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Course information

Department

Psychology

Length

1 year full-time; 2 years part-time

Course overview

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 where the previous qualification does not 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.

Accreditation

This masters is fully accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Upon passing the MSc, you'll be eligible to apply for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) through the BPS. This is a necessary requirement to apply for any professional training programmes in the field of psychology in the UK.

These include

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Counselling Psychology
  • Forensic Psychology
  • Organisational Psychology

Please note that a programme that makes you eligible for GBC is simply the entry requirement for professional training and in itself does not allow you to call yourself a psychologist. Please see the BPS website for further information.

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 15 credits
Social Psychology 15 credits
Developmental Psychology 15 credits
Personality and Individual Differences 15 credits
Introduction to Statistics in Psychology 15 credits
Research Design and Analysis for MSc Psychology (Conversion) 15 credits

You will also study the following:

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

Please note, it is not necessary to have a strong background in maths to study and do well in the statistics module. If you are concerned about this module, we offer a free ‘bootcamp’ before the start of the academic term. This bootcamp introduces you to basic concepts which will help you transition into the formal lectures at the start of term. Information on this bootcamp will be communicated to students when the details are finalised.

You will also take a 15-credit module offered by the Department of Psychology, from a list provided annually by the department*. Some recent examples include:

Module title Credits
Addictive Behaviours 15 credits
Topics in Neuropsychology 15 credits
Social Psychology of Social Problems 15 credits
Clinical Psychology: Common Presentations and Interventions 15 credits
Psychology and Education 15 credits
Psychology and Law 15 credits

*Please note that optional modules change each year depending on staff availability because of circumstances such as research leave, maternity leave, etc, as well as timetabling constraints. Therefore, we cannot guarantee which modules will be available.

Assessments

For each of the core modules, you'll have one coursework assignment per term. A number of different forms of assessment are used including essays, oral presentations and poster presentations. You'll be provided training in each of these formats. In addition to these assessments, most modules will have an exam at the end of the year.

How the course is delivered

This masters is delivered through a combination of lectures, tutorials and practical lab work. Due to the practical nature of the course, it is delivered in person, and cannot be studied online.

Most of the modules are taught in formal lectures. A number of core modules also have tutorials, which are delivered by a specialist academic from within the department. Tutorials also give you the opportunity to work with and learn from students from other programmes.

For some of the modules, you will be in lectures that are shared with students on other postgraduate programmes while for others, you will be in lectures shared with undergraduate programmes; this is done so that you receive teaching in each module that is necessary for BPS accreditation.

For certain modules, you'll also have regular lab classes which are designed to give you the opportunity to put your learning into practice. You'll also regularly meet with your personal tutor in small groups, to help support you throughout the course.

We try to concentrate our teaching as much as possible, and typically, this will mean coming to campus three days a week. Timetables are always subject to change from year to year and a fixed timetable is only available towards the end of September.

Part-time study

Details of the structure of part-time study can be found below in our programme specification. In your first year, you'll complete taught modules. In your second year, you'll complete the final two taught modules as well as your research dissertation. Your timetable will be dependent on the optional modules you choose.

 

Download the programme specification.

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

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 2024/2025 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £10740
  • Home - part-time: £5370
  • International - full-time: £17860

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 under a student visa. 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 academic qualifications
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively a copy of your academic reference
  • Copies of your educational transcripts or certificates
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online. Please see our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement

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.

Application deadline

There is no set deadline for applications, however, as this is a popular programme, we encourage you to apply early to avoid disappointment.

 

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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