100% online MSc Psychology

A life-changing online master’s degree in psychology from a global university

Apply By 18 April 2023

To Start 2 May 2023

180 credits •
2 years part-time •
£7,800 total fees

Why Sunderland?

100% online MSc within 24 months
QS 5 star rating for teaching, inclusiveness, employability and facilities*
Research-active academics working on cutting-edge projects
Ranked overall as a top 50 University**
70% of university research rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’***
University of the Year for Social Inclusion****
£7,800 total fees, option to pay £650 per module

*QS World University Rankings, 2023
**Guardian University Guide, 2023
***Research Excellence Framework, 2021
****The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2021

An online psychology master’s for aspiring leaders and career-switchers from a range of backgrounds

Psychology is so compelling and intriguing as a discipline because it studies the human mind, the single most complex and enigmatic known entity in the universe and the driver of our behaviours as individuals and as a society.

This online Psychology MSc has been specifically created for ambitious working professionals and career-switchers from a wide range of backgrounds who may not currently have academic or professional psychology experience.

It has been designed to equip you with the skill set and understanding of human behaviour to help you succeed in people management and leadership roles, as well as in careers related to the psychology discipline across the public and private sector, including in HR, marketing, research and teaching.

The psychology degree is research-led with an employment focus and is designed to develop your understanding of the latest research and psychological theories in the field and its practical application, with many of the academic members of staff research-active and engaged in projects at the cutting-edge of the discipline.

We have been ranked internationally as a leading university, receiving five stars for teaching, inclusiveness, employability and facilities in the QS World University Rankings 2023, the highest rating that can be awarded to a university. A special recognition of our practical focus on developing the skills that enable career progression for our students all over the world.

Flexible online learning from anywhere in the world

This MSc Psychology is delivered entirely online, with a flexible learning model that delivers academic content on demand. This means that you can study for your master’s degree from anywhere in the world, on mobile or desktop, and can fit your studies around your full-time work and family life. The course can be studied from home, with no need to visit campus, and you can continue to earn and progress in your current role as you study. You will also be assigned a Student Success Coordinator who will support you from enrolment to successful completion of the degree.

With six start dates a year, you’re not restricted to the traditional academic year and can begin postgraduate study within weeks.

In studying this psychology postgraduate course you will gain an excellent understanding across a breadth of psychological disciplines, enabling you to apply theory and contemporary thinking to practical situations. You will study a diverse range of modules which will introduce you to the core areas of psychology as they apply to lived experiences. You will also develop and enhance a range of transferable skills to boost your future career prospects through both the process of study as well as a range of assessment strategies. The programme is entirely coursework-led and there are no exams.

Key knowledge and skills taught on this course include:

Organisational psychology
Social psychology
Psychology and technology
Personality and individual differences
Learning and memory
Environmental psychology
Biological psychology and addiction
Psychology of public health
Psychology of sexual behaviour
Research planning and design

In addition to subject-related skills and knowledge, graduates also develop skills including communication, numeracy, teamwork, critical thinking, computing, independent learning, all of which are highly valued by employers.

A global University with the expertise to deliver online teaching excellence

There is a high percentage of international students at University of Sunderland, and we have students studying by distance learning all around the world. Sunderland is also one of the UK’s leading widening participation Universities and was awarded The Times/Sunday Times University of the Year for Social Inclusion 2021. We were also shortlisted as University of the Year by the THE – Times Higher Education.

Our research-active approach to teaching, our cutting-edge technology and our expertise in delivering outstanding online learning experiences and student support to an audience of global students is key to what sets the University of Sunderland and our online MSc in Psychology apart.

Admission requirements

Applicants must be of age 19 and above and should have or be about to complete:

At least a UK 2.2 undergraduate degree or a UK master’s degree (or international equivalent)

A third-class honours degree or an ordinary degree (without honours) or UK equivalent professional qualification with a minimum of two years appropriate work experience
The work experience must be at a graduate level, in either a managerial or professional capacity which may include voluntary work, placements, or internships

Applicants who do not hold a recognised degree will be asked to provide evidence which demonstrates three to five years of relevant organisational experience

Fees

Total course fees: £7,800
Per 15-credit module fee: £650

If you are based in the UK, you may be eligible for a government-backed postgraduate loan to cover the full costs of the course.

