MSc Psychology
Cardiff, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 28,200 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for overseas | for home: £12,450
Introduction
Psychology is the systematic and scientific study of the most complex and fascinating of nature’s creations – the human mind. It explores some of humanity’s biggest questions and strives to understand behaviour and how the mind works.
In this one-year programme, you will be provided with all the necessary skills to begin a career in psychology. You will study psychology from a scientific standpoint, with an emphasis on its social, cognitive and biological aspects, whilst developing your quantitative and qualitative research skills. The programme is a conversion course so you will not need any prior knowledge of psychology to apply.
Teaching is research-led, which means you will be taught by psychologists who have delivered significant advances in knowledge and improvements in quality of life across the world.
This programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Successful completion provides eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.
Why Study this Course
This BPS-accredited conversion programme will provide you with the necessary skills to begin a career in psychology after completing an unrelated undergraduate degree or career path.
Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
This accreditation demonstrates that this programme meets the high-quality standards in education set by the BPS.
Professional Psychology Placement
This programme features a 12-week placement enabling you to work with professional psychologists in a clinic, research lab or organisation.
Potential to Fast-Track a Career in Psychology After Completing an Unrelated Degree
This program enables you to study an MSc in Psychology after completing an unrelated undergraduate degree.
Research-Active Staff Involved in Course Design and Delivery
Most of our teaching staff are practising researchers and, in many cases, leading experts in their fields.
Top 10
We are ranked in the top 10 for psychology in the UK (Complete University Guide, 2024).
95% of Our Research is world-Leading or Internationally Excellent.
Our researchers are working across the spectrum of psychology to tackle major challenges facing society and the environment.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
We are committed to investing up to a total of £500,000 in this high-value competitive scholarship scheme to support UK students who are planning to start an eligible Master’s programme in 2024/25.
Each Scholarship is worth £3,000 and will be awarded a tuition fee discount.
Eligibility
UK students are eligible to apply for the Scholarship. You normally need to have achieved at least a 2.1 or equivalent in your first degree to be eligible. You need to submit an application to study at Cardiff University and be made an offer to study before your fee status can be confirmed.
Curriculum
This is a one-year full-time course that starts in the Autumn. You will take taught courses in the first two semesters. In the final semester (Summer) you will take a placement and complete a dissertation.
In the first semester, you will discover the core academic components of Psychology, such as clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and social psychology, and in the second semester, you will complete your basic training and conduct your own novel research project. In the summer months, you will undertake a 12-week professional placement in which you experience life as a professional psychologist and learn the associated skills.
Core Modules for Year One
- Cognitive and Social Psychology
- Research Methods
- Research Project
- Biological Psychology and Individual Differences
- Developmental and Clinical Psychology
- Placement
How Will I Be Assessed?
Assessment methods vary from module to module but, across your degree scheme as a whole, you can expect a mixture of exams, coursework, essays, practical work, presentations, individual and group projects, and a reflective portfolio.
Program Outcome
What Skills Will I Practise and Develop?
This course will teach you a range of skills useful to a career in psychology. You will learn about the core areas of psychology, such as Clinical and Developmental Psychology, and also how to critically appraise psychological theories within those fields. You will also learn practical skills such as how to design an experiment, collect, analyse and interpret a range of complex behavioural data, and how to present and communicate your work. During your placement, you will learn how to put those skills into practice.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
A psychology degree can provide you with a variety of career options and psychologists are employed on an increasingly wide scale in a variety of sectors including mental health, human factors, business, and education.
Psychology graduates are favoured by employers because of their broad skills. A psychology degree reflects a university education which not only develops analytical skills, critical thinking and literacy but also numeracy and quantitative skills.
Program delivery
How Will I Be Taught?
Our teaching is heavily informed by our leading research and combines academic rigour with practical relevance. Our internationally acclaimed faculty consists of academics who are at the forefront of knowledge within their field. They bring the lessons learnt from their most recent research into the classroom, giving you access to up-to-date real-life examples and scenarios and critical psychological thinking.
Most modules involve a mixture of lectures, small group teaching (seminars and tutorials) and practicals. In a lecture, the lecturer will be giving an overview of a particular aspect of the module content (as well as opportunities for you to ask questions and be reflective). Lectures are recorded and are available sooner after delivery to help with clarity and understanding of the topic. In seminars and tutorials, you can discuss ideas, apply concepts and consolidate your understanding of the topic. In practicals, you will be able to apply the techniques and theory you have learnt about and get experience conducting experiments.
The placement module, taken during the summer, will involve learning by experience (“on the job” training). You will acquire skills and knowledge by working closely with a professional psychologist.