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Psychology Conversion Degree (BPS)

MSc

Home Courses Postgraduate Psychology degree

Summary

Study level

Postgraduate

Award

Master's

Full time

1 year

Part time

1 year+

Location

Online

Course Overview

This MSc conversion course is ideal for graduates who want to enter a career in psychology by gaining Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS, particularly if you have a previous degree in a non-psychology related subject but now want to pursue your interest in psychology at master’s degree level. After graduation, you’ll qualify for membership of the BPS – not only a mark of your achievement, but also a prerequisite if you want to enter further training to practise as a professional psychologist.

Gaining your psychology 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. To assist your learning, 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 apply psychological concepts in careers such as human resource management, teaching, or counselling, this course gives you the BPS accreditation you require plus key transferrable skills in the humanities and social sciences that will give you a competitive edge in the workplace.

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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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Course details and modules

Achieving an MSc Psychology conversion qualification allows you to start you learning journey and training as a psychologist. It also allows for easier transitions into more senior positions, such as management and leadership. Studied through online learning which you can undertake from anywhere in the world, this course is all about mastering the fundamentals of psychology and learning how to critically analyse theories with applied research and understanding and applying to practice.

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

Bettina Finna

BSc (Hons) Psychology

Modules

To gain your master’s degree in psychology, 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 Psychopathology (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. As this is an online psychology master’s, you have the freedom to fit your study hours around your lifestyle, with 24/7 support from us.

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. That’s why we choose a range of different methods to keep track of your progress. For the master’s psychology degree, these include:

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

Study options

This 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 online library (which when used along with our supplementary library, Perlego, gives you access to almost half a million books and journals – yours for free while you study 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.

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Entry requirements

At Arden University we consider applications on a case by case basis. If you have significant work experience, have qualifications you have gained elsewhere, or a degree or qualification that isn't a clear pathway to this degree - we are more than happy to discuss your application.

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Eligibility

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

A UK Honours Degree at a minimum of second class (2.2) or equivalent, that is not a psychology qualification, or not accredited by the BPS
A maths qualification or equivalent to at least Grade C at GCSE

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 also offer an internal English test for applicants who are unable to provide an English Proficiency letter. More information on this can be found here.

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.

Before you start studying

Whilst you can read your study materials on your smart phone or tablet, to make the most of your learning experience, you will need access to a laptop or computer (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good stable internet connection.

Course fees and funding

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Meet the faculty

Arden’s psychology and social science degrees are designed to explore human behaviours across diverse areas of psychology and social science such as criminology, sociology, and criminal justice. These courses provide you with a range of transferable skills that are valued by employers from a wide range of industries. Our Psychology online courses are accredited by The British Psychological Society, which means they are internationally recognised. I look forward to welcoming you to the Arden University family.

Gail Steptoe-Warren

Head of School, Psychology and Social Sciences

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 a psychology 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 degree, 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.

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 (Hons) Psychology and MSc Psychology (Conversion) courses are accredited by the BPS. This means that students obtaining at least a lower second class honours degree (2:2) 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.