Psychology, MSc (Distance Learning)

​​Your online Welcome Week and induction activities are an important part of your transition into postgraduate study and are designed to help you feel informed, supported and ready to begin. You will also be able to get to know fellow students.

​During this period, you will be introduced to the course structure, the expectations of distance learning, and the people, systems and services that will support you throughout your studies. You will also be guided through the practical steps you need to take before teaching begins, including accessing university systems and understanding how your learning will be organised.

​Every student is allocated a named member of academic staff from their course of study, called a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT). Your PAT is there to provide you with academic support helping you to identify the skills you need to develop to succeed in your studies.

​Although you will be studying at a distance, you are very much part of the university community. The welcome activities are designed to help you feel connected from the start, understand where to go for support, and begin your course with confidence. Please make sure you check your welcome schedule carefully and complete all key preparatory tasks before teaching begins.​

​​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

​As a distance-learning student, your teaching and learning will take place asynchronous and online. Across your modules, you can expect a mixture of guided learning activities, independent study, and webinars 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 online learning. 

​Before starting the course, please ensure that you have reliable internet access and suitable equipment for online study. 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 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 one of the following:

• ​​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 as an e-book via the CCCU library)
• ​​Gross, R. (2020). Psychology: The science of mind and behaviour (8th ed.). Hodder Education. [available as an e-book via 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