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Health Psychology MSc

UCLan’s postgraduate Health Psychology is a British Psychology Society-accredited postgraduate professional training course. It fulfils Stage I postgraduate training requirements in health psychology. In conjunction with Stage II postgraduate training, it equips you for practice as a Registered Health Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligibility for Chartered status with the British Psychological Society.

Commended by the Division of Health Psychology Training Committee (DHPTC), this course has been recognised for its excellence in handling the core curriculum, investment in the infrastructure for health psychology research, very high level of student satisfaction, and for the enthusiasm of the teaching team.

Entry and Admissions +

Entry and Admissions

Award Type:

MSc

Level:

Postgraduate

Study Mode:

Full time and Part time

Delivery Method:

Campus

Course Length:

Full-time: One year, Part-time: Two years

School:

School of Psychology

Partner Colleges:

No Partner College

Campus:

Preston

Start Date:

September 2013

Entry Requirements:

Specific entry requirements for the course are an upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in psychology recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as conferring the Graduate Basis for Chartered status (GBC).

Programme Spec:

To download the Programme Specification for this course, please click here.

Course Content +

Course Content

Course Outline:

MSc Health Psychology provides an advanced training in fundamental theoretical, methodological and empirical areas of Health Psychology. The course addresses key contemporary themes within health psychology such as the psychosocial models of disease (eg the link between stress and heart disease), the development and evaluation of health interventions (eg smoking cessation or nutritional education), and contemporary methodological approaches to health psychology research (eg salivary hormone assessment of stress, auditing daily life stress, advanced methods in research design). A substantial component of the course is the advanced research project. You are encouraged to develop your expertise in an area of special interest under the supervision of a member of the course team whose research experience complements your interests.

As part of the professional training route for Chartered Health Psychologists, the MSc in Health Psychology will develop your expertise in key health psychology competencies, and equip you to work in a range of academic and clinical settings. The training will prepare you to apply psychology research/methodologies in the prevention and management of disease, the promotion of health behaviours, the identification of risk factors for disease, the assessment of health care systems, or the development of health policy. This course is divided into three single-module courses, two half-module courses, one double-module course, and a three-module research dissertation. Two-thirds of the course is devoted to advancing students' knowledge in the core curriculum areas identified by the BPS. The remaining third is comprised of the advanced research project, an opportunity to conduct a major piece of empirical work in an area of special interest, and an exercise which gives the student the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in research design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

Course at a Glance

Full-time year 1
Level 4:

PS 4321 Health Psychology: Core Psychobiological Issues
PS 4322 Health Psychology: Core Psychosocial Issues
PS 4323 Health Psychology: Core Intervention Issues
PS 4324 Professional Issues In Health Psychology
PS 4325 Measurement Issues and Outcomes
PS 4700 Advanced Methods in Psychology
PS 4940 Advanced Health Psychology Project

Learning Environment & Assessment +

Learning Environment & Assessment:

We aim to provide the best possible facilities for our students. The School is based in the new multi-million pound Darwin Building. This was purpose-built for Psychology. There are specialist teaching and research rooms such as the Video Observation Suite, the Health Psychology Suite, and Cognitive and Sport Laboratories. These provide great space for equipment such as the movement analysis system and electronic physiological measures. The Building also includes a state-of-the-art lecture theatre and computer rooms. Teaching and research staff all have their offices in Darwin Building, along with the School Office and Technical Support. Students have their own resource room, and are encouraged to make use of the great facilities and test material in their own final year research project.

The course is assessed through a mixture of exams (22 per cent), statistical lab assignments (22 per cent), coursework (22 per cent), and an advanced research dissertation (33 per cent).

Academic Expertise +

Academic Expertise

Learning Outcome & Aims +

Learning outcome & aims

Industry Links & Professional Accreditation +

Industry links & professional accreditation

Division of Health Psychology Training Committee of the British Psychological Society

Work Experience & International Opportunities +

Work experience and international opportunities

Graduate Careers +

Graduate Careers

This is Part One of a two-stage postgraduate training in Health Psychology leading to Registration as a Health Psychologist with the HPC and Chartered status with the BPS. Registered Health Psychologists work in academic and health settings, teaching students and health professionals, research, assessing patients, managing clinical interventions, informing health promotion and public health policy.

Testimonials +

Testimonials

Progression Routes +

Progression Routes

Progression routes (Tags)

Fees & Funding +

Fees & Funding

The standard fee for UK/EU students studying this course is below. For further information including the availability of bursaries/scholarships or student financial support please view our Fees and Finance pages.

£5,000 per year.

How to Apply +

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for this course, our comprehensive How to Apply pages will guide you through the process. Here at UCLan, our aim is to encourage you to develop your potential and we offer a flexible approach to admissions, which reflects our commitment to all those who would benefit from our courses.

About UCLan

Accommodation

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Course Enquiries

University of Central Lancashire,
Preston,
PR1 2HE,

United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1772 892400

Email: cenquiries@uclan.ac.uk

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