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Are you looking for a Masters course that will fascinate your interest in the human mind? Hoping to change direction after an undergraduate degree in a different subject? This British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited conversion Psychology MSc is an essential step on your journey towards a career in Psychology.

You will learn from passionate academic staff, who are involved in cutting-edge research. With almost three-quarters of Northumbria’s psychology research being judged to have outstanding reach and significance for its impact (REF 2021).  

You will learn in a professional research environment, with access to state-of-the-art laboratories which are equipped with industry standard equipment. You will learn from those at the forefront of their fields. In fact, our strength in psychology research has significantly increased. We are currently placed 15th in the UK for Research Power (REF 2021).

You will develop an advanced understanding of

  • Cognitive and Developmental Psychology
  • Biological and Social Psychology
  • Individual Differences
  • and Psychological Research Methods.

Successful completion of this masters in psychology will provide you with the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the BPS, the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. In order to be eligible for GBC students must achieve an overall pass mark of 50% and pass the empirical project

If you want to specialise in Health, Occupational or Sport and Exercise Psychology then your next step will be a Stage 1 Masters, which we also offer here at Northumbria.

If you want to specialise in Counselling, Educational or Clinical Psychology then you will need to apply for a highly competitive doctoral programme. You are likely to need substantial experience to be successful in gaining a place, and at Northumbria we will support you in finding that experience.

The third route to a career in Psychology is the academic route, and we can support interested students in applying for our MRes and subsequently a PhD. This would qualify you to lecture and carry our psychological research in a university setting.

Our MSc Psychology has been designed with your employability in mind, and will prove valuable even if you decide not to pursue a career in Psychology. Our previous graduates have secured roles in management, advertising, marketing and human resources.

Study pattern

The timetable for the full-time programme is two full days (9am-5pm) per week on a Monday and Tuesday, and for the part-time programme it is one full day per week (Tuesday for year 1, Monday for year 2).

When deciding on which programme to apply for, we would ask applicants to consider carefully the time commitments for the course taking into account work and any other personal commitments. For full-time students we would expect a commitment of approximately 35 hours per week and for part time around 17.5 hours per week. (For both programmes these hours include hours of study on campus)

 

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Course Information

Level of Study
Postgraduate

Mode of Study
2 years Part Time
3 other options available

Department
Psychology

Location
City Campus, Northumbria University

City
Newcastle

Start
September 2025

Fees
Fee Information

Modules
Module Information

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Why Study Psychology

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Discover More / Psychology MSc

Watch Senior Lecturer Dr. Colin Hamilton talk about the Psychology MSc in the Masters in a Minute (or so) and Rachel discuss her experience of being a student on the course.

mProgram leader Dr. Colin Hamilton gives an introduction to the Psychology MSc at Northumbria University. Find out more about the course here: northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/psychology-dtfpcy6/

MSc Psychology student Rachel Sheldon tells us about her experience as a postgraduate student, how it prepared her for the future and why she wanted to study an accredited course. For more information on MSc Psychology, please visit: northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/psychology-dtfpcy6/ See why other postgraduate students choose Northumbria University: northumbria.ac.uk/the-hub/entries/why-northumbria-why-postgraduate/ For an example of how a postgraduate course can help you in future prospects, please visit: northumbria.ac.uk/the-hub/entries/curating-my-own-future/

Discover NU World / A virtual journey through everything Northumbria has to offer.

Explore our immersive 360 tours, informative subject videos, inspirational student profiles, ground-breaking research, and a range of life at university blogs videos and articles.

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Entry Requirements Modules Overview Fees, Funding  and Scholarships Study Options

Entry Requirements 2025/26

Standard Entry

Applicants should normally have:

A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in any discipline.

International qualifications:

If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry

English language requirements:

International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 6 in each component (or approved equivalent*).

 *The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS.  You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications

Fees and Funding 2025/26 Entry

Full UK Fee: £11,000

Full International Fee: £20,950



Scholarships and Discounts

Discover More about Fees, Scholarships and other Funding options for UK and International applicants.

ADDITIONAL COSTS

There are no Additional Costs

If you’d like to receive the latest updates from Northumbria about our courses, events, finance & funding then enter your details below.

* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here

Modules Overview 2025/26

Modules

Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.

