Psychological Science

Overview
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.

Who are you?
You might be a recent graduate or someone who’s been in 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: mscpsychscience@qub.ac.uk

Year 1
Core Modules
• Applications of Psychology in the ‘Real World’ (30 credits)
• Research Thesis Psychology (60 credits)
• Core Psychology II (30 credits)
• Core Psychology I (30 credits)
• Methods, Design and Analysis in Psychology (30 credits)

Course Structure
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, and one taught module and a research thesis (dissertation) in year 2, however there is flexibility in module selection during 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.

Graduate
Normally a 2.1 Honours degree or above in any subject or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.

The deadline for applications is normally 30th June 2024. However, we encourage applicants to apply as early as possible. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal earlier than 30th June deadline. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.

How to Apply
Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

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

1 year (Full Time), 2 years (Part Time).

Teaching Times
Teaching takes place in the morning and some afternoons; there are between 12-15 contact teaching hours per week.

Entry Year: 2024/25

Career Prospects
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.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/