MSc Applied Psychology

The MSc Applied Psychology at Heriot‑Watt University is a one-year, full-time postgraduate programme that equips students with advanced knowledge of psychological theory, methods and applications in real-world settings. It suits graduates from psychology or related disciplines who wish to build research-skills and apply psychology in organisational, health, community or academic contexts.

Curriculum structure:

• Year 1 (autumn term): Students undertake core modules such as Current Directions in Psychology, Research with Impact and Research Methods in Psychology 1, where they explore contemporary psychological research themes—cognition, lifespan health, work & society—and begin training in quantitative and qualitative research techniques. 

• Year 1 (spring term): They move on to modules such as Psychological Assessment, Applying Psychology in Real-World Contexts and Research Methods in Psychology 2, developing skills in psychological measurement, translating psychology into practice and preparing their independent research project. 

• Year 1 (summer/project phase): The year concludes with the Independent Project in Psychology, where students design and execute an empirical study under supervision, applying previous method training and theory to a real-world psychological issue. 

Focus areas:
"applied psychology, research methods, psychological assessment, real-world practice"

Learning outcomes:
"Graduates will be able to critically evaluate psychological theories, design and conduct empirical research using advanced methods, apply psychological assessment and intervention in applied contexts, and translate psychology into organisational, health or community settings."

Professional alignment (accreditation):
The MSc Applied Psychology programme at Heriot-Watt builds research and application skills relevant to industry and academic roles, although it is not specifically accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).

Reputation (employability rankings):
Heriot-Watt University is ranked among the UK’s leading institutions for graduate outcomes and reports strong employability and progression rates for psychology postgraduate programmes.