18Jan
PostgraduateCourse summary
The first course of its kind to be accredited by The British Psychological Society (BPS), our MSc Health Psychology provides the initial step (Stage 1) towards gaining Chartered Psychologist status and registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Health Psychologist. The course follows the BPS Division of Health Psychology framework for teaching. The Health Psychology MSc is for individuals seeking advanced training in the application of psychological theories, methods and research to the understanding of health, illness and healthcare. Taught in our multi-million-pound Science Centre, the course will help you develop a comprehensive understanding of the core issues and debates within health psychology theory, research and application. This includes exploring models and theories of health behaviour, considering the impact of living with long-term conditions, contemplating communication issues in healthcare settings – and investigating how psychology can impact on practice through areas such as health promotion and behavioural change. You will also be introduced to the basics of therapeutic work in our exciting “Introduction to Applied Therapeutic And Clinical Skills” module. Staffordshire University has a thriving Health Psychology research culture, focused in the Staffordshire Centre for Psychological Research, with an excellent national and international reputation. The Health Psychology Programmes at Staffordshire University have nine commendations from the BPS (2018) for:
- The positive and strong ethos of developing reflective practice of students; the exemplary support provided;
- Embedding employability skills and developing student’s critical evaluation and research skills;
- The development of applied skills through initiatives such as the journal club and giving students access to service users to develop their applied skills and communication skills at an early stage in their training;
- The use of real-world assessments such as the grants application is highly innovative and show students clear career progression.
Assessment method
Assessment includes both informal (formative) and formal (summative) methods, including tutor and peer feedback and self-evaluation. You’ll receive clear guidance on the submission and marking of assessments and be given both verbal and written feedback. Assessment methods are varied and will provide the opportunity to develop transferable skills. In addition, assessments are designed to include elements linked to real-word tasks to enable you to develop skills essential for a future career in health psychology. To encourage you to achieve the highest grades, you’ll be required to demonstrate creativity, innovation, excellent research and critical evaluation skills. You must present your work in a compelling and authoritative style that illustrates your ability to synthesise evidence to support new ideas. Summative assessment is included in each module and will be accompanied by detailed and constructive feedback to support you in identifying areas for improvement. There are no exams on this course and all summative assessments take the form of coursework and presentations.
Entry requirements
You’ll need: A First or 2:1 (Hons) degree (or equivalent) in Psychology as recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as providing Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC). An academic reference. A personal statement outlining your interest in Health Psychology. Additional requirements for overseas applicants: If you have not completed a British Psychological Society-accredited BSc at a UK university, you must obtain Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) from the BPS and include evidence of this with your application. If your first language is not English, you must have achieved 7.0 or above on all components of the IELTS. If you don’t meet our entry criteria: If you have a BSc (Hons) Psychology at a 2:2 level and recent relevant experience or other relevant qualifications, you may be eligible to register for the Certificate in Health Psychology, with the potential to progress to the MSc. In such cases, admission normally follows interview with the course director, and is at the discretion of the course team.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Course fees for each course can be found on the relevant course page on our website: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/.
Further details about postgraduate fees and funding can be found here: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/fees-and-funding.
Provider information
University of Staffordshire
College Road
Stoke on Trent
ST4 2DE