipline, and therefore you are able to take options from, and do research projects in areas of particular interest to you. This can be very helpful in preparation for related work or further study after graduation.

Assessment methods

During the course you'll be assessed in a variety of ways and on a modular basis; through examination (both seen and unseen exams are used), coursework (including essays, laboratory reports and literature reviews), oral presentation and via your research project.

An active research environment

Throughout the course you'll benefit from research-informed teaching. Find out more about our psychology research, including the Cognition 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.

Staff Profiles

Richard Trigg - Principal Lecturer

School of Social Sciences

Richard Trigg

Christine Norman - Senior Lecturer

School of Social Sciences

Christine Norman

Gary Jones - Professor

School of Social Sciences

Gary is currently a Professor at NTU Psychology. His work primarily focuses on how language and memory are influenced by linguistic experience.

Lucy Betts - Professor

School of Social Sciences

Dr Lucy Betts is a professor in social developmental psychology at NTU. Her current research primarily focuses on young people’s experiences of bullying and harassment.

Treshi-Marie Perera - Senior Lecturer

Department of Psychology

Dr Treshi-Marie Perera is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology. Her research interests are in the field of sensory integration and body perception. She employs body illusions (such as the famous

Loren Abell - Senior Lecturer

School of Social Sciences

Loren is a Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology and Associate Course Leader for MSc Psychology. Recently, Loren has been conducting research into aggression and banter in online and offline contexts.

Catherine Blackburn - Senior Lecturer

School of Social Sciences

Careers and employability

Your future career in Psychology

With the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the BPS secured, you will be eligible upon graduation to undertake further training as a professional psychologist (in areas such as clinical, forensic, educational, occupational, counselling, or sport psychology).

Alternatively you might choose to pursue an academic and / or research career in various areas of psychology (by working as a research assistant or associate or by completing a dedicated Research Methods Masters or studying for a PhD), or you may choose to exploit the transferable skills you have learned on the course to pursue a career outside of psychology.

Psychology qualifications tend to be very popular with all employers because you have to be able to write essays and reports, you have to have some basic mastery of research and data analysis, and because they assume you know quite a lot about people!

Previous graduates have gone on to pursue careers as a:

  • Assistant psychologist
  • Counselling psychotherapist
  • Care coordinator
  • Community coach
  • Resident support worker
  • Recovery worker
  • Health care assistant
  • Teacher
  • Marketing executive
  • Operations assistant

*Data extracted from the latest Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17.

Careers and job application advice is available to all our postgraduate students and is provided by a subject specialist within the Department, supported by the university-wide careers service. We're very proud of our conversion record and look forward to helping you achieve a successful career in psychology.

Psychologists may work in settings as diverse as:

  • community mental health teams
  • prisons
  • schools
  • large blue chip companies
  • research laboratories
  • government departments
  • the armed services
  • hospitals
  • premiership football clubs.

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 psychology student you will benefit from our dedicated learning environment. We have specialist research laboratories including eye trackers, motion capture labs and an £80,000 EEG system. These facilities support staff research as well as student projects in the exciting areas of human cognition, behavioural neuroscience, human interaction and communication, and human development. Find out more about these specialist facilities.

You will also have easy access to fantastic facilities in the Chaucer and Taylor buildings including:

  • Lecture theatres and teaching classrooms;
  • Open access PCs and secure wireless points;
  • Study areas and social spaces;
  • Chaucer cafe serving drinks and light snacks;
  • Our brand new School of Social Sciences reception, providing you with easy access to our helpful and friendly support staff.

IT resources

Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across our City Campus, with PCs providing access to Microsoft Office, email, web browsing, networked file storage and high-speed online printing services, with a free printing allowance for each student.

Resource rooms are available 24 hours a day.

Books and library resources

Our state-of-the-art Boots library will give you access to an extensive and diverse range of books and periodicals that focus on specialist areas within the built environment. The library's OneSearch system provides access to all our electronic resources, journals and books.

Within the library there is a liaison librarian who has specialist subject knowledge and can offer detailed help in finding and using print and electronic resources, and also with areas such as Harvard referencing and research skills.

Entry requirements

Entry on to the MSc Psychology does not require any previous study of Psychology.

MSc Psychology

  • You will need an undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1) or other recognised equivalent qualification.
  • Applicants whose undergraduate degree is a 2.2 or equivalent will also be considered, but will be required to demonstrate relevant experience and knowledge and the ability to study at the required academic level.
  • 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

Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology

  • You will need an undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1) or other recognised equivalent qualification.
  • 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.
  • Applicants must have a minimum 60 credits of Psychology from prior study at degree level. As part of the application process applicants will be asked to indicate precisely how their previous study meets this criteria.

Applicants who successfully complete 60 credits of MSc Psychology modules on Nottingham Trent University's Multidisciplinary Masters course may be eligible to APL these credits if you choose to enrol on the full MSc Psychology or Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology course.

NTU may admit a student with advanced standing beyond the beginning of a course, through an assessment of that student's prior learning, whether it is certificated or uncertificated. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available to these prospective students, such as recognising experiential learning or transferring to a similar course at another institution, otherwise known as credit transfer.

All prospective students who wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning should initially contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.