Year one Year two Year three

Year one

JC7000 -

Academic Language Skills (ALS) for PG Psychology Students (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.

More information

PY0792 -

Biological, Cognitive and Developmental Psychology (Core,30 Credits)

You will learn about three key domains within the discipline of psychology, biological systems and processes, cognitive processes and developmental processes, and how they provide an understanding to human behaviour.

Biological Psychology: This component will cover the fundamentals of biological psychology and demonstrate the importance of biological systems in human behaviour. This will include knowledge of the biological systems of the body (the brain and nervous and endocrine systems) and communication between these systems via neurons, and hormones; the techniques used to assess brain structure and function; individual differences in their functioning and nutritional and pharmacological interventions that can affect the functioning of these systems. Several health behaviours (feeding, stress, sleep) will also be examined in depth from a biological perspective.

Developmental: This component will cover the historical foundations of child development and fundamental aspects of social and cognitive development in young children and adolescents. Topics may include research methods and ethics, cognitive development, theoretical perspectives including Piaget and Vygotsky, emotional development, attachment theory and developmental disorders, Some of these issues will be considered in depth.

Cognitive; This component will familiarise students with the core areas of cognitive psychology and will demonstrate the importance and relevance of cognitive processes when trying to understand human behaviour within both theoretical and applied contexts. Topics will be drawn from; perception; attention; memory; problem solving; decision making and language. As in the Developmental component there will be an initial emphasis, where relevant, of the historical development of the constructs discussed.
Additionally, in all three components, learners will have the opportunity to develop psychological research skills.

More information

PY0793 -

Individual Differences, Psychometrics and Social Psychology (Core,30 Credits)

You will learn about three key domains within the discipline of psychology, individual differences, psychometrics, and social psychology processes, and how they provide an understanding to human behaviour.
The Individual Differences sessions will examine a range of topics, e.g. historical approaches to intelligence with an emphasis upon contemporary cognitive approaches such as working memory, intelligence and cognitive interventions, and individual differences in cognition such as lifespan differences. Personality sessions will consider the construct of personality, factors in personality, and applications.
The Psychometric sessions of the module will consider topics such as test classification and development, standardisation, reliability, validity, interpretation and applications.
The Social Psychology component will provide you with an understanding of the human as a social being. Topics may include some of the most renowned studies in psychology regarding issues of conformity, aggression, prejudice and interpersonal relationships. Methodological and ethical issues related to the studies that inform social psychology will also be explored.
Thus, in all topics you will have the opportunity to critically consider applications of the constructs.

More information

Year two

PY0776 -

MSc Thesis (Core,60 Credits)

In this module, you will be able to independently conceptualise, plan and undertake a novel piece of research that contributes to psychological knowledge and understanding. You will critically evaluate current theories and evidence to generate your own research question. You will use the relevant ethical guidelines to design a feasible project plan. You will develop your independent research skills during this module and identify points of collaboration with supervisors, research staff and other potential stakeholders. You will use a variety of relevant skills, techniques, and research methods to implement your study and finally, you will have the opportunity to disseminate your findings in written form.

More information

PY0790 -

Quantitative Research Methods (Core,30 Credits)

You will learn how knowledge in psychology is developed through research. You will learn how to design and carry out research studies using a range of quantitative methodologies. The skills in writing reports in line with current conventions in the psychological literature will be developed through practice and detailed formative and summative feedback. The importance of ethical considerations will be constant theme throughout the module and the completion of documentation required for ethical research will be covered in depth.
In parallel, you will acquire an understanding of the following basic principles in statistics: levels of measurement; standardised effect size measures; sample distributions, standard errors and confidence intervals; meta-analysis; statistical significance testing, publication bias, and the problems they cause. From this knowledge base, you will independently read advanced literature on statistics to further your understanding. You will also learn when and how to use a range of frequently used data analysis techniques (e.g. estimation of standardised effect sizes; meta-analysis; ANOVA and ANCOVA; multiple regression; and chi2 to analyse proportions) in order to inform your critical judgement about your own research and that of others. Finally, you will learn about the limitations of statistical inference in some important real-world settings.

More information

PY0791 -

Historical Psychology and Qualitative Research Methods (Core,30 Credits)

You will have the opportunity to learn about the historical development of psychology as a discipline and to gain experience in understanding the methodology and analyses of qualitative research in Psychology.

