Overview
This conversion course has been tailored to provide you with a firm foundation in the core areas of psychology as defined by the British Psychological Society (BPS). These include biological, cognitive, social, developmental, social psychology, individual differences and statistics and research methods.
You’ll also develop analytic expertise and research skills, creating a solid basis for further advanced study within the discipline (e.g. PhD, ClinPsyD, DEdPsy).
Our academic experts use a wide variety of teaching methods including lectures, seminars and self-directed learning to provide you with a comprehensive learning experience. You’re fully supported throughout the whole degree process including having a personal tutor and receiving one-to-one specialist academic supervision to complete the empirical research project that will demonstrate your depth of knowledge of a specialist area in psychology.
As an accredited psychology course, should you Pass the MSc (including passing your dissertation research project), you'll be eligible to apply for graduate membership of the British Psychology Society. Membership will be key if you choose to pursue further postgraduate training to become a practitioner psychologist.
As well as our campus-based course, this course is now available to study fully online, which means you can earn your conversion master’s from wherever you live and work. Studying online, you’ll still benefit from connecting to fellow students, professionals and academics worldwide, through our innovative online learning platform.
You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.
Course content
This conversion course has been tailored to provide you with a firm foundation in core psychology theory, research methods and statistics. Following this, you can pursue areas of particular interest in your dissertation.
Your dissertation will be a maximum of 12,000 words, which enables you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of a specialist area in psychology. It will show your ability to interpret primary source material and integrate sound findings into your final report. This is your chance to develop a unique perspective on your chosen topic and work independently of others, consistent with BPS guidelines.
Compulsory
- Introduction to Psychological ScienceThis module introduces students to the principles and scientific foundations of psychology. Students will learn a conceptual overview of how psychology has developed as an academic discipline and will understand the the principle research methodologies used in psychological research.
- Qualitative Research MethodsIn this module students will learn the principles and techniques for selecting and applying research to address different questions. Students will critically evaluate the methodology and findings of published studies and learn how qualitative findings can be effectively presented in writing and verbally.
- Social Psychology, Development and Individual Differences
- Cognitive Psychology
- Biological Psychology
- Dissertation in Psychological Sciences
- Research Methods and Statistics for Psychology
This course can be studied 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time, starting in September.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Read more about the structure of postgraduate degrees at Brunel
Careers and your future
Your BPS accredited Psychological Sciences (Conversion) MSc degree is your first step to becoming a chartered psychologist.
In addition to clinical psychology, you’ll gain the skills, knowledge and expertise attractive to employers in a wide variety of sectors such as media, marketing, HR, law enforcement, finance, government, health and education as well as government and non-governmental agencies, and healthcare organisations
UK entry requirements
- A UK 2:2 Honours degree, or equivalent internationally recognised qualification, in any subject or a non-BPS accredited degree in Psychology.
Applicants will be required to show evidence of GCSE grade C (or grade 4) (or equivalent) in Maths.
EU and International entry requirements
If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.
English language requirements
- IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
- Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
- BrunELT: 63% (min 58% in all areas)
- TOEFL: 90 (min 20 in all)
You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.
Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.
Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.
Fees and funding
2024/25 entry
UK
£12,650 full-time
£6,325 part-time
International
£23,615 full-time
£11,805 part-time
More information on any additional course-related costs.
Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase.
See our fees and funding page for full details of postgraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.
Scholarships and bursaries
Teaching and learning
Teaching will be on campus to help you build a sense of belonging to a thriving psychology community.
A full programme of teaching for all modules / study blocks will be delivered through lectures, seminars, workshops and practical sessions taking place on campus. Lectures will be recorded, with recordings made available after the session has taken place. Seminars, workshops and practical sessions may not be recorded. This will be at the discretion of the session leader, depending on the nature of the content and activities. For example, it is not feasible to record some interactive activities and group work and in other cases recording might inhibit student discussions. However, in the event a session is not recorded, we will make the teaching materials used in the session available to students online.
To supplement our full timetable of on-campus teaching, learning will be supported with a range of resources on our new Brightspace Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) including, for example, videos, interactive activities and quizzes. Module / block leaders may offer additional briefing, revision, and or Q&A sessions on online platforms where appropriate.
Feedback & consultation hours, personal tutoring hours, and project supervision discussions will be offered both in-person on-campus and via online platforms. This will allow you to easily receive feedback, advice and guidance without having to travel to campus on a day that you might otherwise not be attending.
Please note that while recordings and online resources will help if you are unable to attend a particular teaching session, learning from the online materials only will not be an adequate substitute for certain aspects of the in-person learning experience. For example, online learning will not be able to replace the experience of being an active participant in a lively in-person seminar discussion on campus. Keep in mind that this is a campus-based degree programme, not an online programme – and attendance on campus will be essential for some events (e.g. for examinations).
Access to a laptop or desktop PC is required for joining online activities, completing coursework and digital exams, and a minimum specification can be found here.
We have computers available across campus for your use and laptop loan schemes to support you through your studies. You can find out more here.
Home to a wide range of diverse and innovative research activities, the department of Psychology was recognised by the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, which rated our research environment as 100% internationally excellent. At Brunel, you'll find a space for inspired thinking. Our academics’ passion for research is reflected in their style of teaching and the sharing of knowledge.
Studying a Psychological Sciences conversion Master’s combines lectures and seminars, but also a lot of self-directed learning. This prepares you for further study and research which requires that you manage your time accordingly. You'll work on essays, statistics, assignments, written research, methods, tests and laboratory reports. Exams will test your understanding, and your final major task will be to submit a dissertation.
Your dissertation supervisor will organise individual meetings with you to support your exploration of major theories and analysis of results from studies that relate to your dissertation topic. You'll be encouraged to convey an understanding of the larger, real-world context and application of the dissertation topic to show awareness of current issues and provide relevancy.
Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.
Assessment and feedback
You will be assessed on a combination of coursework including essays, quantitative report- writing and interpretation, and presentations. There will also be exams and a dissertation exploring an advanced piece of research. Deadlines are distributed through the year, allowing time for constructive feedback.
Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.