MSc, 1 year full time/2 years part time
Subject overview
Ranked in the top 10 in the UK in The Complete University Guide 2012-13 and The Sunday Times University Guide 2012, and 14th in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2013.
Rated 12th (of 76 universities) in the UK for research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 95 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, and 60 per cent rated as internationally excellent or higher.
We are one of the largest psychology units in the UK with almost 40 teaching faculty, as well as a large community of postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. This provides an intellectually stimulating and supportive environment for postgraduate research and study.
We have excellent facilities with newly refurbished office and laboratory space at the centre of the Sussex campus.
We are able to offer supervision across a broad range of areas encompassed by our four research groups:
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental and Clinical Psychology, and
- Social and Applied Psychology.
We have strong collaborative links with the School of Life Sciences and the Department of Informatics as well as with the Brighton and Sussex Medical School.
ESRC recognition
All of our MSc and MRes degrees (except the MSc in Experimental Psychology) are recognised as meeting the standards set by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for direct entry to a +3 doctoral scholarship.
Programme outline
This degree offers advanced study in applied psychology, taught by one of the UK’s leading research groups in this area. It provides you with a thorough grounding in theoretical perspectives, along with the appropriate research techniques. Our expertise is particularly strong in the areas of consumer beliefs and behaviour, intergroup relations and crowd dynamics, and issues related to health and illness.
This MSc attracts students from different cultural backgrounds and is designed for those wishing to undertake postgraduate research in psychology or for those interested in a wide variety of careers involving research, or policy-related work in applied contexts.
We continue to develop and update our modules for 2013 entry to ensure you have the best student experience. In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the 2012 modules tab.
On this course, you take a series of taught modules that will enable you to gain knowledge and skills in key areas of applied social psychology, including:
- four subject-specific modules (60 credits), two in the autumn term and two in the spring term, covering topics such as intergroup processes and consumer behaviour
- four modules in research methods and data analysis (60 credits), which will help you gain expertise in the key research techniques used in this field, including a range of specialised quantitative and qualitative methods
- a substantial research project in your chosen field (60 credits), supervised by a member of faculty specialising in that area.
Assessment
The taught modules are assessed by a variety of methods that include term papers, presentations and unseen examinations. The project is assessed by a dissertation.
Current modules
Please note that these are the core modules and options (subject to availability) for students starting in the academic year 2012.
Advanced Research Methods in Psychology
15 credits
Summer teaching, year 1
In this module you will learn about various advanced research methods and statistical techniques in psychology, by exploring their theoretical basis and their practical application. The module is typically taught as a set of two-day workshops in which particular methods are considered in detail. You are expected to study three methods (ie attend three workshops) from the selection that is offered. The options available to you are likely to include the following: Methods in Appetite Research; Discourse Analysis for Psychology; Experiment Generators: Use of Eprime; Eye Tracking; Item Response Theory; Longitudinal Data Analysis; Meta-analysis; Multilevel Modelling; Service User Involvement in Clinical Research; Structural Equation Modelling; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS); and Voice Analysis and Re-Synthesis.
Ethics, Philosophy and Methods of Research
15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1
This module will consider the conceptual foundations of psychological research and is divided into three key elements.
Ethics and research governance - during this part of the module you will learn about the ethical principles and guidelines relating to research in psychology, in particular the BPS code of conduct and how it applies to research studies, and the UK frameworks for research governance. The ethical issues involved in using animals to study psychology will also be addressed.
Philosophy of Science - you explore different approaches to what it means for psychology to be scientific and why it matters. Half of the material considers classic philosophy of science as represented in the views of Popper, Kuhn and Lakatos and how they apply to psychology. The remaining material considers the foundations of statistical inference, comparing the conceptual basis of orthodox (Neyman Pearson) statistics with that of Bayesian statistics. The aim is to clear up popular misconceptions in interpreting statistics, not to teach any particular statistical technique.
