University College London (UCL)
Developmental and Educational Psychology MSc
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
5 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
The MSc in Developmental and Educational Psychology is designed for those interested in understanding how children and young people grow and learn. The program covers key areas like child development, learning processes, and psychological theories, giving students a strong foundation in how developmental factors influence education and behavior. You’ll explore both typical and atypical development, gaining insight into how psychological concepts apply to real-world educational settings, supports, and interventions.
Students will also learn research methods and how to critically evaluate psychological practices in education. The program emphasizes applying psychological knowledge to support children and young people in various environments. You’ll have opportunities to engage with current research, develop practical skills, and work towards understanding how to improve educational outcomes through psychological approaches. The course is suitable for those aiming to work in clinical, educational, or research careers, offering a solid pathway to further professional training or academic pursuits.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
This programme is delivered through a combination of lectures by IOE academic staff, group work, discussion, and computer workshops giving hands-on practice.
Assessment is through coursework. Coursework involves small exercises conducted throughout the module, group work, critiques of set research articles, extended pieces of writing on set topics, pre-registered reports, grant proposals and the dissertation.
Students can typically expect between 10 and 12 contact hours per teaching week throughout each Terms one and two, consisting of a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops, and departmental talks. In term three and the summer period students will be completing the dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors. These hours will depend on the module options chosen, as they fall in different terms.
Modules
Full-time
The programme consists of two core modules (60 credits), two option modules (60 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).
Part-time
Part-time students will be expected to complete 180 credits, including two compulsory modules, two option modules and an independent dissertation over two years. In Year 1, students will be expected to complete the two compulsory modules and one option module, totalling 90 credits. In Year 2, students will be expected to complete the remaining option module and the dissertation, again totalling 90 credits.
Flexible
Modular flexible students will be expected to complete 180 credits, including two compulsory modules, two option modules and an independent dissertation, over five years. This must be in agreement with the department.
It is recommended that Advanced Quantitative Methods and Qualitative Data Analysis are taken at the start of the programme and the dissertation should be taken in the final year.
Compulsory modules
- Dissertation on Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Qualitative Data Analysis
- Advanced Quantitative Methods
Optional modules
- Psychological Aspects of Counselling
- Language Development
- Reading and Spelling Difficulties
- Contemporary Issues in Educational Psychology
- Literacy Development
- Maths and Science Learning
- Theories of Child Development
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Developmental and Educational Psychology.
What this course will give you
IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, is one of the world's leading centres for education and related areas of social science. The Department of Psychology and Human Development is unique in the UK for its dedicated focus on developmental and educational psychology. Students therefore have the opportunity to learn from leading researchers in these fields.
For the eleventh year in succession, IOE has been ranked number one for education (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024).
Our alumni include government ministers, heads of schools, other educational institutions and NGOs, Olympians, and prize-winning authors.
The foundation of your career
This programme provides valuable preparation either for doctoral study in the academic community, the public sector or in industry.
Employability
Graduates of this programme are currently working as researchers in the public and private sectors or are engaged in PhD studies.
Networking
Students will have opportunities to attend research centre seminars, journal clubs and research talks.
Accreditation
The Developmental and Educational Psychology MSc is an ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council)-accredited research training master's programme within the Psychology pathway of the UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership. It can therefore be taken as the '1' within the DTP (Doctoral Training Partnership) 1+3 (Master's plus PhD) structure, or provide the basis for an application for +3 (PhD only) funding.