In addition, if you have successfully completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Sunderland, you are eligible for a 10% tuition fees reduction on our postgraduate programmes.

You pay tuition fees for each module taken, either module-by-module or in full at the start of your course.

If you pay module-by-module, you will pay in instalments of £650.

Modules

Understanding Psychology (core module)

Personality and individual differences

Explore psychological approaches to personality and intelligence and learn about how psychologists have evaluated the methods and tools employed in assessing them. Consider personality as a construct and explore individual differences in personality and stability across the human lifespan. Develop an appreciation of psychometric topics such as test classification and development, standardisation, reliability, validity, interpretation and applications. Explore historical approaches to intelligence with an emphasis on contemporary cognitive approaches, such as working memory, intelligence and cognitive interventions and individual differences in cognition.

Learning and Memory

Contrast different theories of learning and how they can be applied in education and training. Identify different types of memory and learn how they can be impaired or enhanced. Participate in designing and carrying out an experiment, and interpreting the results using statistical analysis. Write up the experiment as a research report, in the format of a published psychology journal article.

Environmental Psychology

Develop a critical understanding of the role the environment plays in psychological behaviour across the lifespan of an individual. Gain analytical and evaluative skills through the investigation of the impact that built and natural environments have on human behaviour by exploring a range of relevant topics. Apply theories from environmental psychology to real-world contexts that are relevant to your own personal experiences within different environments.

Organisational Psychology

Develop a critical understanding of the application of occupational psychology to workplaces, employees and organisations. Gain analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills through an investigation of contemporary issues facing employees and organisations, as well as methods for assessment and evaluation. Appraise literature and evidence linking interpersonal factors and the social and physical environment to the development of a healthy workplace. Present evidence-based arguments using effective methods of communication to convey a range of workplace issues from an occupational psychology perspective.

Social Psychology across the lifespan

Explore the historical foundations of psychological development across the human lifespan. Develop an understanding of the importance of topics including research methods and ethics, theoretical perspectives including Piaget and Vygotsky, emotional development, attachment theory and developmental disorders. Consider individual differences within the context of stability and change across the lifespan.

Psychology of Public Health

Develop a critical understanding of psychological and behavioural approaches to current public health issues, as well as the all-important monitoring and evaluation of initiatives. Gain insights into the global challenges raised by the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, conditions that are not caused by an acute infection, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke or diabetes, as well as communicable and infectious diseases, with Ebola and Coronavirus as prime examples. Gain critical health psychology insights into how both non-communicable diseases and communicable diseases affect groups of the population in different ways, resulting in health inequalities. Develop a robust understanding of how, in this increasingly complex landscape, public health authorities need to make use of psychological and behavioural approaches to a greater extent to understand and benefit the health of the entire population. Develop a critical understanding of the opportunities that psychology can offer to public health in developing effective public health interventions.

Digital Psychology

Develop your understanding of cyberpsychology, the psychology of how humans interact with technology and online environments. Explore how the online world has impacted human behaviour. Discover how humans interact with technology and in online environments, and investigate how artificial intelligence impacts daily life. Consider how we interact with virtual worlds, virtual identity, online behaviours, privacy and self-disclosure online, looking at the ethical and criminal implications for anti-social behaviours in the online environment.

Biological Psychology and Addiction

Develop an understanding of the biological basis of behaviour as applied to the psychology of both substance and non-substance-related addictive behaviours. Explore a variety of addictive behaviours such as alcoholism, addiction to psychoactive drugs and gambling addiction. Learn how these behaviours are linked with biological effects of drug use, how cognition plays a role in addictive behaviours, and how people become addicts. Examine theories relating to the development, persistence, control and treatment of addictive behaviours.

Sexual Behaviour

Develop a critical understanding of the origins of human sexual behaviour and the role evolution plays in shaping mating preferences. Explore the biological and psychological mediators of sexual behaviour to discover typical human sexual behaviours. You will complete your module having discovered what people desire, how they pursue mates, and why variation in behaviours and preferences exist.

Research Planning and Design

Learn about the nature of the research process, methodologies, and the knowledge and research skills relevant to the development and effective planning of a research project in psychology, and the role of research integrity, ethical principles and legislation in psychology research. Devise a independent research question and develop it into your own research proposal with a timeline and risk assessment.