This British Psychological Society-accredited Psychology and Psychological Research MSci programme is designed for those considering a career in research (eg, working for universities, think tanks and consulting).

This BPS-accredited Psychology and Psychological Research MSci covers all aspects of psychology.

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 apply for this degree and are not admitted you will automatically be considered for admission into BSc Psychology. We allow up to five students to transfer from BSc Psychology into MSci Psychology and Psychological Research after their second year. High academic performance in the first two years will be an important criterion for the transfer. Combining students directly entering the course via UCAS and those who transfer from BSci, we expect a cohort of ten students in MSci Psychology and Psychological Research in the third and fourth years. 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.

 

Why Study this Course?

Situated at the heart of the Edgbaston campus, we are one of the strongest Psychology departments in the country, with 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. We are ranked among the top three Psychology departments in the country for research and have been rated as ‘excellent’ in government reviews of our teaching.

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 U548

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
  • Introduction to Programming
  • 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 of the MSci Psychology and Psychological Research, you study a range of modules all of which are at Masters level. You will carry out a three-month research placement and a six-month research project within the School, as well as receiving training in transferable skills and advanced scientific methods. 

  

Year 4

You will gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge research at an internationally competitive level through a research placement and an independent research project that are supervised by our academic and research staff.

Taught components are Masters-level modules. You will take taught modules on transferable skills (eg. presentation skills) and choose options from a list of modules that include advanced research seminars and training in advanced scientific methods (eg. functional brain imaging, computational modelling of behaviours).    

Compulsory modules

  • Research project
  • Foundations in Critical Thinking
  • Proposing Research in Psychology
  • Current Research in Psychology

Option modules

  • Introduction to Computational Methods
  • Mind, Brain and Models
  • Fundamentals in Brain Imaging
  • Advanced Brain Imaging Methods
  • Application of Electrophysiological Approaches in Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Introduction to Neuroscientific Methods
  • Foundations of Data Science

 

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. 

This MSci programme focuses on developing research skills of students. Research skills are versatile and transferable, and so they are useful in a variety of workplaces. Lecturing, consulting and thinktanks are just a few of the possible career paths. Research assistantships in psychological laboratories may be one of the entry-level jobs that you may find attractive upon graduation.

For lectureships in universities and other specialised research posts, a doctorate degree (PhD) is usually necessary. PhD programmes typically take three to four years, in which you may receive financial support for tuition and/or living expenses in the form of studentships. MSci students with excellent academic records may be able to enter a PhD programme with a studentship immediately after MSci; however, PhD studentships are highly competitive and further research experiences beyond MSci may also be necessary. Nevertheless, an MSci should give you an edge over BSc students in the competition for entry into PhD programmes and PhD studentships.

  

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.