MSc Health Psychology

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Bridging the gap between medicine and psychology, our course focuses on understanding the behavioural processes around health, illness and disability, and is one of the only British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited MScs in this subject to offer an 18-week placement. Our MSc Health Psychology programme is designed to allow students to develop knowledge and skills across all of the main areas of health psychology to postgraduate level. We cover a wide-range of topics, from advanced research methods to a working and evidence-based knowledge of health psychology approaches, theories, models and interventions.

You will develop a strong knowledge base and core transferable skills. You will learn to analyse, debate, discuss and devise behaviour change interventions for use in primary, secondary and community care. You’ll become autonomous in the design and analysis of research, and develop skills towards becoming an independent researcher. You’ll develop an awareness of the practical reality of working in applied settings before going on to perfect those skills in our embedded placement. All of this will provide you with a solid foundation for further study and employment in a variety of areas, including psychology and research assistantships, PhDs, and further training in health or clinical psychology.

BPS Accreditation

This MSc programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as providing Stage 1 training in Health Psychology, a pre-requisite for Stage 2 training, registration with the Health and Care Professions Council, and Chartered Psychologist status.

Contact

If you’d like to know more about the programme, please contact:

Dr Lindsey Roberts
Programme Director for MSc Health Psychology
lindsey.roberts@buckingham.ac.uk

Admissions Team
admissions@buckingham.ac.uk
+44 (0)1280 828322

A 2:1 or higher in a British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited undergraduate Psychology degree conferring Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC), including a 2:1 or higher in the project module. Your project supervisor will also need to supply a letter of recommendation. Only applicants meeting these entry criteria will be considered.

Mature students

Age is no barrier to learning and we welcome all applications from suitably qualified students.

International students

We are happy to consider all international applications and if you are an international student, you may find it useful to visit our international pages for details of entry requirements from your home country. International applicants are advised to check with the BPS if your course qualifies for GBC . You can use the “Non-UK applicants” tab to apply for GBC.

The University is a UKVI Student Sponsor.

English Language Requirements

If your English language level is below the entry requirements you will be expected to complete our pre-sessional English language programme.  You do not need to apply separately for this programme, your offer will include the necessary pre-sessional English term(s).

Selection process

When we assess your application, we are looking for:

• why you want to study Health Psychology
• why you have selected the University of Buckingham
• where you would like to go professionally with your degree

We assess this through your academic background, your personal statement, and a tutorial-style interview. Wherever possible, your tutorial interview will be conducted in person so that you may meet our Admissions Tutor, current students, and have a tour of the campus. If it is not possible for you to visit in person, so the tutorial interview may be conducted by Microsoft Teams or phone.

The Psychology Admissions Team would be happy to answer any questions you may have:

admissions@buckingham.ac.uk
+44 (0)1280 828322

Student Contract for prospective students

When you are offered a place at the University you will be notified of the student contract between the University and students on our courses of study. When you accept an offer of a place on the course at the University a legal contract is formed between you and the University on the basis of the student contract in your offer letter. Your offer letter and the student contract contain important information which you should read carefully before accepting an offer. Read the Student Contract.

Course structure

This is a one year, full-time programme accepting students in both September and January. Alongside the taught modules, there will be opportunities for you to gain practical work experience from our embedded 18-week placement. Taught modules include:

• Context & Communication in Health Psychology
• Health Behaviour, Cognitions & Interventions
• Managing Chronic Illness: Healthcare and Professional Settings
• Professional Issues in Health Psychology
• Physiological and Psychosomatic Disease Processes
• Advanced Qualitative Methods
• Advanced Quantitative Methods
• Dissertation in Health Psychology

How you will learn

We adopt a personalised teaching style built on creating outstanding working relationships between students and staff. All modules use a tutorial style of teaching, in which students are taught every week, on every module in groups of 7 or fewer, allowing for regular high quality contact time with your tutor. It is through this method that students can achieve excellence in their qualification in a supportive environment.

You will work with tutors with wide-ranging expertise across research, consulting and applied settings, including spinal cord injury, pain, social support, sexual & reproductive health, and health in vulnerable populations. There are also contributions from practitioners working in the fields of research, consultancy, and NHS practice.

