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Psychology Conversion Degree (BPS)

MSc

Summary

Study level

Postgraduate

Award

Master's

Part time

15 months

Location

Online

Apply today

Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology

What makes Arden University special?

Education for everyone, everywhere

Whether you're constrained by location, cost, time, or other life commitments, we're passionate about giving you access to higher education that fits into your busy, modern life.

You decide how and where to study

We offer a wide range of flexible undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in both our online and blended study modes.

Full support both online and on-site

We're also proud to offer non-standard entry, meaning your work experience and previous qualifications are taken into account when assessing your application.

Strong focus on employability

You will gain in-depth subject knowledge and transferable skills that employers from a huge range of industries will value. Many of our courses at Arden are also accredited by leading professional bodies in the UK.

Course Overview

This online MSc Psychology conversion course is designed for anyone passionate about understanding human behaviour or looking to start a career in psychology. As a conversion course, most students are new to the subject, so the programme begins with core Research Methods to build skills and confidence before progressing to more advanced assessments. Successful completion of the course grants eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC), which is often a pre-requisite for further training as a professional psychologist. It also means that you can apply to be a graduate member with the British Psychological Society (BPS), which grants access to the post-nominal letters GMBPsS.

You’ll develop the research skills modern psychologists need. From day one, you’ll explore both quantitative and qualitative methods using practices that reflect how research is carried out in psychology today.

On the course, you’ll study the human lifespan, mental health, brain-behaviour links, and current debates in personality and intelligence research. You’ll benefit from the experience of our academic staff in a collaborative, international learning environment, gaining real-world insight through opportunities such as volunteer research assistant opportunities, student conferences, guest speakers, professional interest groups, employability events, and more.

Earning your MSc Psychology online with Arden gives you control over your studies without the need to relocate. Our tutors use a mix of lectures, online tutorials, and self-directed learning to bring the full university experience to you wherever you are.

This degree prepares you to apply psychological concepts in careers such as human resource management, teaching, counselling, and beyond. After your first study block, we will submit your application for BPS Student Membership and cover the cost for the rest of your MSc if accepted, subject to BPS terms of membership. If you prefer not to be automatically enrolled with BPS, please let us know before the end of your first study block.

Once you have completed your first study block with us, we will submit an application for your membership with BPS, if this is accepted we will pay for your membership for the remainder of your MSc Psychology course at Arden. You will be subject to the BPS terms of membership which can be found here. If you do not want us to automatically enrol you please let us know prior to the end of your first study block.

Accreditation and Memberships

BPS Accredited

Upon graduation you'll receive Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) conferred by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

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Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society, the representative body for professional psychologists in the UK.

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MSc Psychology conversion course details and modules

Achieving your online MSc Psychology conversion course allows you to start your journey in psychology and opens pathways to more senior positions, including management and leadership roles.

This course focuses on mastering the fundamentals of psychology, learning to critically analyse theory and research, and exploring how psychology can be applied across a range of settings. You’ll cover core topics such as behavioural neuroscience, individual differences, lifespan development, and mental health.

Using a modular approach, you’ll engage with modern psychology concepts including how different brain types influence human behaviour, human memory, states of consciousness, and the development of neurological conditions. You’ll also explore human growth and change across the lifespan, from childhood and adolescence to adulthood and older age.

Alongside these core areas, the course emphasises innovation and technology in psychology. You’ll investigate modern debates, from brain imaging and cognitive functions to the use of AI and machine learning in mental health research. Innovative tools, such as bodyswaps (AI avatars), are integrated into the programme to help you develop practical skills including interviewing and assessment techniques.

Flexible learning that fits around you

As a fully online MSc Psychology student, you can fit your study hours around your life. Arden University’s online degrees are flexible, accessible, and designed to help you boost your career prospects and expand your knowledge from anywhere in the world.

Whether you’re working full- or part-time, living with a disability, or caring for children, there are no barriers to studying with Arden—just opportunities to unlock your full potential.

If you can’t attend a live session, don’t worry. All sessions are recorded and available to watch at a time that suits you, so you never miss out on important content.