Historical Psychology: You will be introduced to a series of ‘classic’ studies and asked to evaluate and debate the way that psychological knowledge, methods and ethical approaches may have changed since that original study. Each classic study represents a pathway in the discipline of psychology, embracing diverse areas such as social, developmental, cognitive and health psychology. For each pathway, you will be asked to reflect critically on the original epistemological and methodological assumptions made within the discipline and consider the major changes in the development of the discipline.
Qualitative Research Methods: In this component you will be able to consider a range of qualitative methodologies, thematic analysis, Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), grounded theory, the use of focus groups, and discourse analysis. A session will be dedicated to examining issues on quality and rigour in qualitative review and providing you with experience of critically reviewing a selection of research papers You will also have the opportunity to collect data and choose an appropriate analysis approach in order to interrogate the data.

More information

Year three

PY0776 -

MSc Thesis (Core,60 Credits)

In this module, you will be able to independently conceptualise, plan and undertake a novel piece of research that contributes to psychological knowledge and understanding. You will critically evaluate current theories and evidence to generate your own research question. You will use the relevant ethical guidelines to design a feasible project plan. You will develop your independent research skills during this module and identify points of collaboration with supervisors, research staff and other potential stakeholders. You will use a variety of relevant skills, techniques, and research methods to implement your study and finally, you will have the opportunity to disseminate your findings in written form.

More information

Modules Overview 2026/27

Modules

Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.

Year one Year two Year three

Year one

JC7000 -

Academic Language Skills (ALS) for PG Psychology Students (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.

More information

PY0792 -

Biological, Cognitive and Developmental Psychology (Core,30 Credits)

You will learn about three key domains within the discipline of psychology, biological systems and processes, cognitive processes and developmental processes, and how they provide an understanding to human behaviour.

Biological Psychology: This component will cover the fundamentals of biological psychology and demonstrate the importance of biological systems in human behaviour. This will include knowledge of the biological systems of the body (the brain and nervous and endocrine systems) and communication between these systems via neurons, and hormones; the techniques used to assess brain structure and function; individual differences in their functioning and nutritional and pharmacological interventions that can affect the functioning of these systems. Several health behaviours (feeding, stress, sleep) will also be examined in depth from a biological perspective.

Developmental: This component will cover the historical foundations of child development and fundamental aspects of social and cognitive development in young children and adolescents. Topics may include research methods and ethics, cognitive development, theoretical perspectives including Piaget and Vygotsky, emotional development, attachment theory and developmental disorders, Some of these issues will be considered in depth.

Cognitive; This component will familiarise students with the core areas of cognitive psychology and will demonstrate the importance and relevance of cognitive processes when trying to understand human behaviour within both theoretical and applied contexts. Topics will be drawn from; perception; attention; memory; problem solving; decision making and language. As in the Developmental component there will be an initial emphasis, where relevant, of the historical development of the constructs discussed.
Additionally, in all three components, learners will have the opportunity to develop psychological research skills.

More information

PY0793 -

Individual Differences, Psychometrics and Social Psychology (Core,30 Credits)

You will learn about three key domains within the discipline of psychology, individual differences, psychometrics, and social psychology processes, and how they provide an understanding to human behaviour.
The Individual Differences sessions will examine a range of topics, e.g. historical approaches to intelligence with an emphasis upon contemporary cognitive approaches such as working memory, intelligence and cognitive interventions, and individual differences in cognition such as lifespan differences. Personality sessions will consider the construct of personality, factors in personality, and applications.
The Psychometric sessions of the module will consider topics such as test classification and development, standardisation, reliability, validity, interpretation and applications.
The Social Psychology component will provide you with an understanding of the human as a social being. Topics may include some of the most renowned studies in psychology regarding issues of conformity, aggression, prejudice and interpersonal relationships. Methodological and ethical issues related to the studies that inform social psychology will also be explored.
Thus, in all topics you will have the opportunity to critically consider applications of the constructs.

