This British Psychological Society-accredited Psychology and Psychological Practice MSci degree is specifically designed for those considering a career in clinical, forensic, educational psychology, and related fields.

Psychologists work in basic and applied research in fields that include education and child development, clinical work, the courtroom (acting as expert witnesses), industry (helping to design efficient machines or optimising business organisations), and in universities researching every branch of human behaviour from visual perception to sexuality.

If you are not admitted to this degree you will automatically be considered for admission into BSc Psychology. We plan to allow a small number of students to transfer from BSc Psychology into MSci Psychology and Psychological Practice after their third year. High academic performance in the first three years will be an important criterion for the transfer. Combining students directly entering the course via UCAS and those who transfer from BSc, we expect a cohort of up to 15 students in MSci Psychology and Psychological Practice in the fourth year. Please note in order to achieve the Master’s qualification you will need to meet the relevant progression requirements at the end of your third year of study in addition to completing a satisfactory Health and DBS check prior to entry on to the fourth year.

Please note that you may be required to come to the School of Psychology for an interview as a part of the application process for this course.

   

Why Study this Course?

Situated at the heart of the Edgbaston campus, we have over 120 research and teaching staff and around 800 undergraduates. We are a broad school with expertise in clinical, forensic, social, developmental, and cognitive psychology, and behavioural and social neuroscience. We have recently opened a new £2 million brain imaging centre. 

Our BSc and MSci programmes are all accredited by the British Psychological Society as conferring eligibility for Graduate Membership of the Society with the Graduate Basis for Registration, provided the minimum standard of second class honours is achieved. This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. For more information please contact the British Psychological Society.

For many careers in psychology, relevant experience and a good undergraduate degree are important, even for entry-level jobs. Our MSci programmes are designed to provide relevant, specialist experience through placements and projects and, because they are Undergraduate Masters degrees, your Local Education Authority should be willing to support your study for the full four years.

Here at the University of Newcastle we were the first to offer MSci programmes dedicated to psychology. We are uniquely placed to offer these opportunities because of our experience (we are the only UK university with postgraduate courses training chartered clinical, forensic and educational psychologists) and because we offer top quality research experience.

Institutional Accreditation 

University of Newcastle is accredited by the DETC Higher Learning Commission (DETC), www.detc.org.uk Since , University of Newcastle has been continually accredited by the DETC Higher Learning Commission and its predecessor.

Psychology and Psychological Practice MSci (Hons)

Course Level:

Undergraduate, Single Honours

Credits 

120

Course

CODE U547

How long it takes:

Undergraduate (4 Years)

Study Mode:

Distance learning/ Campus

Course cost

Price: US$20,220

Entry requirements

Find out more about

Department:

Newcastle Law School

First and second years

In your first two years you will study the core theories and methods of psychology, covering child development, learning, abnormal behaviour, cognitive psychology, perception, personality, social psychology, and brain and behaviour. You will also learn how to design experiments and collect and analyse data.

  

Year abroad option

As a current student you will have the opportunity to take a year abroad in between your second and third years, in a location such as the USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong or Singapore. If you take this option you will receive an MSci with Year Abroad. 

  

Year 1

Compulsory modules:

  • Research Methods A: Basic Skills
  • Research Methods B: Introduction to Psychological Investigation and Statistics
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Introduction to Psychobiology: from Ion Channels to Behaviour
  • Introduction to Learning
  • Introduction to Developmental Psychology
  • Developing Skills for Psychologists/Neuroscientists 1: Making it work at University
  • Developing Skills for Psychologists/Neuroscientists 2: Engaging professionally

  

Year 2

Compulsory modules:

  • Social and Cognitive Development
  • Introduction to Psycholinguistics
  • Introduction to Social and Differential Psychology
  • Neural Basis of Vision and Action
  • Research Methods C
  • Research Methods D
  • Introduction to Forensic Psychology

   

Third year

Year 3 is designed to allow you to develop your individual interests and abilities. You will choose four modules from a wide range of subjects. The modules on offer may vary from year to year, but examples include: Understanding Emotions, Visual Cognitive Neuroscience and Art, Why we eat what we eat, and Clinical Psychology of Severe Intellectual Disability. Class sizes in the third year encourage discussion and places are subject to availability. For each chosen module, there is usually a weekly two-hour lecture plus workshops and/or seminars.

