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Accreditations


Course Summary

The MSc Psychology (Conversion) course is for people who have degrees in other subjects (or unaccredited psychology degrees) who wish to obtain Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS). The course provides a comprehensive grounding in the areas of psychology that form the core BPS curriculum. 

Teaching on this MSc is course-specific, with classes designed and delivered exclusively at postgraduate level, rather than shared with undergraduate courses. All classes are held on one day per week, maximising flexibility for working on assignments, and to help maintain your other commitments. 

The School of Psychology at Chester has a well-established record of producing high-calibre students. It is equipped with a wide range of psychological equipment for your use. The School is recognised by both past and present students as a friendly place that has the interests of its students at its heart. 

Our MSc Psychology (Conversion) course is accredited by The British Psychological Society. 

Why You’ll Love It

What You'll Study

Modules in trimesters one and two explore the role of biology in behaviour, mental processes in thinking and feeling, how  humans develop, how people differ in personality and intelligence, how we function as social beings, and ways these phenomena can be investigated. The dissertation is completed in trimester three. 

Modules

Cognitive psychology is the scientific study of thinking. It is a core area of psychology which investigates the thoughts that people have when perceiving, paying attention, remembering, using language, solving problems, and many other aspects of cognition.  The module introduces you to the key topics of cognitive psychology, and the methods that cognitive psychologists use, including experiments, case studies of people with brain damage (Cognitive Neuropsychology), brain imaging, and observational studies.  You will be introduced to key theories of cognitive psychology and how cognitive psychology can be applied to real world problems.

This module introduces you to the essentials of psychological research, and includes an introduction to qualitative methods and quantitative methods, including questionnaire / survey and experimental research methods. Overviews of qualitative methodologies are given covering both data acquisition (e.g. interview, focus group, photo elicitation) and major analysis techniques (e.g. discourse analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis, etc.). Thematic or content analysis is covered in more detail.

The module also introduces quantitative designs (e.g. surveys and experimental studies) and key analytical techniques. Laboratory exercises provide you with hands-on activities and include training in the use of statistical software packages (e.g. SPSS). The module introduces you to the nature and philosophy of the experimental method, the design and execution of psychological experiments, descriptive statistics, frequentist and Bayesian inferential parametric and non-parametric statistical procedures (e.g. chi-square, t-tests, (factorial) ANOVA, correlation, regression, and allied analyses). The module covers the replication crisis and potential remedies.

You receive guidance on the production of qualitative and quantitative research reports.

Biological psychology is a dynamic interdisciplinary core area of psychology. This module will introduce you to the basic tenets of biological psychology, including coverage of (i) the basic neurochemistry and neurophysiology of neural communication, (ii) the structure and organisation of the central nervous system, and (iii) exploration of the biological bases of psychological processes such as reward, drug action and behaviour, emotional functioning, recovery / rehabilitation and memory. You will also be introduced to approaches such as psychopharmacology, behavioural genetics, behavioural endocrinology and evolutionary/comparative psychology.

This module is an exploration of social psychology including: historical and contemporary perspectives, research methods in social psychology, social constructionism, attribution, attitudes and their formation, social cognition, self and social identity, and close relationships. You will also explore group processes and intergroup relations, including topics such as: Leadership, conformity and compliance, prosocial behaviour; antisocial behaviour, prejudice, aggression, and culture.

In this module, we will discuss the wide range of differences between individuals, especially focusing on the key areas of personality and intelligence. We will examine competing definitions, evaluations and applications, and the history and accuracy of methods of measurement. Theoretical approaches to personality will be covered including psychodynamic, trait, phenomenological, behaviourist and cognitive social. Intelligence perspectives involving traditional/hereditarian, behavioural, emotional, and single versus multiple intelligences will be compared. Key concepts covered will include nature/nurture, age/gender/cultural differences, temporal stability and situational consistency. Individual differences can be key predictors of many life outcomes including for mental and physical health, relationships, achievement/education/occupation, culture and social policy.

This module will explore research methods and related ethical issues in developmental psychology across the lifespan, including observation, assessment and application of psychological theory. You will examine major theories and models of lifespan development. This will incorporate physical, cognitive, social and emotional development from conception to early adulthood, including the effects of teratogens, life-events and transitions. You will also study developmental psychology in relation to mid-life stages and beyond.

The focus of this module is to enable you to develop in detail your knowledge of a specific topic in psychology, and to further develop your research methodology skills through the process of researching and writing a complete research project and producing a dissertation. The module will also facilitate your critical reflections on your skills development, relevance to employability, and transferability to careers.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

Who You’ll Learn From

Dr Nicola Lasikiewicz

Senior Lecturer
Dr Nicola Lasikiewicz

How You'll Learn

Based in the School of Psychology you will, primarily, be taught in small group lectures with an interactive style of teaching, incorporating workshops and discussion groups where appropriate.  For the full-time course, formal lecture contact is six hours per week (with an expected 18-24 hours’ independent study per week), with additional tutorial and support sessions as required. For the part-time course, formal lecture contact could be up to six hours per week (with expected four hours per module taken of independent study per week), with additional tutorial and support sessions as required. 

Assessment is by coursework, including: 

  • essays 
  • research reports 
  • presentations 
  • posters 
  • a critique 
  • a dissertation 

 

Entry Requirements

2:2 honours degree

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in any subject. 

2:2 honours degree

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in any subject. 

English Language Requirements  

For more information on our English Language requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements

Where You'll Study Exton Park, Chester

Fees and Funding

£8,775for a full-time course (2025/26)

Guides to the fees for students who wish to commence postgraduate courses are available to view on our Postgraduate Taught Programmes Fees page. Here you will also find information about part-time fees and project/placement year fees.

£15,000for a full-time course (2025/26)

The tuition fees for international students studying Postgraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £15,000.

Please note: For MSc programmes where a placement or project year is undertaken there will be an additional charge of £2,750 for the placement/project year (due at the start of the second year of the course).

The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships for postgraduate study, providing a significant reduction to the published headline tuition fee. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when your application is reviewed, and any award given will be stated on your offer letter.

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees. 

The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships. 

Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees and Finance section of our website.

Your Future Career

Job prospects

Successful completion of the MSc Psychology (Conversion) course confers eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with The British Psychological Society (BPS); students must achieve an overall pass mark of at least 50% and must pass the empirical psychology project. Attaining GBC enables you to pursue a career in specialist areas of psychology, including clinical, forensic, health, occupational, counselling, educational, or sport and exercise psychology, with a view to becoming a chartered psychologist in these areas. 

Other students completing the MSc Psychology (Conversion) course go on to work in a wide variety of areas allied to psychology and beyond, utilising the transferable knowledge and skills that a psychology degree develops. 

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs .

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