Program Overview

The first course of its kind to be accredited by The British Psychological Society (BPS), our MSc Health Psychology provides the initial step towards gaining Chartered Psychologist status and registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Health Psychologist.

The Health Psychology MSc is for individuals seeking advanced training in the application of psychological theories, methods and research to the understanding of health, illness and healthcare. It’s the first stage of accreditation towards becoming a Health Psychologist and follows the BPS Division of Health Psychology framework for teaching.

Taught in our multi-million-pound Science Centre, the course will help you develop a comprehensive understanding of the core issues and debates within health psychology theory, research and application. This includes exploring models and theories of health behaviour, considering the impact of living with long-term conditions, contemplating communication issues in healthcare settings and investigating how psychology can impact on practice through areas such as health promotion and behavioural change.

In addition to support from the teaching team, our award-winning technicians will assist you. One has been awarded HEA Psychology Technician of the Year Award. Another achieved the ‘Best MSc Health Psychology Thesis’ by the Division of Health Psychology (DHP) and the BPS Technical Support in Psychological Teaching Award and is the current chair of the Association of Technical Staff in Psychology (ATSiP).

Our technicians provide high quality support, particularly in terms of research. Support is also available from our subject-specific librarian. A student-led journal club helps enhance critical evaluation skills.

Full-time students are required to attend the University on Tuesdays and Thursdays during term-time.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MSc Health Psychology.

Teaching

Teaching has been designed to provide a framework on which to build your independent study. Taking place in small group settings, teaching strategies and learning opportunities include interactive lectures and seminars, workshops, practical sessions and both student-led and video presentations.

Research skills workshops will help prepare you for individual research projects and will include training on industry standard data analysis software. You’ll also be introduced to applied clinical and therapeutic techniques.

Assessment

Assessment includes both informal (formative) and formal (summative) methods, including tutor and peer feedback and self-evaluation. You’ll receive clear guidance on the submission and marking of assessments and be given both verbal and written feedback.

Assessment methods are varied and will provide the opportunity to develop transferable skills. In addition, assessments are designed to include elements linked to real-word tasks to enable you to develop skills essential for a future career in health psychology.

Careers

Graduates from the course have continued with further training, including the Professional Doctorate (Stage 2) in Health Psychology or a PhD. Graduates have also gone on to pursue a range of careers including:

Careers include:

• Research assistants
• Systematic reviewers
• Assistant psychologists
• Roles in drug and alcohol support
• Stop-smoking advisors
• Roles in public health / health promotion