MSc Psychology (Conversion)

01 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2028

Course Leader Rachel Taylor
Course Team Laura Drummond, , Andrea Mahoney, Klara Price, Susan Williamson
Awarding Body University of South Wales
Teaching Institutions University of South Wales
Modes of Study Full Time, Part Time

Document Version

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2022
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

QAA Benchmarks

N/A

Educational Aim

To provide an opportunity to acquire core knowledge and professional skills required to obtain the Graduate Basis for Chartership with the British Psychological Society

To encourage a critical appreciation of the interrelationship between different aspects of psychological functioning and different areas of psychology

To generate opportunities to use current psychological research to provide evidence-based solutions for real-world challenges.

Learning Outcomes

A1 Demonstrate a sophisticated knowledge of the scientific underpinnings of Psychology as a discipline; including its historical origins, developments and limitations.
A2 Demonstrate a critical and reflective understanding of a range of influences on psychological functioning; including their conceptualisation within the core areas of Psychology, their interrelationship and their applicability to real-world problems and challenges.
A3 Articulate a sophisticated understanding of a range of different research paradigms and methods; including their suitability for novel applied situations and contexts.
A4 Demonstrate knowledge of cutting-edge research, debates and applications of psychology.
B1 Demonstrate the ability to make critical judgements about arguments in Psychology, including their relevance to core areas and applied challenges.
B2 Critically assess the relationships between multiple perspectives, their applicability to individual functioning and a range of applied contexts.
B3 Evaluate the significance of meaningful patterns in behaviour within core areas of Psychology and assess their generalisability to novel applied contexts.
B4 Provide sophisticated critical articulation of research questions in Psychology and generate robust, evidence-based and ethical methods to address them.
C1 Interpret, use and apply numerical, textual and other forms of data to address novel applied research challenges in different areas of Psychology
C2 Critically appraise the ethical context of Psychology as a discipline and demonstrate application of ethical principles and processes to a range of applied situations and challenges; including personal research and study.
C3 Competently initiate, design, conduct and report on an empirically based applied research project under appropriate supervision and critically reflect on its theoretical, practical and methodological implications.
C4 Solve real world challenges and problems through the application and critical assessment of cutting-edge psychological research; including considering alternative solutions and the context in which the research is applied.

Course Structure

Level 7 Modules

Module Code Module Id Module Title Module Status Credit Value Module Type
PL4S153 MOD012551 Psychology: Contexts and Debates Running 20 core
PL4S154 MOD012552 Psychological Investigation in Practice Running 20 core
PL4S155 MOD012553 Applied Social Psychology Running 20 core
PL4S156 MOD012554 Lifespan Development in Context Running 20 core
PL4S157 MOD012555 Brain and Cognition Running 20 core
PL4S158 MOD012556 Getting Ready to Research Running 20 core
PL4T001 MOD012557 Dissertation Running 60 core

