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Health Psychology MSc

The Health Psychology MSc, accredited by the British Psychological Society, aims to equip students to apply the scientific and theoretical principles and ideas of health psychology using a scholarly and critical approach, and to develop the practical skills and knowledge required for employment or research in the field.

Covid-19 programme updates

Due to COVID-19, there may have been updates to this programme for the 2020 academic year. Where there has been an update, these are indicated with a red alert and a link which will provide further information.

Key information

Programme starts

September 2020

Modes and duration

Full time: 1 year
Part time: 2 years

Full-time students will attend lectures on Mondays and Tuesdays, and part-time students will attend on Mondays in their first year and Tuesdays in their second year.

Application dates

All applicants
Open: 1 November 2019
Close: 11 August 2020
Notification
Due to the large number of applications received, this programme is no longer accepting applications for 2020/21 entry. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Applications for 2021/22 entry will open later in the year.

Tuition fees (2020/21)

UK/EU:
£10,160 (FT)
£5,080 (PT)
Overseas:
£25,900 (FT)
£12,890 (PT)


Note on fees: The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website.

Accreditation:

The MSc is stage 1 accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). BPS accreditation criteria stipulate a minimum 50% pass mark, with no condoned modules, and so students with final marks falling below 50% cannot graduate with the accredited MSc Health Psychology award. These students will instead graduate with an MSc Psychology & Health, if they have fulfilled UCL award requirements but not BPS award requirements.

Location: London, Bloomsbury

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in psychology from a UK university, or overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. A lower second-class UK Bachelor's degree or equivalent may be accepted with evidence of further study or relevant work experience.

Applicants are encouraged to have Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS) if they want to pursue a career as a Chartered Health Psychologist in the UK.

English language requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Good

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

International students

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below.

Select your country:

About this degree

The programme provides a thorough grounding in theories, concepts and empirical findings central to current health psychology. Students are encouraged to develop their own area of specialisation and are given formal training in quantitative and qualitative research methods. The programme is regularly reviewed by an advisory board including world-renowned experts in health psychology.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of eight compulsory modules (120 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits). Please see departmental website for more details.

Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded a MSc in Health Psychology.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

Compulsory modules

  • Effective Research Practice
  • Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods 1
  • Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods 2
  • Health Related Behaviours and Cognitions
  • Individual, Social and Cultural Perspectives in Health Psychology
  • Physical and Mental Health, Stress and Ageing
  • Chronic Illness from the Health Psychology Perspective
  • Health Care and Intervention Delivery
  • MSc Health Psychology : Project Report (Dissertation)

Optional modules

  • There are no optional modules for this programme.
Covid-19 module updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be updates to the modules for your chosen programme of study this year. Some modules may not be available or may need to be moved to a later term or year of study. These updates are relevant for 2020-21 academic year only.  The full list of modules will be available in the module catalogue from late August.  From the first week of September, you will be invited to complete module selection from Portico, our student record system. There may need to be additional updates or changes to modules during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available.

Dissertation/report

All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation written up as a mock paper submission to the British Journal of Health Psychology.

Covid-19 placement updates
Due to COVID-19 updates, there may need to be changes to planned placements for this programme. This will depend on social distancing measures, the availability of the relevant placements, and the relative risk of completing the placement. Your department will keep you updated if placements are able to occur and/or any alternative options available.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, class exercises, project work, training workshops, journal clubs and hands-on computer-based teaching on statistical analysis techniques. Assessment is through coursework (including critical reviews and essays), one unseen examination and the research project. Students are also offered a short work placement.