In Year 3 you will also complete an independent Research Project. Under the guidance of a supervisor, you will design a study in your chosen research area, collect and analyse the data, and interpret the data for an oral presentation and written report. This is a substantial piece of independent work that accounts for one-third of the year’s grade, and allows you to develop in-depth knowledge of a specific sub-field of psychology.

  

Year 3

Compulsory module:

  • Project

Option modules – Example option modules may include:

  • Adolescence: Mind and Brain
  • Adult Neuropsychological Syndromes
  • Antisocial and Violent Behaviours: A Multilevel Perspective
  • Brain Damage and Aging in the Attentional System
  • Brain Imaging: a Toolbox for Understanding the Human Mind
  • Clinical Psychology of Severe Intellectual Disability
  • Communities and Social Action
  • Development and Disorders of Language in Children
  • Early Intervention: Can we improve atypical and neurodevelopmental outcomes?
  • Higher Cognitive Function in Children, Adults and Non Human Animals
  • Rehabilitating the Brain
  • Sleep
  • The Mind Detective: Understanding how the mind works by looking at what happens when it is damaged
  • The Neurobiology of Mental Illness
  • Visual Cognitive Neuroscience and Art
  • Why We Eat What We Eat
  • Why We Remember and Why We Forget
  • Understanding emotions:  A neuro-cognitive perspective
  • Psychology of Popular Media Culture

   

Fourth year

In the fourth year, you will gain hands-on experience in applied psychology through work placement with practising clinical, forensic or educational psychologists (the type of placement is subject to availability). Taught components are Masters’ level modules. You will gain knowledge of theoretical and methodological underpinnings of applied psychology through advanced seminar and lecture modules.

  

Year 4

You will gain hands-on experience in applied psychology through a work placement with practising clinical, forensic or educational psychologists (the type of placement is subject to availability).

Taught components are Masters’ level modules. You will gain knowledge of theoretical and methodological underpinnings of applied psychology through advanced seminar and lecture modules.

Compulsory modules:

  • Applied Psychology Placement
  • Professional Practice Report
  • Psychological Research in Clinical Settings
  • Topics in Applied Psychology
  • Principles of Applied Psychology

Entry requirements

 

Applicants should normally have one of the following:

  • A non-law bachelor’s degree (from a US university or recognised by the BSB if you wish to study the BPTC), or
  • A ‘stale’ law degree, where five or more years have elapsed since graduation, or
  • An academic or professional qualification at degree equivalent level

If English is not your first language, you will also need to demonstrate your English Language proficiency. For example, you should have IELTS 7.5 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in all components.

If you intend to become a Solicitor

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has reduced its requirements for pre-authorisation this year. For details of the current arrangements,. You should pay special attention to the Character and Suitability section. 

 

USA,UK & EU students, 2019/20 (per year)

£8,500

International students starting 2019/20 (per year)

£13,100

 

Assessment

You’ll show your progress through a combination of written essays, problem-solving assignments and presentations.

All students take our core modules, but please note that the availability of optional modules is subject to demand.

Preparation for your career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university. Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Newcastle degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal. 

Through teaching and choice of placement, the course provides you with practical experience of working in organisations such as the Probation Service, educational services or the NHS. However, if you are considering a career in clinical, educational or forensic psychology, relevant postgraduate work experience and further training are needed.

It is important to note that the MSci programme does not give you direct access to postgraduate professional training in clinical, forensic, or educational psychology. Courses are highly competitive and applicants are likely to have two or more years of full-time work experience.

In the case of clinical psychology, this postgraduate work experience will often be derived from working in Assistant Psychologist posts and, as with entry to the ClinPsyD postgraduate training programme, access to Assistant Psychologist posts is also extremely competitive. The MSci programme is likely to give you an advantage if you apply for Assistant Psychologist posts or for Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWP) training in a very competitive market, especially straight from university.

In educational and forensic psychology, the range of permissible postgraduate work experience is more varied. Assistant Psychologist posts are also available, although these are relatively few. Again, the MSci programme is likely to give you an advantage if you apply for one of these posts following graduation. Moreover, the year’s experience on the MSci will also be weighed positively when you apply for your postgraduate training. It will provide clear testimony to your knowledge and understanding of the contexts within which educational and forensic psychologists work, and of your own capacity to apply your psychologically-based knowledge and skills, with supervision, to contribute to service delivery.

  

Professional Accreditation

This programme is accredited as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society, provided the minimum standard of a lower second-class Honours degree is achieved. This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.