MSc Psychology
Online United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 12,858 / per course *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* £12,858 UK / £13,427 International (2025-26)
Key Summary
This 100% online and part-time MSc Psychology is designed for individuals without a psychology background. Whether you have a personal or professional interest in psychology, this course will enable you to explore this fascinating subject and pursue careers related to the field.
Through this 100% online MSc Psychology, you’ll delve into a range of theoretical ideas and practical applications across the field of psychology. You’ll also gain a solid grounding in a range of psychological topics and be introduced to psychological research methodologies that are beneficial to many related careers.
Throughout the course, you’ll explore exciting topics including:
- the history and philosophy of psychological inquiry
- critical milestones in human development through infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and late adulthood
- fundamental research principles in psychobiology and neuropsychology
- the main qualitative and quantitative research methods used for data collection and analysis
The course will culminate in the completion of a dissertation, where you’ll conduct independent research into a psychological issue of your choice and apply your learnings from the course to produce your report.
Shorter awards are available for this course; the 16-month postgraduate diploma (PG Dip) at 120 credits and the 8-month postgraduate certificate (PG Cert) at 60 credits.
Teaching methods
We’re a 100% online education provider, so we use a state-of-the-art virtual learning environment (VLE) to deliver our teaching, resources and assessments. Our system tracks and manages the learning process in real-time and provides you with immediate access to your learning materials. The VLE is accessible 24/7 and allows both students and tutors to actively take part in real-time conversations and live workshops.
We believe you get the most out of your time spent studying when you are kept informed of your performance, and we achieve this by:
- assessing you throughout modules rather than waiting for the end of year assessments
- showing your marks in your grade book which can be viewed whenever you log onto the virtual learning environment (VLE)
- rapid turnaround on work assessed to ensure your grade book is always up to date
- ensuring you have regular contact with your Student Support team
Assessment methods
All assessments are delivered through our virtual learning environment (VLE). There is no requirement to travel to external test centres or to sit exams! Instead, you will submit assignments through the VLE, such as written reports, discussion forum participation or reflective journal entries.
We also have a policy of ensuring that the work submitted by students is authentic – we use a well-established electronic monitoring system to check for plagiarism.
Why Essex Online?
Study online. Graduate on campus.
You will complete your studies and assessments 100% online and your qualification will be awarded by the University of Essex, an award-winning university with a 60-year heritage of teaching and research excellence and one of the top 30 universities in the UK (Complete University Guide 2025). Upon completing your course, you will graduate with the same certificate as campus-based students – your mode of study is only mentioned on your academic transcript.
World-class academic and mentoring support
Our online tutors are leading authorities and specialists in their respective fields. They are passionate about what they teach and combine their knowledge of industry practice with high-quality academic delivery, offering you an unparalleled learning experience.
We also have a dedicated team of Student Advisers and Study Skills Advisers that will support you from your first day to graduation. They will be on hand to help and guide you as you progress through your studies. Whatever the question or issue, they will work with you to find a solution.
We're proud to be rated Gold in the Times Higher Education (THE) Online Rankings 2024. Our achievement, which is based on four pillars - resources, engagement, outcomes and environment - recognises our commitment to excellent online education.
A background in psychology is useful for a wide range of careers, including counselling, marketing, the civil service, healthcare and the legal system.
You could also pursue further education in psychology to enter one of the many specialist career paths within the field, such as investigative and forensic psychology, neuroscience, healthcare, clinical roles, child development and education, sports, exercise and occupational psychology.
You can study the following modules on the MSc Psychology:
- Fundamentals of Psychological Enquiry
- Human Development over the Lifespan*
- Psychological Research Methods
- Critical Social Psychology*
- Advanced Research Methods*
- Psychobiology and Neuroscience*
- Psychology Skills and Employability
- MSc Psychology Dissertation*
*These modules are core and must be passed in order to achieve the award.
- Designated for postgraduate student loans in England.
- Simple monthly payment plan available, enabling you to spread the cost over the duration of your studies.
- Full payment discount of 5% if you pay upfront.
- Alumni discount of 10% of the tuition fee available if you are a previous graduate with the University of Essex or University of Essex Online.
- 10% corporate discount available when three or more of your employees study with us.
- Regional scholarship available for international students based overseas in eligible countries.
- Students residing in Africa can also enjoy a 20% scholarship for the April 2026 intake.
Please note, a maximum of two discounts or scholarships can be applied. The corporate discount can only be used in combination with our upfront payment discount, but not in conjunction with any other discount or scholarship. Find out more information about our discounts and scholarships.
A range of scholarships are available subject to applicants meeting certain criteria. To find out whether you're eligible for scholarships, please contact the school.
Teaching methods and style
We’re a 100% online education provider, so we use a state-of-the art virtual learning environment (VLE) to deliver our teaching, resources and assessments. Our system tracks and manages the learning process in real-time and provides you with immediate access to your learning materials. The VLE is accessible 24/7 and allows both students and tutors to actively take part in real-time conversations and live workshops.
Assessment
All assessments are delivered through our virtual learning environment (VLE). There is no requirement to go to external test centres; instead you will submit written assignments through the VLE. For the few courses where exams are required, we use a virtual system which allows you to take academically rigorous exams from the comfort of your own home.
We believe you get the most out of your time spent studying when you are kept informed of your performance, and we achieve this by:
- assessing you throughout modules rather than waiting for end of year exams
- showing your marks in your grade book which can be viewed whenever you log onto the VLE
- rapid turnaround on work assessed to ensure your grade book is always up to date
- ensuring you have regular contact with your Student Support team
We also have a policy of ensuring that the work submitted by students is authentic – we use a well-established electronic monitoring system to check for plagiarism.