Qualitative methods - are becoming increasingly important in psychology and related disciplines (eg, biology, medicine, sociology). Nevertheless, heated debates continue to rage about their essential qualities (if any) and 'quality' (if any). In this part of the module we will examine all aspects of qualitative research, from (claimed) philosophical underpinnings, through method selection, project planning, ethical considerations, data collection, data analysis, and the production, assessment, and presentation of results, though to the scientific, practical, ethical, and theoretical benefits of the end product(s). Particular attention will be given to the prospects of developing qualitative methods that are truly complementary to quantitative ones
Health Psychology Applications
15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1
You explores the influence of a variety of social and psychological factors on health and health-related behaviours. Initially evidence that health is related to socio-economic status and gender is considered, and explanations which have been put forward to account for these relationships are critically evaluated. Subsequently the influence of individual difference variables on health and health-related behaviours is examined. Measurement issues that arise in health psychology research are discussed, in order to facilitate interpretation and critical evaluation of research findings. Subsequently you focus in detail on a number of specific health-related topics, such as adherence, obesity and eating behaviours, eating disorders, exercise, alcohol consumption, and smoking. For each topic, the evidence that the health-related behaviour or issue has significant implications for health-related outcomes is considered; the impact of biological, psychological and social factors on the onset and maintenance of the behaviour under investigation is explored and the effectiveness of interventions in the area is critically evaluated.
Health Psychology and Social Context
15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1
This module introduces you to health psychology and to fundamental theoretical and empirical issues that require attention and consideration by researchers working in this field. While acknowledging the importance of the biopsychosocial perspective, you will pay particular attention to social dimensions of health and health-related behaviours. You will also be introduced to perspectives and explanatory frameworks from disciplines other than psychology, in order to locate the enterprise of health psychology within a broad framework of approaches to health, health-related behaviours and health outcomes.
Linear Models in Statistics
15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1
In this module you will learn to use parametric statistical methods for exploring relationships among variables, including correlation, bi-variate and multiple linear regression, and logistic regression, as well as methods for comparing means between groups such as t-tests, Anova, Ancova and Manova. You will become familiar with the use of SPSS, a popular data-analysis computer package. More specifically, you will learn to understand when it is appropriate to use each type of statistical tool, how to run the analysis using SPSS and accurately interpret its output, and finally how to present the results in an appropriate format.
Organisational Psychology
15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1
The module explores the application of psychology to a wide range of issues relating to work organisations. Theories from mainstream psychology regarding issues such as social identity, group decision-making, stereotyping, leadership, cross-cultural interaction and motivation inform detailed discussion of key topics in organisational psychology. These include: work motivation and work behaviour; selection and appraisal systems; group processes, teamwork and leadership; organisational structure and culture; organisational change and development; and gender and cultural diversity in the workplace.
Psychological Perspectives on Self and Identity
15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1
Psychological research has shown that in many ways our thoughts, feelings, motives and actions depend on who we think we are: our self-concepts or identities. This module explores classic and contemporary psychological accounts of self and identity processes. Coverage is broad, encompassing a thorough and critical examination of key theories and debates in social psychology - drawing also on developmental, cross-cultural, social constructionist and philosophical perspectives - as well as considering the implications of these theories for real-world issues, such as subjective well-being, health behaviours, personal relationships, prejudice and politics. The module encourages and rewards independent and critical thinking about these issues.
Psychology in Education
15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1
This module examines the role that psychological research can play in understanding and supporting educational processes. Lectures introduce material on broad theoretical perspectives concerning children’s learning (eg cognitive development and socio-motivational factors), as well as specific aspects of children’s academic development (eg key curriculum areas such as literacy, numeracy and special educational needs). You will have an opportunity to share your evaluations of empirical research in seminars, and will work in depth on a topic of your choice. Throughout the module, you will be encouraged to consider the implications of psychological research for designing and implementing practical strategies to support learning and socio-emotional development in the educational context.