Arden is for winners. Nobody will beg you to sit down and start working on your career, if you don’t do it yourself! At Arden, if you have an honest interest for what you learn and you want to reach out for more, you will be welcomed, helped, and advised. But to do that, you must be determined.

Bettina Finna

BSc (Hons) Psychology

Modules

To earn your online MSc Psychology conversion degree, you need a total of 180 credits, completed through the following modules:

Research Methods (20 credits)
Social Psychology (20 credits)
Behavioural Neuroscience (20 credits)
Individual Differences and Mental Health (20 credits)
Lifespan Development (20 credits)
Cognitive Psychology (20 credits)
Advanced Research Project (60 credits)

The modules run in a specific sequence, starting with Research Methods, to ensure you gain the fundamental knowledge required for the empirical nature of psychology. With this programme, you will study one module per semester, allowing you to focus in depth on each subject area and build your skills progressively throughout the course. Each 20-credit module typically requires around 200 learning hours over a 10-week period, which works out to a minimum of 20 hours per week.

How do we assess you?

Our assessments are designed to help you develop practical skills for your future role, rather than just testing knowledge through exams. You’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate your strengths in a variety of ways and track your progress throughout the course.

For the online MSc Psychology conversion course, assessment methods include:

Quantitative and qualitative empirical research report
Empirical research proposal
Self-reflective writing
Literature review
Case study
Poster
Presentation
Dissertation/Empirical Journal Article

You’ll also have the chance to submit draft work for feedback before final assessments, and in some modules, you can choose between written or presentation formats, allowing you to play to your strengths.

The Advanced Research Project

Your final 60-credit module, the Advanced Research Project, lets you shape your academic journey around your passions, career goals, and professional interests.
During this module, you will:

Choose a research topic that sparks your curiosity and aligns with your personal interests.
Tailor your project to your preferred style and depth, with the option to submit a comprehensive 12,000-word thesis or a concise 7,000-word journal article.
Obtain ethical approval for your project, which counts for 10% of the module grade—an important step in line with professional psychology practice.
Receive 1-to-1 guidance from experienced academics across diverse psychology disciplines, gaining insights and support throughout your research journey.
Collaborate with your supervisor to explore opportunities for sharing your work with the wider academic community via journals, conferences, blogs, and more.

Study support

Custom-made support for your psychology conversion degree studies

Alongside the extensive support available to all Arden students, our online MSc Psychology conversion course offers a personalised support system to help you succeed.

Supporting your studies:

Live and asynchronous teaching: Each module includes 10 asynchronous lessons (9 for new modules) with interactive activities available as soon as you enrol, plus 8 live teaching sessions per week delivered by your module lecturers. This combination ensures flexibility while maintaining a structured learning experience.
Draft feedback opportunities: Every module allows submission of draft work (up to 1,200 words) for formative feedback, helping you refine your work before final assessment.
1-to-1 support: You can book weekly live drop-in sessions with your module lecturer for personalised guidance.
Peer guides and learning assistants: Peer guides are active Arden students who have completed your modules and provide fresh perspectives, while learning assistants help make new topics more accessible.
Quarterly programme leader feedback: Work with your programme leader to co-create your learning experience and ensure it aligns with your ambitions.
Access to specialist research software: Licences for Jamovi (data analysis) and Gorilla (experiment design) are included, giving you hands-on research experience.
Free BPS student membership: Gain access to a wealth of resources and networking opportunities within the psychology profession.
Study skills workshops: Join workshops and study groups to build strong academic skills, particularly useful at the start of your degree.

This tailored combination of live teaching, draft feedback, 1-to-1 support, and specialist tools ensures you gain practical research skills and confidence throughout your MSc Psychology conversion course.

Supporting your future:

Hear from industry experts who share their insights and experiences, giving you a unique view of the career opportunities a psychology MSc can open up, and helping you build your professional network.

You’ll also benefit from extracurricular opportunities to enhance your employability, including annual student conferences where you can showcase your work and make valuable professional connections.

Psychology conversion course study options

This MSc Psychology conversion course is available to students as a fully online programme, which gives you the convenience of being able to study from anywhere worldwide.