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Active/simulation basedWithin the asynchronous content for the module, students will be encouraged to apply core content to the applied challenges presented by the external partners. This will prepare them for the assessments where solutions are presented back directly to the partners and for the simulation assessment in Lifespan Development in Context. This active approach to learning will be reinforced through the use of scenarios in synchronous sessions and by approximately 30% of each module’s asynchronous material being applied or case/scenario based.LecturesSome recorded lecture content will be provided for students to ensure that they are familiar with key concepts and cutting-edge research on each of the core topics. These will be presented in 15–20-minute chunks of recorded information and will include reflection questions and tasks based on the material to encourage active appraisal of the material itself. All recordings will be captioned to meet the University’s policies on inclusive learning.SeminarsSynchronous seminars will form part of all modules with the exception of Psychological Investigation in Practice, Getting Ready to Research and Dissertation (these modules will have synchronous workshops instead). Seminars will take the form of discussions of cutting-edge research for each topic area, critical appraisal of key debates and controversies and discussions of how these can be applied to scenarios and the challenges presented by the external partner.TutorialsTutorials will not form part of the taught modules but a rolling schedule of meetings to support students’ academic progress and provide pastoral support will be implemented and supported by the course leader. These will take place three times per year.GroupworkActivities within synchronous sessions will involve group discussions to share perspectives on core materials and applied issues. Some of these will involve short tasks or questions to address and will take place in time limited breakout groups. Others will be larger group discussions in the main Blackboard Collaborate room. There will also be opportunities to engage in group work to complete asynchronous activities within “virtual library sessions” and to collaborate with others using discussion boards. A Psychology in the News blog will also be open for all students to contribute to as part of the course organisation. In terms of dissertation activity, students will complete an individual empirical project, but these may be embedded into larger project streams and will be linked to problems set by external partners. This will involve collaboration both with peers and with members from the external organisation.Work-basedThis course does not contain a work-based element however the implementation of applied challenges across the course will enhance employability in other ways.Project SupervisionStudents will receive individual and group supervision (including working group meetings) as part of their applied dissertation process. This will assist in the shaping of the project aims and outcomes and will provide opportunities to discuss and critically reflect on the appropriateness of the methods presented.DemonstrationThe course places an emphasis on active engagement and enquiry. However, some sessions will include demonstration of technical equipment to provide further context to the learning of a module. An example may be to demonstrate the Biopac EEG/ECG equipment which is housed in the Department’s BRAIN (Bringing Research Alive in Neuroscience) facility on the Treforest campus. This will provide a context for students considering situations in which such equipment could be used.Practical Classes and WorkshopsBoth Psychological Investigation in Practice and Getting Ready to Research contain synchronous workshop sessions where the emphasis will be on operationalising variables, specifying research aims, objectives and questions and determining appropriate outcome measures. Students will engage in remote data collection (e.g., for survey and interview methods), will have opportunities to analyse data sets generated both through their own data collection and which are available for research purposes through sites such as Sage Research Methods.FieldworkAs this is an online course, fieldwork will not be required. However remote data collection will be an integral part of the course and students will be encouraged to form connections with organisations in their local areas to discuss challenges and solutions. It may also be possible for students to attempt face to face applied research activity if this is judged as feasible for the students’ research question and receives appropriate ethical approval.External VisitsNo external visits will be implemented as part of the course as this is delivered online. Students will be encouraged to strengthen their professional networks in their local area and will be encouraged to present research findings at academic and professional events.Directed Studydirected asynchronous material. This will be organised so no more than 50% of the content presents information and approximately 30% of this will involve applied scenarios, links to the partner challenges and other real-world questions. Directed study activities will also include opportunities for students to test their knowledge such as online quizzes or accessing short, recorded feedback on an activity they have completed. Tutors will also provide commentary on discussion board posts which will act as further feedback.Independent StudyCourse content will be delivered by a combination of online directed learning and online synchronous sessions. However, students will also engage in independent study to complete assessments for modules across the course. Students will be provided with a week-by-week calendar to highlight their activities, and this will contain the assessment dates for that academic year. Online reading lists will contain starter sources to support assessment preparation and the skills and knowledge required for each assessment will be developed across the module. Students will be encouraged to use discussion board forums to ask questions, exchange ideas and recommend sources to help develop a strong learning community on the course.PlacementThis course does not contain a placement however the implementation of applied challenges across the course will enhance employability in other ways.Study AbroadAs this is an online course, study abroad is not an element contained within this course. Students will study from home or in a location that is convenient for them.Formative assessment-scheduledSome modules will contain scheduled sessions which are designed to support students’ completion of assessments. Examples would include opportunities to discuss interim solutions and obtain peer and tutor feedback on ideas, practice presentation sessions to gain feedback on presentation skills and sessions to try out new software for data collection and assessment preparation.Formative assessment-independentSome activities will be designed specifically to support assessment preparation and will give students feedback on the solutions they have generated. For example, in research methods, students may be presented with an applied scenario and will need to establish the criteria they need to use to determine the best research question, method and means of analysis. They would then receive recorded feedback, written feedback via the outcome of an online quiz or feedback in a synchronous session. The assessment would then be based on a different applied scenario, but which involves similar principles to assess generalisation of learning.

Employer Engagement

Visiting Speakers

Representatives from the partner organisations will be invited to present their challenges to the students at the start of each academic year. They will then attend virtual events where students will present and discuss their solutions directly with the partners. Additionally, the course team will invite visiting speakers from other relevant organisation (including alumni from other Psychology courses) to talk to students about their current roles. Examples may include those who are working as assistant psychologists, as personnel responsible for training or employee well-being within private companies or as research/project officers for third sector organisations.

Volunteering

Although students will not be required to volunteer during this course, they will be actively encouraged to engage with volunteer and community engagement in their local areas. Students will have opportunities to develop their own projects with appropriate local organisations and the course team will utilise these connections as potential additional partners for future course cohorts.

Fieldwork

As detailed in section F above, fieldwork is not required for this course as this is online and students will mainly collect data remotely. However, the opportunity to engage with challenges set by external partners may involve possibilities for in-person research activity or collaboration and similar opportunities will be explored with connections developed through our own alumni in future years.

Employer Forums

These will include regular meetings with external partners to discuss and set challenges and briefs, to report back on interim and final solutions and as part of working groups for dissertation supervision. Additionally, employers will be invited to contribute to course monitoring and review to ensure that curriculum retains currency and applicability to external contexts.

