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Course information

Department

Psychology

Length

1 year full-time; 2 years part-time

Course overview

Goldsmiths' operating principles for 2022-23 have not yet been finalised but should changes be required to teaching in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we will publish these as early as possible for prospective students wishing to start their programme in September 2022.

This programme is the first of its kind at the University of London. It offers a scientific approach to the study of human behaviour, giving a broad understanding of psychological theory and research, and will help develop your understanding of the processes influencing how people think, feel, behave, and interact.

This programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).

The programme is particularly well suited to those interested in a career change into the field of Psychology, or who have previously studied some psychology (but not sufficient to meet the BPS criteria for GBC).

Develop your core psychology skills

The programme covers all the core areas of psychology, namely Cognitive Psychology, Biological Psychology, Individual Differences & Personality, Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology, as well as thorough training in research methods.

You will also get to choose at least one option module covering topics such as Topics in Neuropsychology, Magic & The Mind, Psychology & Law, Social Psychology of Social Problems, Addictive Behaviours, and Psychopathology.

All modules are taught by national and international experts in the field and students will also receive tutorials in small groups.

Learn from experts in excellent facilities

This programme will allow you to work alongside academics who are experts in their fields. You may have the opportunity to get involved in world-class research taking place in the department, specifically in your MSc research dissertation. Faculty members sometimes run their own research labs, which may give you the opportunity to develop your understanding of a broader range of psychological issues alongside your formal education.

The Goldsmiths Department of Psychology gives you access to fantastic facilities, including laboratories, an EEG suite for brain research, an infant lab, and visual perception and attention laboratory. You will also be able to choose from a vibrant suite of postgraduate specialist modules as your option module, allowing you to get a flavour of niche areas of psychology.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Ashok Jansari or Jan de Fockert.

What you'll study

Module title Credits
Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive Psychology

15 credits

This module covers major topics in the area of cognitive psychology including:

  • attention
  • visual object recognition
  • written language processing
  • working memory: long-term memory and acquired memory problems
  • everyday memory
  • representation of knowledge.
 15 credits
Social Psychology

Social Psychology

15 credits

This module covers concepts, theories and empirical research related to:

  • human aggression
  • attitudes and attitude change
  • attribution and social judgement
  • environment and social behaviour
  • non-verbal communication
  • interpersonal attraction
  • intergroup processes
 15 credits
Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology

15 credits

This module covers:

  • concepts, models and theories of development
  • the module of development from infancy to old age
  • cognitive and social aspects of behaviour in childhood
  • language development
  • adolescence as a developmental period
  • mid-life, and the effects of ageing
 15 credits
Personality and Individual Differences

Personality and Individual Differences

15 credits

This module covers:

  • identification and measurement of individual differences in temperament
  • biological and environmental contributions to individual differences
  • causal theories of personality
  • the relationship between psychopathology and personality
  • background to methods of description and classification in psychopathology
  • genetic, constitutional and environmental aspects of disorders of personality and behaviour
  • rationale of therapeutic techniques
 15 credits

You will also study the following:

  • Biological Psychology (15 credits)
  • Research Methods and Statistics (30 credits)
  • Dissertation (60 credits)

You will also take a 15 credit modules offered by the Department of Psychology.

Download the programme specification. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

For 2021-22 and 2020–21, we have made some changes to how the teaching and assessment of certain programmes are delivered. To check what changes affect this programme, please visit the programme changes page.

Entry requirements

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least an upper second class standard.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.

Fees, funding & scholarships

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2022/2023 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £9600
  • Home - part-time: £4800
  • International - full-time: £15970

If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time if you require a Student Visa, however this is currently being reviewed and will be confirmed in the new year. Please read our visa guidance in the interim for more information. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities. If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.

How to apply

Apply now

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. 

Before submitting your application you'll need to have: 

  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online
  • If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

Find out more about applying.

Staff

Find out more about the staff teaching on this programme:

Research

Find out more about the research being carried out in the psychology department.

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