Forge the career you deserve with an MSc Psychology (Conversion) course at Ulster University.
Ulster University is currently reviewing its online course provision to improve and enhance the student learning experience, including moving to an updated and improved online learning platform. Course content, modules listed and the order in which they are delivered, are subject to change.
Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), our MSc Psychology (Conversion) course has been designed by leading academics at Ulster University to provide students with the knowledge and skills to forge a successful and rewarding psychology career.
Learning from research-active staff with strong academic and clinical backgrounds, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of the core areas in psychology, from social and cognitive through to psychobiology, learn about research methods, and gain transferable skills to prepare you for success in your chosen career.
Upon successfully completing the full programme, the official title which will appear on your graduation certificate will be ‘MSc Psychology’.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In this section
Looking to break into the dynamic field of psychology? Perhaps you already possess an unaccredited psychology qualification, or you studied a completely different subject at undergraduate level. Whatever your background, this programme will provide you with a recognised qualification to help bridge the gap and accelerate your psychology career.
Here at Ulster University, we have an established reputation for our world-class teaching, facilities and outstanding research, promoting an environment that enables our people to thrive and succeed. As an Ulster Online student, you’ll gain all the support you need and become part of our truly global network. This 100% online course will enable you to gain a valuable qualification at a time and pace that suits you, whilst benefitting from the expertise of our world-leading, research-active staff which includes fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), distinguished academics and practitioners, and Chartered Psychologists.
100% Online
Flexible and enhanced student support
Teaching methods are diverse and planned in a manner appropriate for a scientific education in psychology. As well as aiming to cover an appropriate curriculum toward this end, our course teams endeavour to take account of the following factors:
The need to actively engage students with a research-led academic curriculum is at the heart of this development. To this end, weekly sessions in each module will be structured around three learning phases with a variety of learning activities employed to facilitate each phase. The first and second phases are i) Learn and ii) Explore Further. They are largely characterised by knowledge acquisition; the third phase is iii) Investigate and is characterised by application and analysis of the key concepts visited earlier on the week. The learning hours may vary across the different activities depending on the weekly focus.
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
The School of Psychology at Ulster is renowned for its research excellence and consistently commended for its extensive collaborative partnerships with international centres of excellence to produce findings which have tangible benefits for society.
We provide a range of academic programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, and we currently have around 700 students enrolled on our taught and PhD programmes.
Our teaching staff is comprised of a research-active group of academics, including Chartered Psychologists and fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). Our psychologists have links with several professional organisations including the Public Health Agency and Health Trusts.
The School of Psychology is renowned for its research across three main areas:
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year: 2
Status: C
The module will develop the students' knowledge and understanding of social psychological explanations related to common behaviours such as attitude formation, prejudice and discrimination, interpersonal attraction, social influence, and aggression.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module presents the core concepts in contemporary Cognitive Psychology with an emphasis on the empirical basis of knowledge in the area, links with other areas of psychology and on everyday applications.
Year: 2
Status: C
Psychobiology is a core area of psychology and introduces students to the biological basis of behaviour. The module is structured so there is a wealth for information on signal transmission, brain structures, genetic inheritance prior to the introduction of behaviours where a biological basis is well understood. There is an emphasis on real world applications of knowledge obtained from various methodologies from case reports, to FMRI of the living brain.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module introduces students to current knowledge of biological, cognitive and psychosocial development. The module includes lectures, workshops and both individual and group work from the outset.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module provides students with a comprehensive insight into current debates and issues in the field of mental health research and practice. An emphasis is placed on prioritising psychological and social factors (as opposed to biology) to help conceptualise mental wellbeing and psychological distress. It will be relevant for students with an interest in the area of mental health, particularly those who intend to pursue a postgraduate career in professional psychology.
Year: 2
Status: C
This online module is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to identify, appraise and synthesise existing research aligned to a chosen research topic.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module will provide students with opportunities to develop knowledge, skills, and competencies in relation to planning, deigning, conducting, analysing and reporting psychological research. The emphasis throughout will be on relating methodological concepts to applied psychological research contexts, in particular the psychology of experimental and quantitative methods. The module aims to equip students with the basic experimental, statistical inference and methodological skills necessary to understand, conduct and evaluate psychological research by employing a range of quantitative approaches, designs, and methods.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module will discuss the nature and origins of individual differences in major psychological attributes, involving a range of individual difference abilities and personality traits. It will attempt to provide a grounding in the theory and practice of psychological assessments, including interpretation of psychometric test scores. Attention will be paid to the ethical and historical context of the topics and introduce the contemporary literature and research directions.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module will provide students with the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills, and competencies in relation to planning, designing, conducting, analysing and reporting qualitative psychological research at a postgraduate level. The module aims to equip students with the qualitative skills necessary to understand, conduct and evaluate qualitative psychological research.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module will provide students with the skills to develop a substantial piece of work of their own, enabling them to demonstrate their understanding and the application of advanced research methods to a practical research issue of relevance to psychology and at a level of scholarship appropriate to Masters level.
We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
To enrol on this course, your application will require:
Non-Standard Entry
In exceptional circumstances, where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route and/or exemption from modules.
Applicants who do not meet the standard entry requirements (e.g., they hold a lower degree classification) may still be considered and assessed on a case-by-case basis.
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
The academic team would consider providing the option for exemptions if the student can evidence that they meet the criteria outlined in the University's Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) policy.
In this section
The content covered in our MSc Psychology (Conversion) programme is designed around requirements set by the BPS and relevant to current practices.
After completing this BPS-accredited MSc Psychology (Conversion) course, you’ll be eligible to obtain Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) and be part of a respected community of psychology professionals.
This conversion course has been designed to boost your employability and career prospects by bridging your knowledge and skills gap. Some typical career paths for graduates include:
Students domiciled in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and UK students can apply to Student Finance NI for a Tuition Fee loan of up to £6,500 (subject to eligibility).
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.
At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.
We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work in this area is already being recognised globally. Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals.
Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Our Faculty is dedicated to integrating sustainability across our curriculum, preparing students to address global environmental challenges.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) have been incorporated throughout each course within the Faculty and each module outlines how and where they meet these SDG’s.
Subject specific guidance on sustainability has been provided in the QAA benchmarks statements for Biomedical Science and Biomedical Sciences; Biosciences; Chemistry; Optometry; Psychology; Earth Sciences; Veterinary Nursing; Agriculture; Rural –Environmental Sciences; Animal Studies; Consumer Science; Forestry, Food Horticulture –and –Human Nutrition; Health Studies; Earth Sciences and Geography.
Our Faculty has key centres of research excellence within all Schools and our interdisciplinary approach brings together researchers from diverse fields to develop impactful solutions.
By advancing knowledge in various fields within the faculty, we aim to identify sustainable approaches to:
Collaboration is key to driving sustainability. Our Faculty partners with external stakeholders including professional bodies and learned societies to enhance the sustainability journey for all our students and to promote sustainable practices.
External partnerships enable us to apply research and innovation to real-world challenges. We drive meaningful change in local communities, industries, and global ecosystems, fostering a more sustainable society through impactful projects and community engagement.