Means of Assessment

Means of Assessment for MSc Psychology:
Observational Journal
Presentation
Report
Case Study
Student Choice – Oral, Poster or Webpage Template
Simulations/Role Plays
Dissertation
Research Plan/Proposal
Annotated Bibliography

Learning Support

Induction

Students will be sent a set of preparatory materials and a full schedule for the course prior to this commencing. They will be encouraged to engage with the University’s IT induction prior to the induction week and will be given some initial topics to think about which will be discussed in induction week. Induction itself is built around Salmon’s (2011, 2013) stages of successful online learning: Access and Motivation, Online Socialisation, Information Exchange, Knowledge Construction and Development. This comprises a comprehensive introduction to the course and to the University as well as tailored information for students with different backgrounds and skills requirements. A full outline of the planned induction is available in Section A of this document

Learner Analytics

Engagement with different areas of the VLE, Turnitin, Panopto and other University systems such as FindIT will be monitored and students who are not engaging will be followed up with contact from the course leader. This will initially be informally (following one week of non-engagement), but this will become a formal process after the second week of non-engagement within a module. Initially this will be a formal contact by the course leader but after the third week of non-engagement, the student will be referred to the Progression Team of the University. As each module is only 10 weeks in duration, such a swift response is important to support students re-engaging, engaging with extenuating circumstances procedures or suspending studies/withdrawing from study if this is appropriate.

Office hours

A weekly one-hour office hour will be available online for students completing modules on this course where they can ask for clarification about academic/module related matters. Additionally, there will be a weekly “catch up with your course leader” session which will take place during term times. This will also run online and will be for students to check in with issues or concerns and/or to discuss opportunities for professional/skills development.

Seminars

Synchronous seminars will form part of all modules with the exception of Psychological Investigation in Practice, Getting Ready to Research and Dissertation. These modules will have practical classes and workshops and research supervision instead of seminars.

Formative Assessment

Formative scheduled and independent assessment will be contained within all modules to support student progress towards assessments. Examples of this can be seen in Section F above and in individual module specifications.

Progress meetings

Students will attend an individual progress meeting three times per academic year to discuss academic progress and any issues that they have. These meetings will also enable students to ask questions and/or discuss future options for careers and Society-accredited training so that they can be signposted to appropriate sources of information.

Research Supervision

Students will have individual and group supervision sessions during their dissertation process. The Getting Ready to Research module includes a research proposal assessment however students will then have a total of 9 hours of project supervision during the period of their dissertation to support their progress towards completing the research itself.

Online Resources

Students will have access to a wealth of online resources provided by both the University of South Wales and the British Psychological Society. The University’s Unilife portal includes information about Counselling and Well-Being, Study Skills, Student Money Advice, Careers and Progression Advice. The Society provides comprehensive information about careers and postgraduate accredited training routes as well as current Society policies and practices. All students will be encouraged to become members of the British Psychological Society to support their future professional development.

Within the course and the modules, the course will have its own course organisation on Blackboard, and this will act as a central hub for information and resources relevant to the course itself. This will also include a Psychology in the News blog where announcements and information relevant to psychology’s role in societal improvement will be highlighted. Updates and information from the British Psychological Society will also be posted on this. Each module Blackboard site will be organised in a consistent way to facilitate navigation and to be inclusive for students with a range of different requirements. It will contain all asynchronous learning materials as well as full details of the synchronous online sessions for each module. The sites will include asynchronous discussion boards to encourage communication about module materials and to provide opportunities for students to ask questions and receive clarification.

Advice Zone

Students will be able to access the Advice Zone online Advice Zone | University of South Wales and will be signposted to this in induction week. They will be asked questions about the processes and services as part of an end of induction week online quiz to check their understanding of (and engagement with) the information presented online.

Disability

As students at the University of South Wales, all students on this course can access support via the University’s Disability Service. Disability | University of South Wales Again students will be signposted to this in induction and information about this (and the University’s other online support resources) will be contained within the course handbook.

IT/Library

Information about hardware, software and internet requirements will be published and made available to students prior to enrolment on the course. Students will be encouraged to engage with the IT induction programme and to access all relevant software in a timely fashion via the UniApps system. IT Services | University of South Wales An online Library induction will be included as part of this course and students will be encouraged to make active use of the online support available (including the chat function on the Library site): USW Library | University of South Wales Each module will have an online reading list which students can link to through the relevant module Blackboard site and this will be organised thematically to facilitate ease of navigation.

Course Exit Points

Award Criteria Final
Master of Science 180 credits of which at least 150 must be at Level 7 and no more than 30 at Level 6 Final
Postgraduate Diploma 120 credits of which at least 90 must be at Level 7 and no more than 30 at Level 6 Exit
Postgraduate Certificate 60 credits with at least 40 at Level 7 and no more than 20 at Level 6 Exit

Progression Route

Students completing this course would be eligible (having received GBC) to apply for British Psychological Society accredited courses in any of the following areas:Clinical PsychologyCounselling PsychologyEducational PsychologyForensic PsychologyHealth PsychologyNeuropsychologyOccupational PsychologySport & Exercise PsychologyDetails of currently accredited courses are available on the British Psychological Society website: Find an accredited course | BPSIf the award is a progression route for other courses, please specify which and where they are delivered: Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology - USW Newport Campus

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

Graduates from any discipline with a minimum of a 2:2 classification (equivalent international qualifications would be acceptable).

Additionally graduates from a British Psychological Society accredited Psychology degree with a Third-Class Honours would be permitted to take this course.

Inclusive Curriculum Statement

The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/

Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution

N/A

Methods Of Quality Standards

N/A

Quality Of Standards Indicators

N/A