Psychology of Collective Action
15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1
This module is about crowd behaviour - in particular riots, 'disorderly' protests, and other (conflictual) forms of collective action.
The module has four aims: The first is to understand the context within which psychological theories of crowd behaviour first emerged, and hence to analyse the historical and social determinants of these theories of the crowd. A second aim of the module is to analyse these psychological theories of the crowd and to consider the criteria for an adequate crowd psychology. The third aim is to examine the interrelationship between collective (intergroup) dynamics and psychological change in crowd contexts.
This module builds on knowledge gained in the core psychology module C8035: 'Social Psychology'. Students who are not enrolled on the BSc in Psychology at Sussex are expected to be familiar with the material covered in that module.
Research Dissertation
60 credits
Spring & summer teaching, year 1
This module enables you to undertake a piece of psychological research under the supervision of a member of faculty who is expert in the relevant area. For clinical psychology students this may involve collaboration with a field supervisor in the Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust. You will be involved in the design and execution of a substantial piece of empirical research on a topic that is relevant to your module. The dissertation will consist of a research report detailing the project you have carried out or been involved with.
Social Psychology of Consumer Behaviour
15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1
Consumer culture has become such a pervasive aspect of everyday life that it has profound social psychological effects. This module investigates social psychological processes underlying specific behaviours and outcomes, focussing particularly on consumers' identity and self-concept. It examines how consumers relate to their favourite material possessions, what motivates them to buy consumer goods, as well as predictors of excessive buying and the effectiveness of advertising. It also examines the influence of selected mass consumer aspects on individuals' stereotypes and well-being, including materialistic values, and the impact of advertising on stereotyping and body image.
Structural Equation Modelling
15 credits
Spring teaching, year 1
Structural equation modelling (SEM) is a general method of data analysis that brings together path analysis and factor analysis. In path analysis, the aim is to specify and test models of causal relationships among variables, and to estimate direct and indirect effects. SEM extends traditional path analysis by estimating models simultaneously and by providing overall measures of model fit. In factor analysis, the goal is to identify unobserved, latent variables that account for the relationships between observed variables. Traditionally, this has been data driven - that is, the factors emerge from the analysis - and known as exploratory factor analysis. In SEM, the emphasis is on confirmatory factor analysis where you propose a factor model and test to see whether it fits the data. Finally, SEM allows you to combine path analysis and confirmatory factor analysis by testing models of causal relationships among hypothesised factors. The module will provide a thorough introduction to SEM, and will also deal with some important, related issues. These include mediation analysis, and moderation, and methods for handling missing data. The emphasis will be on analysing continuous variables with approximately normal distributions, but we will also cover how to handle nonnormal data. Most of the analyses will be carried out with a SEM software package and a further aim of the module is to enable you to use this program.
The Social Psychology of Prejudice (Masters)
15 credits
Autumn teaching, year 1
The module will develop your knowledge of intergroup relations and provide you with an advanced social psychological analysis of the causes and cures of prejudice, at both individual and social forms. Looking at individual preducice, we will consider classic theories and modern revisions of personality accounts; the categorisation processes and prejudice; the formation, activation, use and changes of stereotypes; and automatic and controlled aspects of prejudice. We will then move on to consider social prejudice, including: 'modern' forms of prejudice; developmental aspects of prejudice; prejudice as a response to perceived social disadvantage; prejudice from the "victim's" perspective; and reducing prejudice based on contact hypothesis and multiculturalism.
Entry requirements
UK entrance requirements
A first- or upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in psychology or, exceptionally, in a closely linked degree that has a substantial psychology component.
Overseas entrance requirements
Please refer to column A on the Overseas qualifications.
If you have any questions about your qualifications after consulting our overseas
qualifications table, contact the University.
E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk
Visas and immigration
Find out more about Visas and immigration.
