Program Overview

Master of Social Sciences in the field of Educational Psychology

Overview

The Master of Social Sciences in the field of Educational Psychology is a scientific discipline within psychology that applies psychological theories and research findings about human behaviour, affect, cognition, development, and personality to educational settings. Educational psychologists generate scientific knowledge and theory relevant to education and psychology. They are also practitioners whose services range from remediation to prevention, case work to systems work, and direct services to indirect services. They help teachers design curricula, improve teaching methods, and motivate students to learn. They also help students and their parents cope with various changes and difficulties in the course of learning and development. Most importantly, they work for the betterment of the learning environments in which students grow up.

The Department of Psychology of HKU offers three postgraduate programmes in educational psychology, including the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Educational Psychology, the Doctor of Psychology in the field of Educational Psychology, and the PhD with a specialization in Educational Psychology. All these programmes adopt a scientist-practitioner model with the aim of preparing educational psychologists who are strong in both research and practice.

Structure & Syllabus

The period of study extends over two years full-time, commencing in September and including the intervening vacations. Throughout the programme, in both its theoretical and practical aspects, special attention is paid to the needs and issues concerning educational psychology in the local setting.

The full-time curriculum consists of a total of 156 credits. The quantitative value of a credit is equivalent to 20 hours of student learning activities (including both contact hours and all other forms of student learning activities) for taught course or 27 hours of work for practicum, under supervision of an experienced psychologist. Candidates are required to complete 21 compulsory courses, including 15 taught courses each given 6 credits (a total of 90 credits), 5 practicum courses (a total of 54 credits) and a 2-year dissertation research course given 12 credits. Ten of the taught courses are normally taken in the first year and the remaining five in the second year. Duration of each taught course is normally one semester and consists of three hours of weekly lectures, discussions, seminars or workshops.

The courses are as follows:

• First year courses (full-time)
  • PSYC6002 – Research methods & statistics I
  • PSYC6003 – Research methods & statistics II
  • PSYC7010 – Psychoeducational assessment I
  • PSYC7011 – Psychoeducational assessment II
  • PSYC7026 – Children with special needs I
  • PSYC7027 – Children with special needs II
  • PSYC7014 – Psychoeducational intervention I
  • PSYC7015 – Psychoeducational intervention II
  • PSYC7016 – Skills training seminar I
  • PSYC7017 – Skills training seminar II
  • PSYC6012 – Practicum I
  • PSYC6013 – Practicum II
  • PSYC6014 – Practicum III
• Capstone Experience Course
  • PSYC7028 – Dissertation research
• Second year courses (full-time)
  • PSYC6004 – Curriculum and instruction
  • PSYC6019 – Professional ethics and issues in educational psychology
  • PSYC8010 – Skills training seminar III
  • PSYC8007 – Applied developmental psychology
  • PSYC8008 – Motivation and learning
  • PSYC6015 – Practicum IV
  • PSYC6016 – Practicum V
• Capstone Experience Course
  • PSYC7028 – Dissertation research

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Educational Psychology Programme, a candidate shall satisfy both the University admission requirements and the programme specific requirements as listed below:

• shall comply with the General Regulations;
• shall hold a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Psychology of this University or a qualification of equivalent standard from this University or another comparable institution accepted for this purpose;
• for a candidate who is seeking admission on the basis of a qualification from a university or comparable institution outside Hong Kong of which the language of teaching and/or examination is not English, shall satisfy the following English language requirement applicable to higher degrees as prescribed under the General Regulation G2(b);
• shall be eligible for the Graduate Membership of the Hong Kong Psychological Society;
• shall preferably have relevant working experience in educational or related settings; and
• shall pass a qualifying examination if required.

Application for exemption from the above requirements shall be considered on a case by case basis.

Study Mode and Schedule

The curriculum of the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Educational Psychology Programme extends over two academic years of full-time study with a minimum of 180 days of practical training.

Tuition Fee

The Master of Social Sciences in the field of Educational Psychology Programme is offered on a government-funded basis. Tuition fee for the 2026/27 cohort is:

• Local students: HK$47,000 per annum
• Non-local students: HK$224,000 per annum

Financial assistance is available for full-time postgraduate students.

Admissions

The Master of Social Sciences in the field of Educational Psychology Programme is offered in alternate years. The next class will commence in September 2026.

Careers

Educational psychologists (EPs) were first introduced to Hong Kong by the Special Education Section of the Education Department in the late 1960’s. Since then the scope of work of EPs has gradually permeated to the broader education system. Now most EPs are employed by the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong government and voluntary agencies running special and mainstream schools. The main activities of EPs include:

• to handle the more difficult cases with learning and/or behavioural-emotional problems that require intellectual/personality assessment and treatment;
• to advise teachers on the planning and implementation of educational/remedial programmes for pupils with learning difficulties;
• to advise teachers on the general strategies of management for pupils with behavioural-emotional programmes;
• to advise school staff in the planning and implementation of preventive/developmental programmes;
• to plan, organise and conduct school-based staff development programmes for teachers
• to plan, organise and conduct parent training programmes;
• to conduct research and experimental projects related to educational psychology;
• to participate in case conferences and discussions with teachers and related professionals so as to co-ordinate efforts in assisting pupils.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. If I do not have a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Psychology, can I apply for the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Educational Psychology Programme?
   • No. This is a basic requirement. Applicants who do not have a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Psychology may consider taking a conversion course to fulfill such requirement.
2. If I am not a member of the Hong Kong Psychological Society, can I apply for the Master of Social Sciences in the field of Educational Psychology Programme?
   • Applicants must be eligible for graduate membership of the Hong Kong Psychological Society (HKPS).
3. I am a final year psychology undergraduate student and I will be graduating at the end of this semester. But I will not be able to submit the certificate of graduation and the membership certificate of the HKPS before the application deadline in February. Will my application be considered?
   • We will consider such an application. A conditional offer may be given to applicants pending their graduation from an undergraduate program in Psychology and their membership status at the HKPS.
4. As a substitution for the Hong Kong Psychological Society Membership Certificate, can I submit a print-out of my membership status from my HKPS account instead?
   • Yes. Any proof of eligibility for membership from the HKPS will suffice for application purpose.
5. Do I need to complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Education to apply for this programme?
   • No. This is not an entry requirement.