MSc in Psychology
Online United Kingdom
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Apr 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 7,915 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* total cost
Key Summary
Introduction
The MSc in Psychology masters degree provides a valuable opportunity to gain an advanced understanding of a range of areas in psychology, including cognitive, social, forensic and counselling psychology. You will develop critical appraisal skills in the evaluation of psychological research and practice. You will also gain an understanding of the reciprocal relationship psychological research has with medicine, public policy, public opinion and the media.
Completing this rigorous master's degree will enable you to source, select and review psychological research independently, evaluate its relevance for complex real-life issues, assess its validity, and clearly communicate your findings to a range of different audiences.
Key features
- Enhances your analytical and communication skills, as well as developing research literacy skills
- Bespoke teaching materials and experienced tutors guide you through fascinating, cutting-edge topics and research
- Relevant for existing professionals or those wishing to pursue a career in all areas of public policy, social justice, management, health services and marketing.
Please note that this master's degree is not accredited by The British Psychological Society.
How long it takes
You will be able to complete this master's qualification within two years by studying one module each year.
Program Outcome
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of this master's degree, you will have knowledge and understanding of:
- Key concepts, theories and methods relevant to the study of psychology, demonstrating a critical and advanced understanding of them
- The complex interrelationships between theory and research, and related policy and practice in the field of psychology. These include everyday applications, socio-economic and professional contexts
- The role of power, cultural values, and ethics for practices, concepts and assumptions that influence research and professional practice in psychology.
Cognitive skills
On completion of this master's degree, you will be able to:
- Critically examine and construct arguments in relation to concepts, theories and evidence in psychology
- Independently select, interpret, evaluate and use different forms of evidence and methods, with a clear awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of different data
- Apply the study of psychology at an advanced level, to enable independent evaluation of evidence, method, research and policy
- Construct sophisticated, and explicitly reasoned arguments in relation to complex real-life scenarios using appropriate concepts, theory and evidence
- Critically and independently review existing research evidence base.
Practical and/or professional skills
On completion of this master's degree, you will be able to:
- Independently plan, conduct and manage a sequence of work to meet agreed deadlines
- Make effective contributions to group work facilitating the collaborative completion of tasks to solve problems
- Recognise the relevance of reflective, analytic and evaluative skills developed through learning, applying these to other contexts such as the workplace
- Use and reflect on one’s own learning to further develop knowledge and understanding, cognitive skills and other key transferable skills to achieve personal and/or career goals.
Key skills
On completion of this master's degree, you will be able to demonstrate the following skills:
- Apply self-direction to identify and generate key questions and issues in the field of psychology
- Work independently to produce complex reports/proposals suitable for academic, professional and/or lay audiences
- Effectively use data of various sorts (numerical, textual), from diverse sources (academic, policy-research, secondary material), and from different media (print, electronic, verbal) in a sophisticated and critical manner
- Develop and display an advanced ability to learn through reflection, feedback and peer-to-peer review, using appropriate scholarly language and applying these various situations.
Curriculum
To gain this qualification, you need 180 credits as follows:
- Principles of social and psychological inquiry (DD801)
- Evaluating psychology: research and practice (DD803)
Please note that Evaluating Psychology: Research and Practice (DD803) is worth 120 credits. Fees for postgraduate modules are based on the number of credits you study. Therefore the fee for this 120-credit postgraduate module will be double that for a 60-credit module Principles of Social and Psychological Inquiry (DD801).
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.
Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
Knowledge and understanding are acquired through published distance-learning materials, including specially written module materials, study guides, assignments and project guides; through a range of multimedia material; through work on original texts; and feedback on assignments, as well as peer review, peer feedback and personal reflection.
Assessment is via tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) and end-of-module assessments (EMAs), including a substantial dissertation project in which you can choose your relevant subject specialism.
There will be low-weighted group tasks and assessments requiring non-academic styles of presentation (including blogs and wikis). Overall, there is an emphasis on the selection (from diverse electronic sources), evaluation and use of material from a range of sources including original academic texts.
Admissions
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
By studying this psychology postgraduate programme you will develop advanced skills in assessing psychological claims and evidence in key specialisms in psychology. These skills are relevant to a broad range of careers related to public policy, social justice, management, advertising and marketing, as well as the third sector.
The skills developed will be recognised by employers in all fields who value people who can complete a complex psychological project independently; communicate clearly and effectively to diverse academic and non-academic audiences; analyse and evaluate complex information; and are capable of independently seeking out and selecting good research evidence relevant to real-life issues.