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Psychology Conversion Degree (BPS)

MSc

Summary

Study level

Postgraduate

Award

Master's

Part time

1 year+

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 an ideal route for anyone who is looking to develop or change into a career in psychology or anyone who is simply passionate about understanding human behaviour. 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.

On the course, you’ll examine many of the latest developments in contemporary psychology, including studying the human lifespan from birth to old age, current explorations in mental health and how the brain can influence our behaviour, as well as looking at the current controversies in personality and intelligence-based research.

During the course, you’ll also benefit from the experience and knowledge of our academic staff in a collaborative and international learning environment. You’ll have the opportunity to gain real-world insight and experience through our specialised psychology support, including opportunities such as volunteer research assistant schemes, student conferences, guest speakers, professional interest groups, employability events, and more.

Gaining your psychology conversion master's online with Arden allows you to take control of your studies and removes the need to relocate to get the degree you want. Our tutors use a variety of teaching methods including lectures, online tutorials, and self-directed learning to bring the full university experience directly to you, wherever you are.

So whether you’re looking to start a career as a professional psychologist or want to gain key transferrable skills in the humanities and social sciences that will give you a competitive edge in the workplace, this degree will help you to apply psychological concepts in careers such as human resource management, teaching, counselling, and many others.

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 psychology conversions master's allows you to start your learning journey and training as a psychologist. It can also allow for easier transitions into more senior positions, such as management and leadership.

This course is all about mastering the fundamentals of psychology and learning how to critically analyse theory and research and explore how it can be applied in a range of settings. You’ll cover fascinating areas such as behavioural neuroscience, individual differences and mental health, lifespan development, and much more.

Taking a modular approach to your learning, you’ll be immersed in truly fascinating modern psychology concepts such as the influence of different brain types on human behaviour, exploring human memory, examining different states of consciousness and the development of neurological conditions.

You’ll also have the chance to explore topics that can have a profound effect on our understanding of the human lifespan and how humans grow, develop and change across the course of their lives through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older age.

Flexible learning that fits around you

As this is a fully online psychology master’s, you’ll have the freedom to fit your study hours around your life. Online degree study with Arden University is flexible, accessible, and designed to empower you to boost your career prospects and expand your knowledge from anywhere in the world.

Whether you’re in full or part-time employment, living with a disability, or have children to look after, there are no barriers to a degree with Arden, just the chance to unlock your full career potential.

As an online student, if you can’t make it to one of your live study sessions, you needn’t worry. All study sessions are recorded, and you’ll be able to access each one at a time that works best for you.

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 gain your online MSc Psychology conversion degree, you need 180 credits in total, studying 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)

You can study two modules at once, but we’d always recommend studying each module separately until you become comfortable with the demands of a master’s degree. Each 20-credit module typically requires an average of 200 learning hours over the 10-week course, equivalent to a minimum of 20 hours a week.

How do we assess you?

The way we assess our students provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate your strengths in a variety of ways. Rather than exams, all our assessments are designed to help you develop practical skills for your future role. That’s why we choose a range of different methods to keep track of your progress. For the online psychology conversion master's, these include:

Empirical research report
Empirical research proposal
Essay
Self-reflective writing
Literature review
Case study
Poster
Presentation
Dissertation/Empirical Journal Article

The Advanced Research Project

Your final 60-credit module, the Advanced Research Project, is where you’ll have the opportunity to shape your academic journey to reflect your passions, future career aspirations, and professional interests. Your project will give you the chance to:

Choose a research subject that ignites your curiosity and research an area that is of personal interest to you.
Tailor your project to your preferred style and depth, with the option to write a comprehensive 12,000-word thesis or a concise 7,000-word journal article.
Receive 1-2-1 guidance and support from our experienced academics who specialise in diverse psychology disciplines, providing valuable insights throughout your research journey.
Collaborate with your dissertation supervisor to explore opportunities for sharing your work with the wider academic community through reputable journals, conferences, blogs, and more.

Study support

Custom-made support for your psychology conversion degree studies

Alongside the extensive support available to all students studying with Arden, our online MSc Psychology course features its own personalised support system to help you succeed with your studies. This includes:

Supporting your studies:

Study skills workshops to guide you on your academic journey – helpful study groups for anyone who needs extra support at the beginning of their degree course.
Online office hours and drop-in sessions with your tutors – as well as support outside of your lectures.
Personalised support from our peer guides and learning assistants – peer guides are active Arden students who have already studied the topics you’re working through and can therefore give you a fresh perspective on your module content. Learning assistants are here to provide additional support with the course fundamentals to make new topics more accessible.
Quarterly feedback drop-ins with your programme leader so you can co-create your learning experience – to make sure you’re getting the most out of this course to support your future ambitions.
Free BPS student membership for access to a wealth of valuable resources – which will assist you with your learning and provide opportunities to network with professionals within the industry.

Supporting your future:

Guest speakers to inspire you with their industry insights and experiences – providing a unique insight into the future opportunities a psychology MSc opens up, as well as providing networking opportunities with industry professionals.

As well as:

Extracurricular opportunities to enhance your employability.
Annual student conferences to showcase your work and make 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 you 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.

Find out more

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 possesses 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 masters 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 conversiondegree 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.

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.