The assignments were challenging -in a good way. They were relevant to what we learned and interesting to complete. Being able to contact my module tutor - either in the discussion forums or by email- was tremendously helpful. I feel that my concerns and questions were taken seriously, and the feedback was genuinely helpful.

Rudolf Eigenheer

MSc Psychology

Online learning

How does it work?

Studying this course online gives you the ultimate in convenience. You can enrol with Arden from anywhere in the world and study your degree from the comfort of home, without the requirement to attend classes in a physical location.

Our online students study their degree through ilearn, Arden’s university campus in the cloud. ilearn provides everything you need to study at University. It offers an integrated virtual learning experience, including your virtual classroom, lecture theatre, and access to our Library Portal. The portal includes an extensive digital library including thousands of journal titles, eBooks, and academic and industry databases which you can use to research your assignments and projects. All of these materials are provided to you free of charge, and contain all the research information you’ll need to complete your degree with us.

iLearn is also integrated with Zoom, making it easier to chat with your course tutor during your scheduled seminar sessions. You can even integrate our study materials into your Kindle, making it possible to study wherever you have your Kindle handy.

Studying online doesn’t mean studying alone. As well as receiving regular feedback and guidance from your course tutor, you’ll be studying with likeminded students who you can meet with through our Unitu community, and you’ll have access to community message boards to discuss your course and the topics being raised within it. We’ve even set up community boards embedded into each of the course modules so you can have discussions with your tutor and classmates on the topics you’re currently learning.

Learn more about online learning

Psychology conversion master's entry requirements

What do you need to study with us?

Our aim is to make learning as accessible as possible by ensuring that you can study your degree in a flexible and convenient way. That's why we keep our requirements simple. All you need is a laptop or desktop PC (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good internet connection. Please note that if you’re using a Chromebook, only those released in 2020 onwards support Jamovi, which is an essential requirement for the statistical elements of the course. Through ilearn, our online university campus in the cloud, you'll be able to access your course calendar, support services, learning materials, and our online library containing almost half a million texts, as well as creating assignments, keeping notes, and collaborating with other students on your course.

Eligibility

Our online MSc Psychology conversion (BPS accredited) degree has standard entry requirements. To be able to study this course, we need to see that you have:

A UK honours degree or equivalent in any subject at 2:2 or above. If your degree is in psychology, it must not be accredited by the BPS.
A Third Class UK honours degree or equivalent in psychology if you also possess a master’s-level degree.
Students that do not hold a UK (Hons) degree, or have a degree without honours will need to evidence independent research shown through, for example, a final year project dissertation or thesis. You may provide this evidence from Master's level if your undergraduate degree didn’t include this.

If you hold a degree on an accredited psychology programme where the empirical component of the course was failed, your application will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

We also require a maths qualification or equivalent to at least Grade C at GCSE. However if you are unable to evidence a GCSE or equivalent in maths, you will be able to complete a maths mini module which has no formal assessment.

Applications for admission with advanced standing on the basis of prior certificated learning will be considered on an individual basis up to a maximum of 60 credits.

English Proficiency

IELTS 6.5 (no less than 6.0 in any element); or TOEFL iBT 90; or equivalent
Alternatively, a letter to show that the Medium of Instruction was in English is accepted

We will consider alternative qualifications to evidence the maths component, as this qualification includes research methods which involves statistics.

We’ll ask you for a personal statement that demonstrates your ability to study the course. We may also want references and evidence of relevant experiences.

If you don’t already have a degree, we may be able to offer you a place on one of our undergraduate degree programmes, such as our BSc (Hons) Psychology degree.

Course fees and funding

Funding and Scholarships

For our July 25 and October 25 intakes, we’re offering UK online learning students the opportunity to enrol on our MSc Psychology course for just £7,000, a tuition fee reduction of £1,500. This means you can use the remaining balance from your Postgraduate Student Loan (up to £12,858 for students in England) to help with living costs, making it easier for you to invest in your future.

If you’re an international online learning student, we have Regional Offers that can help you save money on your tuition fees.

