MSc Psychology

Do you have a desire to better understand how people think about, interact with, and experience the world around them?

Our MSc Psychology is an advanced fast-track conversion course for students with an undergraduate degree in a subject other than psychology, or for those whose undergraduate Psychology degree was not accredited by the British Psychological Society. You may also take the course as an end in itself if you wish to obtain a Psychology degree in one year.

Further study in our Department of Psychology gives you the freedom and the facilities to study, experiment, explore, and research why we think, feel, and act the way we do. You will learn from and work alongside internationally renowned experts on a range of psychological topics, including:

• social psychology
• developmental psychology
• cognitive psychology
• brain and behaviour
• personality and individual differences
• psychology of health

You will also gain a thorough education in psychological research methods and statistics.

Our departmental mission is to 'Understand our place in the world', and our multi-method research approach is of particular value to this mission and to those who study with us. During your journey, you learn about the relevance of core psychology areas and that all psychology topics can be explored different lenses. At Essex, you explore how we think about, interact with, and experience the world, offering fresh insights into the human mind and vehaviour from every angle. This dynamic, multi-perspective approach means you learn to investigate the full spectrum of psychological experiences in meaningful, real-world ways. We are committed to providing you with opportunities to grow, and as part of our one-year degree, you will also advance your skill set on how to devise, carry out, and analyse an empirical research project.

The course combines the award of a Masters with eligibility for graduates to apply for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society. Passing our course demonstrates that you have acquired an advanced understanding of Masters-level study in psychology. With this qualification, you will also be eligible to apply for professional training in any branch of professional psychology.

We are a warm and friendly Department with staff and students from many different backgrounds. We are proud of the multicultural mosaic that makes up our community. Our staff and students come from over 40 countries, bringing their own unique perspectives and experiences which enrich our teaching, learning, and research.

We wish to welcome both graduates who have recently completed their studies, and mature students who may wish to upgrade their qualifications, refresh their CV, or return to academic study after a period of time away. We are committed to diversity, inclusion, representation, and providing students with a curriculum that reflects the complexity of human behaviour worldwide.

You can study this course on a full-time or part-time basis, and start in either October or January.

Professional accreditation

Accredited against the requirements for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Our expert staff

The Department of Psychology at Essex supports world-leading, interdisciplinary research that promotes a better Understanding of Our Place in the World. This organisation of our research mission allows us to unite and synthesise knowledge across core psychology disciplines and beyond. To contribute to our mission, staff often dismantle conventional, disciplinary boundaries. This unique approach benefits from the use of multi-methodological approaches, while nurturing the translation of our research findings into practical tools that benefit society.

Our academic staff include award-winning teachers and prize-winning researchers who are international experts in their own research areas. We are 17th in the UK for research power in psychology (Times Higher Education research power measure, Research Excellence Framework 2021). Our department is also expanding, and has recently appointed a number of excellent researchers whose expertise increases the diversity and depth of our skills base.

• We have a strong expertise of researchers who focus on the psychological underpinnings of individual and group-motivated behaviour and reasoning. Our work in this area brings together researchers applying different methodologies to study how people make decisions, remember, and feel and act, e.g. in the political arena and in health and disease. Staff have strong skills in experimental behavioural, electrophysiological, and neuromodulatory techniques.
• We also actively contribute to our understanding of how we perceive and present ourselves in relation to others, and how this affects our behaviour and well-being. Staff study individual and group processes that are fundamental to social relations and that address questions around social wellness, sexual and interpersonal relationships, and their links to identity and meaning of life, justice, and trust. They also focus on education, language, and cross-cultural processes and their interaction. Theme members use multiple methodologies, including self-report, behavioural observations, and (electro-)physiological measures to provide a wide-ranging look into the psychological processes underlying society's pressing issues and that guide our most important social interactions.
• Many of our staff and research students help to unravel the physiological and neural underpinnings of how we experience and perceive our body states, how we see, and how we control our actions. They further answer questions on how our perceptions and experiences change as we age. Infant and children work is conducted in our Essex Babylab, the leading infant lab in the East of England. Staff use a variety of techniques, including EEG, fNIRS, fMRI, TMS/tDCS, physiological and behavioural measures.

