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Psychology of Education MSc

London, Bloomsbury

The Psychology of Education MSc will introduce students to contemporary issues in education from a psychological perspective. Key theoretical and empirical approaches will be critically considered with a view to exploring their practical application in a variety of educational settings. The programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a conversion course, enabling graduates without a background in psychology to build on their first-degree qualification and become eligible for the BPS Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership. 

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£13,500
£6,750
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£33,000
£16,500
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 04 Apr 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of a second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

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

This programme is suitable for international students on a Student visa – study must be full-time, face-to-face, starting September.

Equivalent qualifications

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. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

This programme aims to develop understanding of the psychology of education and provide students with an opportunity to engage in research. On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to produce and communicate reasoned and informed argument, both in writing and orally on topics relevant to this field. Students will also be able to critically evaluate theory and empirical evidence in psychology.

Who this course is for

This programme is suitable for applicants who wish to progress to research careers or professional training. It will be of interest to teachers and professionals working in related fields and those pursuing an applied career in psychology. The programme is an accredited British Psychological Society (BPS) conversion course aimed at graduates who haven't taken a BPS accredited programme in psychology. Conversion courses provide an opportunity for graduates to build on their first-degree qualification to become eligible for the BPS Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Learning about the psychology of education provides many opportunities to understand how psychological theory and research contribute to educational issues and practices. While examining teaching and learning from a psychological perspective, students can explore key topics such as cognitive development, motivation, and the social-emotional aspects of education. Supported by experts in the field, the programme enables students to critically evaluate theory and evidence, while also developing the skills needed to communicate informed arguments clearly, both in writing and speaking.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

This programme offers a comprehensive research training in Educational Psychology. It provides a good grounding for doctoral study and valuable preparation for a research career in the academic community, the public sector or in industry.

The empirical research you get to conduct for the dissertation, the access to resources, materials and sample population makes the research actually worth it. And the constant dedication by the staff, from the administrators to the professors, has been extremely impressive.

Dhanishtha Patel, Psychology of Education MSc student

Dhanishtha Patel

Psychology of Education MSc

Q&A with Dhanishtha Patel

Employability

Graduates of this Master's degree are currently:

  • researchers in the public and private sectors
  • PhD students
  • assistant psychologists
  • clinical and educational doctorate students
  • clinical and educational psychologists (following professional doctoral training)

Networking

Students will have opportunities to attend research seminars, journal clubs and research talks.

Accreditation

This programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Students who successfully complete the course can apply for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, group work, student preparation of tasks and presentations, discussion, and computer workshops giving hands-on practice.

Assessment is through varied coursework, for example, critiquing research, presentations, essays, and reports. Students will also engage in a dissertation supported by a member of staff.

In terms 1 and 2 full-time students can typically expect between 5 and 8 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops, and meetings with their dissertation supervisor. In term 3 and the summer period, students will be completing their own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors.

Modules

The programme comprises four taught modules and a dissertation. It is delivered through a combination of lectures given both by IOE academic staff and guest speakers, group work, and computer workshops giving hands-on practice.

The taught modules on the programme are lecture-based modules, designed to provide you with a firm foundation in the different topics relevant to psychology of education. You will take four compulsory modules and a dissertation. The dissertation is a research project carried out under the supervision of a member of academic staff from UCL.

If studied on a full-time basis, the programme will take place over a full calendar year. Alternatively, it can be studied part-time over two years or modular flexible over five years.

The programme comprises four taught modules and a dissertation. It is delivered through a combination of lectures given both by IOE academic staff and guest speakers, group work, and computer workshops giving hands-on practice.

The taught modules on the programme are lecture-based modules, designed to provide you with a firm foundation in the different topics relevant to psychology of education. You will take four compulsory modules and a dissertation. The dissertation is a research project carried out under the supervision of a member of academic staff from UCL.

Part-time students typically complete three modules in their first year (90 credits) and one module plus the dissertation in their second year (90 credits).

The programme comprises four taught modules and a dissertation. It is delivered through a combination of lectures given both by IOE academic staff and guest speakers, group work, and computer workshops giving hands-on practice.

The taught modules on the programme are lecture-based modules, designed to provide you with a firm foundation in the different topics relevant to psychology of education. You will take four compulsory modules and a dissertation. The dissertation is a research project carried out under the supervision of a member of academic staff from UCL.

Although students have the flexibility to select which modules to complete in any given year, we recommend that Core Topics in the Psychology of Education and Research and Analytical Methods in Psychology are taken early in the degree to facilitate understanding and skill development for the rest of the course. We also recommend that the dissertation module is taken in the final year.

Compulsory modules







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 are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Psychology of Education.

Accessibility

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

Where you'll study

IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society

IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, is a world-leading centre for research and teaching in education, culture, psychology, and social science. We are one of the UK’s largest teacher training providers, offering a wide range of programmes across all phases of learning and more subjects than any other university. We also offer an extensive range of master’s programmes. Our research addresses society’s most important challenges and feeds into our teaching, enabling our graduates to go on to influence future generations for the better, from individual lives to societal change.

Find out more about IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £13,500 £6,750
Tuition fees (2025/26) £33,000 £16,500

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Students are responsible for covering any travel, accommodation, and other expenses involved in conducting research for their dissertation and should account for these costs when planning their finances.

DBS may be required depending on the type of research undertaken for the dissertation module. The DBS application cost will be covered by UCL, but offer holders will also need to have their ID checked and verified at a Post Office, for which they will incur a charge of £18 (note, this was the fee for 2024 but may change). The offer holder is also required to arrange and pay for any overseas police check that may be necessary; costs vary by country. For more information about the DBS application process, please contact the Admissions team.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

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

See all the ways you can fund your studies

IOE-Clarke Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees, return flights and stipend (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-ISH Centenary Masters Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees and accommodation at International Students House (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: Overseas

Next steps

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 £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Psychology of Education at graduate level
  • why you want to study Psychology of Education at UCL
  • why do you want BPS accreditation?
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging 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.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Psychology and Human Development
Psychology and Human Development

p.rentzelas@ucl.ac.uk

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