MSc Psychology

Has your undergraduate degree inspired you to learn more about the way people tick?

Our MSc Psychology is an advanced fast-track conversion course for students with an undergraduate degree in a subject other than psychology, or for those whose undergraduate Psychology degree was not accredited by the British Psychological Society. Students may also take the course as an end in itself if they wish to obtain a Psychology degree in one year.

Further study in our Department of Psychology gives you the freedom and the facilities to study, experiment, explore and research why we think, feel and act the way we do. You will learn from and work alongside internationally recognised experts, on a range of psychological topics including social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, brain and behaviour, personality and individual differences, and psychology of health. You will also gain a thorough education in psychological research methods and statistics.

Our mission is to foster an “Understanding of our place in the World” and the multi-method research approach that our staff take is of particular value to this mission and to those who study with us. During your journey, you will learn about the relevance of core psychology areas including how we think about the world, how we interact with the world, and how we experience the world. But you will also advance your skill set on how to devise, carry out and analyse an empirical research project.

This course combines the award of a Masters with eligibility for graduates to apply for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society. Passing our course demonstrates that you have studied and acquired an advanced understanding in Masters-level study in psychology. With this qualification you will also be eligible to apply for professional training in any branch of professional psychology.

We are a warm and friendly Department with staff and students from many different backgrounds. We are proud of the multicultural mosaic that makes up our community. Our staff and students come from over 40 countries around the World, bringing their own unique perspectives and experiences which enrich our teaching, learning, and research. Understanding Our Place In The World starts with us!

We wish to welcome both graduates who have recently completed their studies, and mature students who may wish to upgrade their qualifications, refresh their CV, or return to academic study after a period of time away from education. We are committed to diversity, inclusion, representation, and providing students with a curriculum that reflects the complexity of human behaviour world-wide.

You can start this course in either October or January.

Professional accreditation

Accredited against the requirements for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Our expert staff

The Department of Psychology at Essex supports world-leading, interdisciplinary research that promotes a better Understanding of Our Place in the World. This organisation of our research mission allows us to unite and synthesise knowledge across core psychology disciplines and beyond. To contribute to our mission, staff work across three research themes that dismantle conventional, disciplinary boundaries and that match our broad research strengths: Thinking about the World, Interacting with the World, and Experiencing the World. This unique approach benefits from the use of multi-methodological approaches, while nurturing the translation of our research findings into practical tools that benefit society.

Our academic staff include award-winning teachers and prize-winning researchers who are international experts in their own research areas. We are 17th in UK for research power in psychology (Times Higher Education research power measure, Research Excellence Framework 2021).

Research from staff who work on the Thinking about the World theme focuses on the psychological underpinnings of individual and group motivated behaviour and reasoning. It brings together researchers applying different methodologies to study how people make decisions, remember, and feel and act; this is studied in the political arena and in health and disease. Staff have strong skills in experimental behavioural, electrophysiological and neuromodulatory techniques.

Research around the theme Interacting with the World contributes to our understanding on how we perceive and present ourselves in relation to others and how this affects our behaviour and well-being. Staff study individual and group processes that are fundamental to social relations and that address questions around social wellness, sexual and interpersonal relationships and their links to identity and meaning of life, justice and trust. They also focus on education, language and cross-cultural processes and their interaction. Theme members use multiple methodologies including self-report, behavioural observations, and (electro-)physiological measures, to provide a wide-ranging look into the psychological processes underlying society's pressing issues and that guide our most important social interactions.

Experiencing the World theme members aim to unravel the physiological and neural underpinnings of how we experience and perceive our body states, how we see and how we control our actions. Staff further answer questions on how our perceptions and experiences change as we age. Infant and children work is conducted in the Essex Baby lab, the leading infant lab in the east of England. Staff use a variety of techniques including EEG, fNIRS, fMRI, TMS/tDCS, physiological and behavioural measures.

Our department is expanding, and has recently appointed a number of excellent researchers whose expertise increases the diversity and depth of our skills base.

Specialist facilities

We are committed to giving you the best access to state-of-the-art facilities in higher education, housed entirely within our purpose-built psychology building on our Colchester Campus:

• Dedicated laboratories including a virtual reality suite and an observation suite
• Specialist areas for experimental psychology, visual and auditory perception, developmental psychology and social psychology
• Study the development of perceptual and cognitive abilities in infants in our Babylab
• Our multimillion pound Centre for Brain Science (CBS) contains specialist laboratories, office space for research students, and research rooms and social spaces which foster opportunities for innovation, training, and collaboration

Your future

With the skills and knowledge you acquire from studying within our Department of Psychology, you will find yourself in demand from a wide range of employers.

After further study and training, recent graduates of MSc Psychology have found employment as a research assistant at the Anna Freud Centre, a clinical psychologist for the NHS, a child psychologist for Children First and a lecturer at the University of Surrey. Other graduates have trained as clinical psychologists, or work in educational psychology or criminal and forensic psychology.

Many of our students also choose to continue with further studies. Following this course, students can qualify for our special Masters courses in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology, or in Research Methods in Psychology. Students may also choose to further pursue a Masters by Dissertation (MSD), which provides a 1-year opportunity to pursue an independent research project without additional taught modules.

We also have excellent links with the research community for those interested in careers in research and teaching in a higher-education context. We are recognised by the ESRC as providing excellent postgraduate training and are an accredited Doctoral Training Centre, offering competitive studentships. Our PhD students have taken up post-doctoral positions in other top UK universities and international universities (e.g., US, Italy and Australia), as well as being appointed to lectureships across the UK.

"My multidisciplinary experiences from studying psychology at Essex and work experience in the industry have strengthened my curiosity in tracing the field of visuospatial cognition. I've also benefitted from a Vice-Chancellor's Global Talent Scholarship which has meant so much more to me than just financial support. It's represented acknowledgment, opportunity, and a belief in the value of investing in my efforts and aspirations."

Asuka Onishi, MSc Psychology

UK entry requirements

A 2:2 degree, or equivalent in any subject.

This course is not suitable for applicants who already hold a British Psychological Society Accredited degree.

If you already hold a BSc/BA Psychology and are not seeking BPS accreditation we advise you consider the MSc Cognitive Neuroscience & Neuropsychology or MSc Research Methods in Psychology .

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 7.0 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.

Course structure

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.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Teaching

• Your modules are taught through lectures, seminars, practical classes and private study (approx. 12 - 16 hours per week during the autumn and spring term).
• A typical timetable for postgraduate taught students in the Department of Psychology involves a two-hour lecture for each module per week. Some modules will involve additional computer labs (normally 1 hour per week), while others will include seminars (normally 2-3 per term).
• Most taught modules will include joint lectures with undergraduate students with additional postgraduate level seminars.
• The course requires private study.
• We host a very active programme of research seminars

Assessment

• Full-year modules are most often examined using a three-hour examination, and half-year modules by a two-hour examination. All elements are required and applicants with a non-science background should be aware of the requirement to pass statistics.
• Submission of coursework, coursework tests and examinations (you will be required to submit approximately 15 pieces of coursework during the year).
• Your final research project will be completed during the summer and submitted in mid-September.

Dissertation

• An original psychological study carried out under the supervision of a staff member
• Maximum of 10,000 words, written up as a research report