Terms and conditions apply https://arden.ac.uk/terms-and-conditions

Refer a Friend

When you help a friend or family member to study with Arden through our Refer a Friend programme, both you and the person you refer will receive a £500 Amazon e-voucher or £500 tuition fee credit.

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Use the dropdown above to find course fees and funding information for your country. If you can’t find information for your country in the dropdown, visit our International support page.

Meet the faculty

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology is currently overseen by Professor Brian Smith, Deputy Provost. Bringing more than three decades of experience, Brian has been awarded the prestigious Higher Education Academy National Teaching Fellow for excellence in developing inspiring and innovative new learning and teaching models in global higher education. This work was core to his PhD to understand learner behaviour and ontological needs in the classroom, blended and online learning. He carries a wealth of experience and has touched a variety of disciplines – including healthcare, psychology, technology, law and engineering, to name a few. He also holds the title of Advance HE Principal Fellow, and Accreditor status for reviewing fellowships. Brian has contributed to several initiatives in his career, some of which has included authoring End point Assessments for Apprenticeships (Institute for Apprenticeships), Micro-credential characteristics (Quality Assurance Agency), TEF 2023 panel member (Office for Students), editor reviewer for journals, and authoring publications such as Creativity: An unsolved enigma.

Professor Brian Smith

Deputy Provost

Career prospects

At postgraduate level, you’ve probably already got solid career goals in mind. Our aim is to take you on the journey to achieving those goals, equipping you with a range of transferable skills that will give you the upper hand as a future employee – in whichever industry you feel is right for you.

Related courses

What can an online MSc psychology conversion degree do for me?

Achieving a degree at master’s level in psychology will open up a world of career opportunities. While studying, you’ll become proficient in:

How our brain influences our perception of the world
Social interaction
Psychopathological conditions
Approaches to intelligence testing
Childhood development
Behavioural neuroscience

What can I do after Arden University?

After successfully completing your MSc psychology conversion course via distance learning, you’ll have acquired a range of skills that will be appealing to several industries. Employers know that a successful psychology graduate at master’s level can go above and beyond when it comes to understanding and analysing human behaviour. With that in mind, a few career options for you could include:

Civil Service
Marketing
Consultant
Teacher
Researcher
HR Professional
Management
Business Leader

Or if you want to continue your journey towards becoming a registered Practitioner Psychologist it will allow you to apply for MSc accredited courses in Psychology specific disciplines. Keep a look out for future MSc discipline specific courses with us at Arden University.

Our MSc Psychology students have gone onto earn up to £80,000 within 2 years of graduation*

*Source: 2020/21 Graduate Outcomes Survey

Industry skills

The British Psychological Society (BPS)

The British Psychological Society (BPS) is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK. The society is responsible for the development, promotion, and application of psychology for the public good.

Arden’s BSc MSc Psychology (Conversion) course is accredited by the BPS. This means that upon graduation students will be eligible for the society’s Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership - the prerequisite requirement to go on to further training as a professional psychologist after graduation.

While you’re studying your BPS accredited course with us, we’ll cover the cost of your student membership with the BPS, which gives you access to a large range of useful resources including access to the British Psychological Society Library, the UK’s leading national resource in psychology.

The British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) have a memorandum of Cooperation to recognise one another's accreditations, meaning that a BPS accredited degree can qualify you for graduate membership to the PSI, which is the pathway to work as a psychologist in Ireland.

After your first study block, we’ll submit your application for BPS Student Membership and cover the cost for the rest of your MSc if accepted. You will be subject to the BPS terms of membership, which can be found here. If you do not want us to automatically enrol you, please let us know prior to the end of your first study block.

Campaign for Social Science

Arden University is a member of the Campaign for Social Science.

The Campaign demonstrates how social science improves public policy, society, and all our lives. It highlights the value of applied social science research and advocates for its greater use in decision-making and in government. It is supported by a coalition of universities, social science societies, and publishers.

As a member, Arden receives access to case studies, research into the value provided by social sciences, and insights into the employability of social science graduates. Through this, you will gain a better understanding of the skills you are learning and their value to employers.