Covid-19 contact hours on campus
In Term One, while campus will be open, all the learning activity for the core content of your modules will take place online – including lectures, tutorials, seminars and assessments. By “core content” we mean everything you need to learn to complete the module successfully. In addition to these online contact hours, we will be offering some face-to-face educational activities for students on campus, and we will provide alternative online activities for those students unable to join us on campus. These activities, which will include contact with academic staff, will be relevant to your programme of study may include seminars, academic and employability skills workshops, small-group or individual tutorials, lab and practice-based teaching. UK Government safety guidelines will limit the amount of ‘in person’ activity we can offer and while it will vary from programme to programme, is likely to be no more than 1-2 hours per week. This will vary across departments, particularly if your programme includes laboratory/practical/studio/workshop sessions. You will be updated with more specific details as they are available and your timetable will indicate which sessions will be on campus and which will be available online.
Covid-19 practical component updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be changes to the availability of the practical components for your chosen programme. Any updates relate only to the 20/21 academic year and may not apply to all students across the programme depending on your year of study.  Your department will keep you updated if the practical component of your programme is able to occur and/or any alternative options available.   There may need to be additional updates or changes to the practical component during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and/or Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available. 
Covid-19 assessment updates
There may be changes to the format of assessments for modules in this programme due to COVID-19. These will be summarised for each module on the module catalogue from 17 August 2020.   If any changes to assessments need to be made during the academic year due to updates in government guidance, these will be communicated to you as soon as possible from your department.    
Communicating further Covid-19 mitigation plans
We are continuing to follow UK Government guidance, as well as the expertise of our researchers, including specialists in health, education, human behaviour and infection prevention, to make sure UCL is as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. If it becomes necessary to make further changes to your programme as a result of new guidance/regulations, UCL and your department will communicate these as soon as this becomes clear. We will keep you up-to-date with our plans throughout term one, so you have the information you need to be able to take decisions that are right for your circumstances. Please ensure that you keep in touch with your department by regularly checking your UCL emails, Moodle courses, the Coronavirus FAQs for Students page and any UCL online groups or social media you follow.

Additional costs

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Funding

The department is offering the Jane Wardle studentship for students undertaking the Health Psychology MSc. The studentship will consist of £3,750 towards tuition fees and is awarded to one student each year based on their performance in the interview. There is no need to apply separately for this studentship; all interviewees are considered. This scholarship has been endowed in memory of Professor Jane Wardle (1950-2015), professor of clinical psychology and co-director of the Health Psychology MSc.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

Careers

Many graduates of the programme continue to PhD-level study, or find work as researchers or in roles allied to psychology, healthcare services and delivery.

Employability

Given the academic nature of the programme, our students are advantaged when attempting to secure funded PhD studentships or clinical doctorates. As the focus of the MSc is on improving healthcare and delivery, students also take up positions within the public or private healthcare sector.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The programme is the longest-running Health Psychology MSc in the UK, and is delivered by leading experts in their field. It offers graduates a research-based BPS-accredited Stage 1 qualification.

  • 1st in the UK: top-rated university in the UK for research strength (REF 2014)
  • 8th in the world: among the top universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2020)
  • 10th in the world for public health (ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2019)
  • 10th in the world for life and medical sciences (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019)

UCL's Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health based within the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, helps to coordinate the Health Psychology MSc. The department is one of the largest health psychology research groups in the UK, and aims to advance understanding of behaviours that have a major impact on health, and contribute to the development of interventions to promote healthy lifestyles. Within the department, the Psychobiology Group is a multidisciplinary group concerned with the pathways through which sociodemographic and psychosocial factors influence physical disease processes.

This environment provides students with opportunities to be taught by specialists in their field, and to complete relevant placements in clinical, academic or policy-related settings. In addition, students are encouraged to integrate themselves into the research groups and networks closely associated with the programme as these can provide invaluable real-world research experience and potential collaborations with national and international leaders in health psychology and related disciplines.

Accreditation:

The MSc is stage 1 accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). BPS accreditation criteria stipulate a minimum 50% pass mark, with no condoned modules, and so students with final marks falling below 50% cannot graduate with the accredited MSc Health Psychology award. These students will instead graduate with an MSc Psychology & Health, if they have fulfilled UCL award requirements but not BPS award requirements.

Department: Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care

Application and next steps

Applications

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £80 for online applications and £105 for paper applications. Further information can be found at: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught/application.

Who can apply?

This programme is suitable for students seeking a thorough grounding in health psychology as preparation for a subsequent research degree or employment in a related field. Completion of the MSc satisfies Stage 1 of Health Psychology Training.

Application deadlines

All applicants
11 August 2020

For more information see our Applications page.

Apply now

What are we looking for?

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Health Psychology at graduate level
  • why you want to study Health Psychology at UCL
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.

Page last modified on 13 August 2020