Psychology, MSc

Our course welcome day will take place on campus on Wednesday 16 September, and we are very much looking forward to meeting you.

This day is an important part of beginning your journey with us. You will receive a clear and friendly introduction to the aims of the course, explore each of the modules you will study, and gain a helpful overview of the assessments you will complete throughout your time with us.

It is also a great opportunity to start building your community. You will meet other students on your course, as well as others who will join you in shared modules.

Key members of the teaching team will be present, including the staff who will potentially support you with your research project. You will have the chance to speak with them and ask any questions you may have.

We will also introduce (or reintroduce) the Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) role. Your PAT will be an important point of contact throughout your course. Every student is assigned a PAT, and you will receive your PAT details during the welcome day.

Throughout the welcome week, you will also hear from several university teams who are here to support you. This includes Sport & Active Health, Learning & Development, and Graduate Futures. Their presentations will introduce the support available to help you succeed academically, prepare for life alongside and after university, and enjoy a rich and fulfilling student experience.

There are additional events during the week commencing 14 September 2026 that we strongly encourage you to attend. These include central university activities such as the Post‑Graduate Welcome Talk on Tuesday 15 September and the Experience Fair on Thursday 17 September, where you can meet the teams and departments who will support you during your time at CCCU.

If you are joining us as an international student, dedicated sessions have been arranged for you on Thursday 17 September, which may be helpful as you begin your studies in the United Kingdom.

The Students’ Union Welcome Event will also take place on Wednesday 16 September, offering another excellent opportunity to meet new people.

You will also receive introductions to our IT systems and library, helping you feel confident using the key resources that will support your learning throughout the course.

We are excited to welcome you and to support you as you begin this next chapter.

Your Course

This course provides a broad grounding in the core areas of psychology and is designed for graduates who wish to complete a psychology conversion course that can lead towards Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society, subject to successfully meeting the course requirements. 

In your first trimester you will study the following modules: 

• Psychology in Context 

• Social and Developmental Psychology 

• Research in Psychology 

• Research Project

Teaching

Teaching and learning will take place in person on campus, in lectures and in seminars and workshops.

In addition to the face-to-face sessions you can expect a mixture of guided learning activities, independent study, and guidance that supports you in engaging with key psychological theories, evidence and research methods.

In the first few weeks, the emphasis will be on helping you settle into postgraduate study, understand course expectations, and develop confidence in studying psychology at Master’s level. 

Blackboard

 You will use Blackboard and other university digital systems to access learning materials, course information and guidance. It is important to make sure you can log in successfully and are familiar with these systems before teaching begins. You will be able to access Blackboard once you have set up your Computing account. You will receive instructions on how to do this as part of the registration process.

To help you prepare

You may also find it helpful to explore relevant Learning Skills Hub resources, particularly those focused on academic writing, critical reading, study skills, research methods and effective learning. 

Before starting the course, please ensure that you have access to reliable internet access. Taking time to complete your essential pre-arrival tasks, review your module information, and familiarise yourself with university systems will help you feel prepared for the start of teaching.

You will have access to paper and electronic copies of the core textbooks via our library. You might want to purchase them as a (used) paper copy or borrow them through your local library where available. 

You may find it useful to explore introductory reading in core areas of psychology (like A-level course books), books or videos on research methods and data analysis in psychology, and resources that support academic writing, critical reading and study skills.  

Foundations of psychology (select only the one)

• Holt, N., Bremner, A., Vliek, M., Sutherland, E., Passer, M. W., & Smith, R. E. (2023). Psychology: The science of mind and behaviour (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill. (available in the CCCU library)

• Gross, R. (2020). Psychology: The science of mind and behaviour (8th ed.). Hodder Education. (available in the CCCU library)

You may also find it interesting to read accessible and applied psychology texts and books that show how psychological ideas are used in real-world contexts. Here are some ideas: 

• One flew over the cuckoo's nest by Ken Kesey 

• Paranormality by Richard Wiseman 

• The tiger that isn't by Andrew Dilnot and Michael Blastland 

• Into The Silent Land by Paul Broks