University of Surrey MSc Psychology | OnlineUniversity of Surrey MSc Psychology | OnlineUniversity of Surrey MSc Psychology | Online

The online MSc Psychology course will provide you with a foundation in statistics, applied research methods and all the central areas of contemporary psychology: developmental, personality, social, cognitive, biological and environmental. The curriculum is pending accreditation with the British Psychological Society (BPS). Throughout the course you will build the theoretical and qualitative/quantitative methodological expertise to conduct psychological research within or outside of the formal field of psychology.

The course consists of 180 credits and is divided into nine fully autonomous credit-bearing modules.

• Developmental Psychology (15 credits)

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  This module covers the core psychology discipline of developmental psychology by introducing theories and empirical research. In this module, students will critically evaluate empirical research and theoretical knowledge relevant to developmental psychology. Students will gain insight into how children develop from birth to late adolescence covering key topics in social, emotional, language and cognitive development. 

  One way students will engage in critical evaluation is to examine whether previous work is cross-culturally valid. Students will demonstrate their breadth of knowledge through a multiple choice exam and develop their written communication skills through a report in which they will critically evaluate a topic.

• Personality, Intelligence & Psychopathology (15 credits)

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  This module covers the core psychology discipline of individual differences: the many and varied psychological ways in which humans differ from one another. Specifically, students will discuss and critically evaluate key issues of contemporary significance in the areas of personality, intelligence and psychopathology, synthesising them all together to form a broader understanding of the concept of individual differences as understood by contemporary psychologists.

  Students will also use these principles to better understand the individual differences present in students’ own lives. Students will write an essay that allows them to apply some of the key individual differences to a mental health issue of their choice, and critically evaluate their usefulness. This will develop and assess students’ independence, literature searching and critical thinking skills.

• Social Psychology (15 credits)

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  This module will introduce the major topics and issues within social psychology, a core psychology discipline. This will be done through a series of lectures and subject-based tutorials, which will provide students with an opportunity to integrate their developing knowledge of social psychology with practical academic skills relating to social research methods. Specifically, students will discuss and evaluate key issues in areas such as cognitive dissonance and attitude change, group processes, prejudice and discrimination and intergroup behaviour, all in relation to humans as social beings.

• Cognitive Psychology (15 credits)

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  This module will provide an introduction to the major topics and issues within cognitive psychology. This will be done through a series of asynchronous and synchronous sessions, which will provide students with an opportunity to integrate their developing knowledge of cognitive psychology with academic skills relating to cognitive research methods. Specifically, students will discuss and evaluate key issues in the areas of language, memory, attention and thinking, all in relation to humans as processors of information.

• Key Questions in Environmental Psychology (15 credits)

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  The module introduces students to some of the key questions that currently guide research and practice in environmental psychology. The course addresses issues around global and local environmental problems facing our world today. It provides an insight into the psychology of environment-behaviour issues focusing on built (residential, work and public) and natural environments.

  The main focus of the module will be to provide an insight into the research and theory development to date and to familiarise students with the practical and multidisciplinary nature of the field. By the end of the course students should have an advanced understanding of the nature and scope of some of the principal theoretical and methodological developments in this area of research and an understanding of the application of psychological theory and concepts to an important area of everyday life.

• Statistics and Data Analysis (30 credits)

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  The module introduces students to basic statistical theory and critical thinking, and then builds to more advanced data analysis skills. It aims to develop students’ understanding of statistical methods and foster the skills needed to think critically about psychological research. Teaching involves a combination of theory and practical sessions with real world research examples. 

  Content covers a specific statistics or critical thinking topic that is typically followed by guided learning focusing on applying and practising the theoretical content. Together, the module content provides knowledge of statistical analysis and critical thinking from both a theoretical and practical perspective, resulting in a good introduction and grounding in statistical research methods.

• Brain and Behaviour (15 credits)

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  This module focuses on the organisation and function of the human nervous system, from the cells that form the brain and their fundamental functions, the processes by which those communicate, and the systems that allow us to sense and move. Students will cover relevant topics in the history of neuroscience and ethics, neuroanatomy, psychopharmacology, neurodevelopment, sensory systems and motor control and the biological causes of brain disorders.

  Seminars on research methods will provide students with an understanding of the tools available to measure and modulate brain function and an opportunity to develop teamwork skills. These sessions will aid students’ understanding of the theory and allow them to consolidate knowledge by engaging with quizzes and activities.

• Psychology Research Methods and Design (15 credits)

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  This module provides students with knowledge of designing research in a range of fields. The module will cover aspects of research design, including literature reviews, forming hypotheses and research questions, ethical conduct and study design. The focus will be on quantitative and qualitative methods. Students will be given a choice of topics in which they will develop an appropriate methodological approach to testing a question.

• Preparation for Psychology Dissertation Study (15 credits)

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  This module prepares students for conducting MSc level dissertation. Students will learn to identify a research question for their dissertation based on the empirical literature, write up background literature for a lay summary, identify how psychologists develop recruitment plans, plan an experimental design including which statistical tests to use, conduct a power analysis, consider risk assessments, discuss examples of sharing data by reviewing the Open Science Framework website and think about ethical considerations.

• Dissertation (30 credits)

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  For this module, students will conduct their own piece of empirical research in an area of Psychology relevant for their masters course under supervision of a member of academic staff. For the assessment students will complete a quantitative research report of 6,000 words (maximum). Overall student workload: 300 hours. This includes 10 hours of tutor supervision, which includes meetings and feedback. 

  These hours will include development of theoretical framework, aims and hypotheses, recruiting samples, fieldwork and liaison with key personnel as appropriate, data recording and analysis, interpretation and writing up. Specific times for these subsections cannot be given as they vary from project to project.

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The online MSc Psychology will equip you with psychology and applied research expertise that you will be able to apply in fields such as human resources, research and development, marketing, policymaking and education. You’ll graduate ready to conduct original research studies and gain critical insights from human behaviour.

It is important to note that this course does not lead to licensure. However, many of our postgraduates pursue additional study to further specialise or prepare for roles as clinical psychologists, educational psychologists, occupational psychologists, sport and exercise psychologists, counsellors and therapists. They work for NHS trusts, healthcare organisations and charities, among others.

Equip yourself with quantitative and qualitative analysis methods, creative problem-solving skills and applied research tools. Request information about our course today.

1. University League Tables 2024: Psychology. (2024). Complete University Guide. Retrieved 28 March 2024. ↩︎