MSc Psychology

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

Kingston University London

Program Overview

The MSc Psychology at Kingston University is a conversion course that enables graduates from non-psychology backgrounds (or those with non-accredited psychology degrees) to gain the British Psychological Society’s Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC). Students study core psychological disciplines along with rigorous research training, culminating in a dissertation.

Curriculum Structure

In the taught year, students cover three core modules: Cognition & Biological Psychology, exploring how neural systems support memory, perception, language, and motivation; The Person in Psychology, which examines social, developmental, and individual-differences perspectives; and Methods & Statistics for MSc Psychology, where students build experimental design skills and learn multivariate data analysis, regression, and analysis of variance.

Alongside these, students choose one optional module, such as Applied Psychology with Work Experience (involves 40 hours in a relevant setting), Advanced Developmental Psychology, Advanced Issues in the Psychology of Thinking, Psychology of Health & Well-Being, Neuropsychology & Neuro-rehabilitation, or Psychotherapeutic Psychology & Mental Health. The course culminates with a Psychology Dissertation, where students design, carry out, and analyse original empirical research drawing on qualitative and/or quantitative methods.

Focus areas (string):
“Cognitive psychology, biological psychology, social and developmental psychology, research methods, individual differences, health psychology, neuropsychology, workplace psychology”

Learning outcomes (in a string):
“Develop core knowledge across psychology domains; design and analyse psychological research; conduct an independent empirical dissertation; apply psychology in professional or workplace settings; gain eligibility for BPS GBC.”

Professional alignment (accreditation):
Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).

Reputation (employability rankings):
Kingston University’s Psychology MSc equips graduates for roles in clinical, educational, occupational, forensic, and counselling psychology, supporting further professional training or career entry.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students gain advanced research skills by designing and conducting their own empirical project within Kingston's dedicated psychology laboratories, using specialist equipment and software. This hands-on research training is central to the programme, with key experiential components including:

Research Project: Conducting a substantial independent dissertation in a dedicated research area.
Laboratories: Access to specialist suites for cognitive testing, psychophysiology, and eye-tracking.
Software: Training in advanced statistical packages like SPSS, R, or MATLAB and experiment-building tools such as E-Prime.
Group Work: Collaborative research design and presentation tasks to develop team-based scientific skills.
Professional Development: Curriculum designed to provide the British Psychological Society (BPS) Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the MSc Psychology at Kingston University develop comprehensive psychological knowledge and research skills, preparing for careers in clinical, forensic, educational, and occupational psychology. Typical roles include Assistant Psychologist, Research Assistant, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, and Trainee Clinical Psychologist.

Key points:

Kingston provides specialist careers support, including mentoring, work placements in NHS trusts (e.g., CNWL), and employability workshops tailored to psychology students.
Graduates have strong employment prospects with typical salaries ranging from £25,000 to £40,000 depending on role and experience.
The university has active partnerships with healthcare organizations and community groups, enhancing practical training opportunities.
The degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), providing Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).
Graduates transition successfully into professional clinical roles and further postgraduate training pathways.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can pursue doctoral training in clinical or counselling psychology or PhD research in related psychology fields.