Program Overview

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Overview of the Psychology Conversion Course

The Psychology Conversion Course is designed to provide a pre-professional qualification equivalent to a Bachelor degree in Psychology. The course is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and allows students to proceed to postgraduate education, including higher degrees by research, and to specialise in an area of professional psychology. It is a two-year full-time course based on lectures, tutorials, laboratory classes, and research projects.

Course Details

• Awards: NFQ Level 8
• Number of Places: 20 Places
• Next Intake: September 2025
• Course Director: Dr. Jean Quigley
• Closing Date: 31st March 2025

Admission Requirements

Candidates for admission to the Higher Diploma in Psychology must hold a primary degree, in any discipline with at least an upper second-class Honours degree.

English Language Requirements

All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements.

Course Structure

The PCC is a 2-year postgraduate course leading to the H.Dip.Psych award. As a First Qualification in psychology, students will be reading undergraduate (NQF level 8) material. PCC students complete 60 ECTS in each year of this two-year full-time course based on lectures, tutorials, seminars, laboratory classes, and a research project.

Course Content

Students will cover the following areas of psychology, as required by the professional accreditation body, the Psychological Society of Ireland:

• Biological basis of behaviour
• Cognitive psychology
• Research design, quantitative & qualitative methods
• Developmental and lifespan psychology
• Social psychology
• Personality and individual differences

Foundation Modules

• Foundations of Psychological Thought
• Cognition
• Fundamentals of Neuroscience and Behaviour
• Developmental Psychology
• Perception
• Social Psychology
• Psychological Disorder
• Personality and Individual Differences

Advanced Modules

A range of advanced modules is offered each year, and over the two years of the course, students must take at least one module from each required area (biological, cognitive, social, development, personality, and individual differences).

Evaluation

Students are evaluated by course work assessment throughout the year, by written examination papers at the end of each year of the course, and by the research project in the second year.

Career Opportunities

This course provides a rigorous and comprehensive primary training to prepare students to take the next step towards a career in or using psychology.

Is This Course For Me?

This conversion course welcomes students with a primary degree in any discipline and an interest in and passion for psychology. If you are looking to change careers and pursue psychology professionally, this course is for you.