More information

Year two

PY0776 -

MSc Thesis (Core,60 Credits)

In this module, you will be able to independently conceptualise, plan and undertake a novel piece of research that contributes to psychological knowledge and understanding. You will critically evaluate current theories and evidence to generate your own research question. You will use the relevant ethical guidelines to design a feasible project plan. You will develop your independent research skills during this module and identify points of collaboration with supervisors, research staff and other potential stakeholders. You will use a variety of relevant skills, techniques, and research methods to implement your study and finally, you will have the opportunity to disseminate your findings in written form.

More information

PY0790 -

Quantitative Research Methods (Core,30 Credits)

You will learn how knowledge in psychology is developed through research. You will learn how to design and carry out research studies using a range of quantitative methodologies. The skills in writing reports in line with current conventions in the psychological literature will be developed through practice and detailed formative and summative feedback. The importance of ethical considerations will be constant theme throughout the module and the completion of documentation required for ethical research will be covered in depth.
In parallel, you will acquire an understanding of the following basic principles in statistics: levels of measurement; standardised effect size measures; sample distributions, standard errors and confidence intervals; meta-analysis; statistical significance testing, publication bias, and the problems they cause. From this knowledge base, you will independently read advanced literature on statistics to further your understanding. You will also learn when and how to use a range of frequently used data analysis techniques (e.g. estimation of standardised effect sizes; meta-analysis; ANOVA and ANCOVA; multiple regression; and chi2 to analyse proportions) in order to inform your critical judgement about your own research and that of others. Finally, you will learn about the limitations of statistical inference in some important real-world settings.

More information

PY0791 -

Historical Psychology and Qualitative Research Methods (Core,30 Credits)

You will have the opportunity to learn about the historical development of psychology as a discipline and to gain experience in understanding the methodology and analyses of qualitative research in Psychology.

Historical Psychology: You will be introduced to a series of ‘classic’ studies and asked to evaluate and debate the way that psychological knowledge, methods and ethical approaches may have changed since that original study. Each classic study represents a pathway in the discipline of psychology, embracing diverse areas such as social, developmental, cognitive and health psychology. For each pathway, you will be asked to reflect critically on the original epistemological and methodological assumptions made within the discipline and consider the major changes in the development of the discipline.
Qualitative Research Methods: In this component you will be able to consider a range of qualitative methodologies, thematic analysis, Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), grounded theory, the use of focus groups, and discourse analysis. A session will be dedicated to examining issues on quality and rigour in qualitative review and providing you with experience of critically reviewing a selection of research papers You will also have the opportunity to collect data and choose an appropriate analysis approach in order to interrogate the data.

More information

Year three

PY0776 -

MSc Thesis (Core,60 Credits)

In this module, you will be able to independently conceptualise, plan and undertake a novel piece of research that contributes to psychological knowledge and understanding. You will critically evaluate current theories and evidence to generate your own research question. You will use the relevant ethical guidelines to design a feasible project plan. You will develop your independent research skills during this module and identify points of collaboration with supervisors, research staff and other potential stakeholders. You will use a variety of relevant skills, techniques, and research methods to implement your study and finally, you will have the opportunity to disseminate your findings in written form.

More information

Study Options

The following alternative study options are available for this course:

Any Questions?

Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help.  They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901 or by using our Contact Form.

 

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

Accessibility and Student Inclusion

Northumbria University is committed to developing an inclusive, diverse and accessible campus and wider University community and are determined to ensure that opportunities we provide are open to all.

We are proud to work in partnership with AccessAble to provide Detailed Access Guides to our buildings and facilities across our City, Coach Lane and London Campuses. A Detailed Access Guide lets you know what access will be like when you visit somewhere. It looks at the route you will use getting in and what is available inside. All guides have Accessibility Symbols that give you a quick overview of what is available, and photographs to show you what to expect. The guides are produced by trained surveyors who visit our campuses annually to ensure you have trusted and accurate information.

You can use Northumbria’s AccessAble Guides anytime to check the accessibility of a building or facility and to plan your routes and journeys. Search by location, building or accessibility feature to find the information you need. 

We are dedicated to helping students who may require additional support during their student journey and offer 1-1 advice and guidance appropriate to individual requirements. If you feel you may need additional support you can find out more about what we offer here where you can also contact us with any questions you may have:

Accessibility support

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If you’d like to receive the latest updates from Northumbria about our courses, events, finance & funding then enter your details below.

* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here

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