How to apply

Overview

The details

Course: Jungian and Post-Jungian Studies

Start date: October 2025

Study mode: Full-time

Duration: 1 year

Location: Distance Learning

Based in: Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies

This is an online version of our MA Jungian and Post-Jungian Studies. This course is taught through distance learning meaning the entire course is taught online with no face-to-face, in-person teaching (This applies to both the full and part-time variant.) You will graduate with the same qualification as our campus based MA, the only difference being you will attend all teaching virtually and not on campus.

Interested in the course but want to study on campus? Click here.

Whether you are looking to improve your prospects of training as a Jungian analyst or psychotherapist, or learn the skills to carry out research in a related area of analytical psychology, our unique and internationally acclaimed MA Jungian and Post-Jungian Studies will give you a deep academic grounding in Jungian and post-Jungian theory and practice.

By completing the MA course, you will develop key employability skills including thinking analytically, effective essay-writing, research methods in analytical psychology and a broader understanding of depth psychological thinking, applicable to clinical and academic work. Our course could lead you to study for a PhD in Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies/Jungian and Post-Jungian Studies or to work in clinical or non-clinical settings.

Topics covered on the course include:

The history of analytical psychology, including key contributions made by women
Intellectual precursors to, and influences on, Jung's psychology
Key Jungian and Post-Jungian texts
The role and place of mythology in Jung's thinking
Jung's psychology of religion
Central Jungian concepts, their clinical utility and their relevance in a contemporary context
The applicability of Jung's thought to other academic disciplines
The utility of Jung's psychology to understanding culture and society

Our Pre-Sessional course in ‘Basic Jungian Concepts' allows you to start our MA course with a firm foundation in Jungian concepts.

Why we're great.

Work with leading academics from across the spectrum of Jungian theory and practice
Free access to an optional online pre-sessional course focusing on Jungian and Post-Jungian Studies
We take an interdisciplinary approach with links to sociology, philosophy, literature and business

Our expert staff

Our Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies is internationally recognised as one of the leading departments for work that focuses on the role of the unconscious mind in mental health, as well as in culture and society generally. Our research and teaching is deeply grounded in knowledge deriving from clinical practice, to which our highest standards of academic thinking are then applied. You will gain the opportunity to work with and be taught by senior clinicians and world-class scholars in their fields.

Specialist facilities

If you are studying within our Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies, you will have access to our extensive facilities to aid your learning and research. In particular, our Albert Sloman Library is well stocked with books, journals, electronic resources and major archives relevant to our work and, in addition, we have our own library of specialist books and journals.

We hold free evening Open Seminars on topics relevant to psychoanalysis which are open to students, staff and members of the public.

Your future

Our graduates go on to a number of different destinations, including further study and training in psychoanalysis, Jungian analysis, or psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

Many of our students are already professionals, clinical and non-clinical, so return to their existing fields, either in jobs or further training, and use study with us to deepen their understanding of their work.

"This course provided me with a good, solid understanding of Jungian theory and practice and its application from a psychosocial perspective. I particularly liked that we were constantly challenged to consider Jungian psychology from a critical and reflective perspective which has proven to be beneficial in my training as a Jungian analyst. I think the course enabled me to have a more objective and balanced analytical attitude than otherwise would have been the case."

Nicholas, MA Jungian and Post-Jungian Studies

Entry requirements

UK entry requirements

We will consider applicants with requisite experience in the field on a case-by-case basis.

A personal statement detailing the reasons for wanting to study the course, including any relevant experience (work or voluntary) that may support your application, is essential.

Applicants will be required to give a satisfactory performance at interview.

International & EU entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at pgquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum score of 5.5 in all components.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.

Structure

Course structure

This online course is taught through distance learning, meaning all classes and meetings will be virtual.

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.

Components and modules explained

Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.

Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

Status	What this means
Core	You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory	You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

Modules

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.

In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.

Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

100

The department or school the module will be taught by.

In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.

The module number.

The UK academic level of the module.

A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course.

A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules.

A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.

The term the module will be taught in.

AU: Autumn term
SP: Spring term
SU: Summer term
FY: Full year
AP: Autumn and Spring terms
PS: Spring and Summer terms
AS: Autumn and Summer terms

COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY

Key Texts of C G Jung

(30 CREDITS)

What do you know about Jung’s theories on myth? How do you position this writing within his work as a whole? And how did Jung deploy his psychological theories to critique science, religion and society? Examine key Jungian texts in depth, critically exploring and analysing his work and its application.

View Key Texts of C G Jung on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: COMPULSORY

Jung in Contexts: Historical, Philosophical, Cultural

(30 CREDITS)

What do you understand about Jung’s collaborative relationship with Freud and about their divergence? Explore the historical, philosophical, cultural and religious background of analytical psychology. This module focuses on issues specific to Jung and how this led to developments in analytical psychology, while building a comparative and contextual view of the subject.

View Jung in Contexts: Historical, Philosophical, Cultural on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 03: CORE

Key Concepts in Jungian and Post-Jungian Analytical Psychology

(30 CREDITS)

What are the central theoretical concepts of analytical psychology and how have these been developed by Post-Jungians? How can these ideas be located within critical, comparative and experiential perspectives? This module is taught by internationally recognised clinicians and will foster a deeper understanding of the psyche as it has emerged through the analytic encounter.

View Key Concepts in Jungian and Post-Jungian Analytical Psychology on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 04: CORE

Selected Applications of Analytical Psychology

(30 CREDITS)

What political and social roles can psychotherapists employ? How does depth psychology add value to a particular debate or discipline? Can you construct a multi-disciplinary approach to gender? Analyse the applicability of Jungian and post-Jungian thought through a range of problems in contemporary Western society while evaluating current controversies regarding Jungian and post-Jungian psychology.

View Selected Applications of Analytical Psychology on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 05: CORE

Research Methods and Dissertation

(60 CREDITS)

What interests you? Do you want to deepen your knowledge, build invaluable research skills and develop your academic freedom? Your dissertation lets you study a topic of your choosing, in depth, with supervision and guidance from our world-leading academics.

View Research Methods and Dissertation on our Module Directory

Teaching

Postgraduate students in the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies typically have 2 hours of contact time for each module per week. This consists of a two-hour seminar or workshop, or a one-hour lecture and a one-hour seminar.
Teaching takes place in relatively small seminars and fora, with a focus on group discussion
You also have a personal tutor who advises you about your work on an individual basis

Assessment

For most modules, assessment is by coursework only, typically an essay of between 5,000 words

Dissertation

You develop a dissertation of 12,000 words, in which you define and research into an area of special interest to you
We provide you with advice and guidance on researching and writing your dissertation
Your dissertation is submitted mid-September in your final year of study

Fees and funding

Home/UK fee

£10,500

International fee

£22,750

Masters fees and funding information

Research (e.g. PhD) fees and funding information

What's next

We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex, and give you the chance to:

tour our campus and accommodation
find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
meet our students and staff

If the dates of our organised events aren’t suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing tours@essex.ac.uk and we’ll arrange an individual campus tour for you.

You can apply for this postgraduate course online. Before you apply, please check our information about necessary documents that we'll ask you to provide as part of your application.

We aim to respond to applications within two weeks. If we are able to offer you a place, you will be contacted via email.

For information on our deadline to apply for this course, please see our ‘how to apply' information.

View from Square 2 outside the Rab Butler Building looking towards Square 3

If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree virtual tour allows you to explore the Colchester Campus from the comfort of your home. Check out our accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.

At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.

Find out more

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