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Psychology (Conversion) MSc

2026-27 (also available for 2025-26)

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This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.

Start date

7 September 2026

18 January 2027

10 May 2027

Duration

2 years part-time

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About the course

Reasons to study

  1. Knowledge – gain in-depth, Master’s level, knowledge in psychology without any previous subject area study.
  2. This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
  3. Convenience – this course is delivered 100% online giving you the flexibility to fit your studies around your family and work commitments, and study from any location.

Whether you’re aiming to kick start your career in psychology, enhance your current career, or simply understand yourself and others better to make a positive impact in the world, this Psychology MSc Conversion will help you realise your ambitions.  

This 100% online course will give you an understanding of psychological principles surrounding human behaviour, emotions, and cognition. With a health psychology focus, you will delve into how behavioural, psychological, and social processes influence physical health and wellbeing. 

You will be taught by academics with expertise and research interests in applied psychology across a wide range of areas such as health psychology, brain behaviour and cognition, developmental psychology, and individual differences. 

  • This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
  • You will explore quantitative and qualitative research methods, as well as data analysis to prepare you to conduct your own research tailored to your personal interests and career goals, supported by our expert teaching staff. 
  • Ethics is an integral part of psychology; therefore, you will be taught research ethics and the wider application of ethics to the workplace and society. 

Discover more about Distance Learning  at Huddersfield.

Course detail

Social Psychology and Personality (Individual Differences)

You will explore and apply contemporary perspectives in social psychology. Through developing and applying your knowledge and understanding and with a critical focus you will research and offer solutions to current ‘real-world’ topical issues. This will consist of your solutions to a ‘real-world’ topical issue and will be pre-dominantly relevant to human social life.

Psychological Difficulties and Clinical Psychology

This module explores psychological difficulties and ways in which clinical psychologists (and psychiatrists) have tried to understand, explain and manage behaviour that is perceived as ‘abnormal’ or ‘atypical’. You'll study the classification and management of different mental illnesses, such as personality disorders, eating disorders and schizophrenia. You'll be introduced to the diagnosis and aetiology of the mental illnesses by considering biological, psychological and social perspectives in understanding these difficulties.

Developmental Psychology and Professional Development

In the developmental psychology part of the module you will be supported to build on your knowledge of human development across the lifespan in a variety of contexts. You will learn about different methodological approaches to studying human development and how to critique them. In the professional development part of the module, you will reflect on your personal and professional skills development and how psychology-related skills can be used beyond university.

Research and Analysis Skills in Psychology

In this module you will have the opportunity to acquire a critical understanding of the range of statistical approaches to research and data analysis in Psychology. You will develop the ability to identify, apply appropriate statistical methods to data from various designs and interpret the results.

Brain-Behaviour and Cognition

In this module you will develop a critical understanding of cognitive and biological explanations of human behaviour. You will explore a diverse range of topics including psychopharmacology, behavioural genetics, memory and human perception.

Health Psychology

Health psychology is the study of how behavioural, psychological and social processes influence physical health and illness. This module introduces you to the exciting discipline of health psychology through lectures, seminars and directed study. You will explore some key theories, concepts and research through one piece of coursework. The module is aligned with the scientist-practitioner model, with its emphasis on evidence-based approaches to treatment, as well as research methods and skills which is reflected in the module content and the case study assessment.

Research Project in Psychology

In this module you will be supported in order to develop your ideas for your research proposal and carry out an independent piece of research under the supervision of a member of Psychology staff who has Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society. You will submit a proposal for ethical approval for research involving human participants or data derived from them. You will have the opportunity to develop the ability to manage the process of constructing and carrying out a piece of research, analysing and interpreting the empirical data derived from it and communicating your findings in an appropriate report format.

Entry requirements

You must satisfy the following requirements as defined by the BPS and have either:

  • An Honours degree (2:2 or above) in Psychology (or a similar subject) that has not been accredited by the British Psychological society (BPS) as leading to the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).
  • Or an Honours degree (2:2 minimum) in a subject other than Psychology and GCSE Maths (or the equivalent at grade C or above).

Due to the BPS requirements, it is not possible for you to gain accreditation for your prior learning.

In addition, if you pass the course with 180 credits, the MSc Psychology provides you with the basis for professional recognition, such as Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological society (BPS). Further advice on the specific skills and abilities needed to successfully undertake this course can be found by visiting the profession’s website at www.bps.org.uk and by contacting the course leader.

This course also welcomes international applicants who meet the required entry criteria. It is our aim to provide excellent support mechanisms for you, so that you can integrate into the course and engage with fellow students. This will be achieved by ensuring you are provided with clear pre-course information, support and induction instructions. The variety of inclusive learning and teaching approaches will help enable you to feel integrated and supported within the course.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum of IELTS 6.5 overall with no element lower than 6.0, or equivalent, or Duolingo English certificate, score 105 or above. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

Enhance your career

Previous graduates from courses in this subject area have gone on to work in a variety of roles such as Clinical psychologist, Counselling psychologist, Education mental health practitioner, Educational psychologist, Forensic psychologist, Health psychologist, High intensity therapist, Occupational psychologist, Psychological wellbeing practitioner, Sport and exercise psychologist.*

*Source: Prospects
**Percentage of the University’s postgraduate students go on to work and/or further study within fifteen months of graduating. (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2021/22, UK domiciled, other activities excluded).

93.4%** Graduates employed

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you will find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies. Our Distance Learning Unit Team are at hand to make your online learning journey a positive, rewarding and successful one.

The Distance Learning Unit has specialist staff who are committed to ensuring that online teaching and learning material is accessible to all. We can recommend and provide training on assistive technologies and software which can support a range of learning styles and additional needs.

During each module, you will be able to rely on your module tutors to provide any academic support you need.

You will always have access to our online learning facilities and should you need any technical support whilst studying, you will find that many of our student support services and resources are available online or accessible during UK working hours.

Find out more about support services including finance, careers, Library, IT and disability and wellbeing

Research excellence

Research plays an important role in informing all our teaching and learning activities. Through research our staff remain up to date with the latest developments in their field, which means they can help you to develop knowledge and skills that are current and highly relevant.

Find out more about our research staff and centres

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules:

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes:

We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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