MSc Health Psychology

The MSc Health Psychology at University of Derby trains students to understand how psychological, social and biological factors influence health, illness and wellbeing — preparing them for roles in public health, healthcare, research or further practitioner training. It suits psychology graduates (with Graduate Basis for Chartership) who want a BPS-accredited route (Stage 1) into health psychology.

Curriculum Structure

During the year, students take Psychology of Health and Wellbeing to learn how psychological theories explain health behaviour and wellbeing in societal and policy contexts. Modules such as Health Promotion and Behaviour Change and Psychology of Illness explore how behaviour, illness perceptions and chronic conditions affect health outcomes and how interventions can support behaviour change and manage long-term illness. Alongside, Advanced Psychological Research Methods in Context builds quantitative and qualitative research competence, and Clinical & Professional Skills for Practitioner Psychologists develops applied skills and professional readiness. The course concludes with an Empirical Research Project, where each student conducts an independent study on a health-psychology topic.

Focus areas :
“Health behaviour, illness/long-term conditions, behaviour change interventions, health promotion, empirical research in health psychology”

Learning outcomes :
“Understand psychological determinants of health and illness; design and evaluate health-promotion or behaviour-change interventions; assess and support psychological aspects of long-term conditions; conduct rigorous health-psychology research; prepare for further training or applied roles in health settings.”

Professional alignment (accreditation):
Fully accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) for Stage 1 Health Psychology training — necessary for further progression to practitioner status.

Reputation (employability rankings):
The University of Derby reports strong student satisfaction (100 % positive in 2025 PGT survey) and many graduates progress into NHS, public-health, charity, or applied research roles; the programme is well regarded for combining practical skills with research-informed teaching.