Specialist facilities

We are committed to giving you access to state-of-the-art facilities in higher education, housed entirely within our purpose-built psychology building on our Colchester Campus:

• dedicated laboratories to employ a range of cutting-edge methodologies when carrying out your research projects
• specialist areas to study visual and auditory perception, developmental psychology, and social psychology
• a virtual reality suite and an observation suite
• our Babylab, the leading infant lab in the East of England that explores perceptual, emotional, and cognitive processes in infants
• our multimillion-pound Centre for Brain Science (CBS), which allows staff and students to investigate brain activity (including electrophysiology (EEG), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)) and houses a range of facilities to measure eye movements and physiological responses (such as heart rate and skin conductance)
• a first-of-its-kind dedicated Minecraft Lab, which uses the popular game to study human behaviour in situations that might be impractical or unethical to recreate in the real world

Your future

With the skills and knowledge you acquire from studying within our Department of Psychology, you will find yourself in demand from a wide range of employers.

Graduates from this course go on to work in a diverse range of careers and industries. Recent graduates are working in the following roles at organisations such as St George's Hospital Medical School, Allied Health Care, Tavistock Institute of Human Relations, Thinking Spaces, and the Anna Freud Centre:

• research coordinators
• support workers for mental health and learning disabilities
• research and education consultants
• occupational therapy assistants
• addiction treatment assistants

Others continue their education in counselling and clinical psychology, and hold positions such as trainee counselling psychologist and assistant education psychologist at organisations such as the NHS and Essex County Council.

Many of our students also choose to continue with further studies. Following this course, you can qualify for our special Masters courses in Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology or Research Methods in Psychology. You may also choose to pursue a Masters by Dissertation (MSD): a one-year opportunity to pursue an independent research project without additional taught modules.

We also have excellent links with the research community for those interested in careers in research and teaching in a higher-education context. We are recognised by the ESRC as providing excellent postgraduate training, and are an accredited Doctoral Training Centre, offering competitive studentships. Our PhD students have taken up postdoctoral positions in other top UK and international universities (e.g. US, Italy, Australia), as well as being appointed to lectureships across the UK.

"My multidisciplinary experiences from studying psychology at Essex and work experience in the industry have strengthened my curiosity in tracing the field of visuospatial cognition. I've also benefitted from a Vice-Chancellor's Global Talent Scholarship which has meant so much more to me than just financial support. It's represented acknowledgment, opportunity, and a belief in the value of investing in my efforts and aspirations."

Asuka Onishi, MSc Psychology

UK entry requirements

A 2:2 degree, or international equivalent in any subject.

This course is not suitable for applicants who already hold a British Psychological Society Accredited degree.

If you already hold a BSc/BA Psychology and are not seeking BPS accreditation we advise you consider the MSc Cognitive Neuroscience & Neuropsychology or MSc Research Methods in Psychology courses.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum score of 5.5 in all components.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.

Course structure

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Teaching

• Your modules are taught through lectures, seminars, practical classes, and private study (approximately 12 to 16 hours per week during the autumn and spring term).
• A typical timetable for postgraduate taught students in the Department of Psychology involves a two-hour lecture for each module per week. Some modules involve additional computer labs (normally one hour per week) or seminars (normally two or three per term).
• Most taught modules include joint lectures with undergraduate students and additional postgraduate-level seminars.
• The course also requires private study.
• We host a very active programme of research seminars.

Assessment

• Full-year modules are most often examined using a three-hour examination, and half-year modules by a two-hour examination. All elements are required - applicants with a non-science background should be aware of the requirement to pass statistics.
• Assessment methods in submission of coursework, coursework tests, and examinations. You will be required to submit approximately 15 pieces of coursework throughout the course.
• Your final research project will be completed at the end of your period of study.

Dissertation

• An original psychological study carried out under the supervision of a staff member.
• Maximum of 10,000 words, written up as a research report.