How you will be assessed

All modules are assessed by a combination of two-three assignments. Assignments differ according to the module requirements, but include a variety of assessment styles over the programme including traditional essays and examinations, poster presentations, critical reflections and role plays. You will conduct a systematic review and apply legal and ethical practice frameworks to a case you have come across in your work on placement, reflecting your skills and development. Your dissertation is written in format for submission to a journal, allowing you to aim to publish your work quickly and easily with support from your supervisor. Previous students have conducted their dissertation on topics including:

• Understanding the decision making process around fertility preservation in people undergoing gender reassignment
• Assessing the impact of sex and relationship education in University students
• Investigating “fitspiration” content on YouTube
• Understanding the psychological impact of isolation in spinal cord injury
• Investigating the efficacy of a novel diabetes education programme
• Assessing care pathways for people with autism in secure forensic hospitals

The MSc programme provides you with BPS accredited Stage 1 training in Health Psychology, allowing you to go on to doctoral-level, Stage 2 training in the route to registration as a Health Psychologist. Additionally, our MSc Health Psychology also opens doors for other areas of applied psychology. This is particularly true for Clinical Psychology training, where the cross-over between Health and Clinical Psychology makes a candidate with an MSc Health Psychology appealing.

You will also develop the skills to allow you to pursue a PhD, and the course team have the expertise to supervise a broad range of Health Psychology topics. Find out more about our research degree programmes.

Here is what one of our 2019 graduates had to say:

Studying on the Health Psychology Masters course at Buckingham has allowed me to develop strong skills central to working in research and other areas of Health Psychology. I have strong verbal and written communication skills, having had the opportunity to deliver conference style-presentations and therapeutic techniques such as motivational interviewing. Furthermore, a testament to the high level of writing skills I have developed as a result of studying at Buckingham is that I have a publication under my belt at Masters level, having my Masters dissertation published in the Journal of Health Psychology in June 2019. These skills have prepared me well for my job as a Research Assistant for Public Health England’s Behavioural Science Team within the Emergency Response Department. I put to use my abilities to thoroughly review and analyse research literature, my quantitative and qualitative data analysis knowledge and my report writing skills- to name a few. Ultimately, studying at Buckingham has given me a strong foundation for me to be able to build what I hope will be a successful and meaningful career in Health Psychology.

Priyanjali – MSc Health Psychology graduate 2019

Students who have completed their undergraduate Psychology degree at the University of Buckingham are entitled to an alumni discount for the MSc Health Psychology programme. The discount is dependent on the degree classification you received (25% for gaining a 2:1 and 33% for gaining a first).

Postgraduate loan scheme

A new system of postgraduate loans for Masters degrees in the UK will be introduced from 1 August 2016 with support from the UK Government. The loan will provide up to £10,000 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas. The loans can be used for tuition fees, living expenses or both.

You may also find it useful to visit our External Funding page.

BPS Presidential Development Fund

The British Psychological Society’s (BPS) Presidential Fund accepts applications from postgraduate students to support the completion of a BPS accredited master’s degree in psychology, such as our MSc Health Psychology programme. Funding is available to cover course fees and a maintenance grant depending on individual circumstances. Applicants must have been a member of the BPS for at least 12 months and be a UK resident. Further details can be found here: https://www.bpspresidentialfund.org.uk/register/

On-campus accommodation

We guarantee on-campus accommodation to all new students for their first four terms of study, as long as it is booked and paid for in good time, so you’re assured of a safe and secure home from home when you arrive at the University. Most new students choose this option.

Living on campus enables you to become involved in University activities, make friends, and integrate with the University community. For some of you this will be your first time in the UK; for others it will be the first time living away from home – and independence brings its challenges as well as its excitements. Whatever your circumstances, we know how important it is for you to feel comfortable in your accommodation.

What’s included?

All our study bedrooms are fully furnished, centrally heated, and connected to the internet. With few exceptions they have a wash basin and small refrigerator. We have a large number of ensuite rooms, and are upgrading more rooms each year. There are shared kitchens for when you wish to cook for yourself.

Find out more

If you’d like to find out more, visit our Accommodation pages or get in touch with our Accommodation Team.

We recommend that all prospective students visit our campus if they are able to, at one of our open days or a Campus Tour, campus tours include a typical student room.

Apply directly

You can apply directly using our online application form – all you need to do is click the ‘apply’ button at the bottom of this page.