If you are unsure of your status and / or would like an informal discussion with the course leader, please contact us.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form

Entry on to the MSc Psychology does not require any previous study of Psychology.

MSc Psychology

  • You will need an undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1) or other recognised equivalent qualification.
  • Applicants whose undergraduate degree is a 2.2 or equivalent will also be considered, but will be required to demonstrate relevant experience and knowledge and the ability to study at the required academic level.
  • 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

Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology

  • You will need an undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1) or other recognised equivalent qualification.
  • 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.
  • Applicants must have a minimum 60 credits of Psychology from prior study at degree level. As part of the application process applicants will be asked to indicate precisely how their previous study meets this criteria.

Applicants who successfully complete 60 credits of MSc Psychology modules on Nottingham Trent University's Multidisciplinary Masters course may be eligible to APL these credits if you choose to enrol on the full MSc Psychology or Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology course.

NTU may admit a student with advanced standing beyond the beginning of a course, through an assessment of that student's prior learning, whether it is certificated or uncertificated. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available to these prospective students, such as recognising experiential learning or transferring to a similar course at another institution, otherwise known as credit transfer.

All prospective students who wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning should initially contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.

If you are unsure of your status and / or would like an informal discussion with the course leader, please contact us.

International qualifications

We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:

Postgraduate preparation courses (Pre-Masters)

If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Pre-Masters courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:

English language entry requirements

You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

Fees and funding

Fees for September 2024

Study route Home (UK students)
MSc Full-time £8,600
MSc Part-time £4,300 for Year One
PG Diploma Full-time £7,482
PG Diploma Part-time £3,741 for Year One

*Please note that if you are considering a course that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for the first year of study. The course fee for the second year may be subject to annual review.

Funding your studies

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.

There are numerous sources of funding available for postgraduate students, both from external sources such as the Government and funding bodies, and from the University.

There are two main costs involved with postgraduate study: the cost of your tuition fees which is paid directly to the University, and living expenses such as accommodation, travel and food.

You might be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies, We award scholarships to those students who can demonstrate excellent achievement, passion and dedication to their studies.

Please take a look at our postgraduate fees and funding page for information about sourcing grants, bursaries and scholarships, and much more.

Getting in touch

For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494

Fees for September 2024

Study routeInternational / EU students
MSc Full-time£17,500
MSc Part-time£8,750 for Year One
PG Diploma Full-time£15,255
PG Diploma Part-time£7,627.50 for Year One

*Please note that if you are considering a course that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for the first year of study. The course fee for the second year may be subject to annual review.

Scholarships

We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.

Living costs

Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:

Paying fees

Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

How to apply

All applications to this course can be made through our NTU Applicant Portal.

As places are limited, you are encouraged to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment. The course starts in September so in order to receive enrolment materials in good time, we advise that applications are submitted before the end of July.

If you are interested in joining us in September 2025, this course will be open for applications through the applicant portal from September 2024. Courses starting in January 2026 will be open for applications from July 2025.

Writing your application

Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. Make sure you include as much information as possible, including uploading evidence of results already achieved, as well as a personal statement.

All applications welcome

We welcome applications from prospective students with a range of qualifications and experience, and all are assessed on an individual basis. Applicants who do not meet the standard entry criteria can still be considered providing they have relevant experience to compliment any qualifications. All applicants will need to apply through our NTU Applicant Portal.

If you're applying without prior qualifications, you'll need to submit comprehensive details of your achievements with evidence to substantiate your claim (any documentation can be uploaded to the My Documents section of the Applicant Portal). This type of application will be considered with respect to the University’s provision for ‘accreditation for prior experiential learning’. Decisions regarding the accreditation of prior learning are a matter of academic judgement.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) formally known as a Criminal Record Bureau check

Many students choose to collect research data in the UK as part of their projects. You may be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service check depending on your project topic.

Keeping up to date

After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process - so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

Open days

The School of Social Sciences holds open events throughout the year. Come along and learn more about our courses, speak to programme leaders and find out about studying with the School.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or support, you can call our Admissions Team on +44 (0)115 848 4200, or contact us at Ask NTU.

Good luck with your application!

Apply online through our NTU applicant portal.

Application advice

Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example.  After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

Writing your personal statement

Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) formally known as a Criminal Record Bureau check

Many students from overseas choose to collect research data in the UK as part of their projects. DBS checks only cover students from the UK, so unless you have been resident in the UK for five years or more, we will need a criminal record check from your home country if you plan to work with vulnerable populations. Checks from overseas can sometimes be referred to by a variety of names such as a Police Check or a Good Behaviour Record. To find out what it is called in your home country and how to apply for one, please visit the government website.

If you are an overseas student and are planning to collect data for your research project from vulnerable populations in your home country, you are advised to apply for a home police check to support your research. You will need to demonstrate in your ethics form that you have met all the requirements of your home country to work with vulnerable populations.

If you are unable to obtain a home Police Check and still wish to work with vulnerable populations in your home country, discuss this with your Course Leader in the first instance. It will need to be made clear in your written correspondence with any participants / organisations that the University has been unable to engage with any disclosure and barring service checks prior to you undertaking your research.

Once you have obtained your police check, a copy of the documentation (in English) should be passed to the relevant course administrator in the School of Social Sciences Office.