English language requirements
IELTS 7.0, with not less than 6.5 in each section. Internet TOEFL with 95 overall, with at least 22 in Listening, 23 in Reading, 23 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.
For more information, refer to English language requirements.
For more information about the admissions process at Sussex
For pre-application enquiries:
Student Recruitment Services
T +44 (0)1273 876787
E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk
For post-application enquiries:
Postgraduate Admissions,
University of Sussex,
Sussex House, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
T +44 (0)1273 877773
F +44 (0)1273 678545
E pg.applicants@sussex.ac.uk
Related programme
Fees and funding
Fees
Home UK/EU students: £5,5001
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £5,5002
Overseas students: £16,2003
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The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
2
The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
3
The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
To find out about your fee status, living expenses and other costs, visit further financial information.
Funding
The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.
To find out more about funding and part-time work, visit further financial information.
Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust for Postgraduate Study (2013)
Region: UK
Level: PG (taught), PG (research)
Application deadline: 1 October 2013
The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust are offering bursaries to Postgraduate students following any postgraduate degree courses in any subject.
Sussex Graduate Scholarship (2013)
Region: UK, Europe (Non UK), International (Non UK/EU)
Level: PG (taught)
Application deadline: 16 August 2013
Open to final year Sussex students who graduate with a 1st or 2:1 degree and who are offered a F/T place on an eligible Masters course in 2013.
Faculty interests
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience
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The Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience research group has interests in:
- the application of basic neuroscience and behavioural techniques in rodents to study the neural bases of drug addiction
- the application of human psychopharmacology techniques to explore the detailed effects of drugs on human behaviour and cognition, as well as both preclinical and clinical investigations of the cognitive and other psychological deficits associated with long-term use of drugs such as ecstasy and alcohol
- the neurobiology of motivation, with specialist interests in the control of ingestion, and
- the cognitive neuroscience of human memory and attention, and especially research on deficits associated with disorders such as dementia and schizophrenia.
There is a close inter-relationship between animal, human and clinical work. On the animal side, the Sussex group is one of the strongest groups in any UK university for the behavioural characterisation of transgenic mice, and enjoys collaborative links with molecular geneticists, with the neighbouring Sussex Centre for Neuroscience and with the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS). On both the human and the animal side, the group has long-standing links with clinical health professionals across the county.
Professor Pete Clifton How brain systems regulate feeding behaviour, side effects of antipsychotic drugs on body weight.
Dr Hans Crombag Neurobiological and behavioural mechanisms of appetitive learning and memory, contextual learning processes in relapse.
Professor Theodora Duka Alcohol and nicotine addiction: human studies of conditioning, adaptive mechanisms.
Dr Sarah King Techniques to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of stress and drugs on brain and behaviour.
Dr Eisuke Koya Neuronal ensembles, associative learning, obesity, addiction, synaptic physiology, immunohistochemistry.
Dr Michael Morgan Substance misuse, impulse control in adolescence and adulthood, psychopathology in substance misusers.
Dr Tamzin Ripley Changes in neuronal plasticity, using behavioural and electrophysiological techniques, and its role in drug abuse.
Professor Jennifer Rusted Psychopharma-cology of human memory, prospective and action-based memory in ageing and dementia.
Professor David Stephens Neurobiological and behavioural mechanisms underlying drug dependence.
Professor Martin Yeomans Appetite control, development of food preferences, dieting as a model of disordered eating and obesity.
- Cognitive Psychology
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This Cognitive Psychology group has interests in:
- learning and memory, especially implicit learning (including computational simulations of learning), awareness of knowledge states, memory and consciousness
- language and communication, especially the behavioural, cognitive and neuropsychological processes involved in language comprehension and production. Our specialty fields include psycholinguistics, specifically pronoun interpretation, text comprehension, children’s difficulties in text comprehension, and fMRI
- vision and visual perception, where we have particular expertise in visual cognition and attention, face processing, perceptual aspects of driving, perception and action, perception of movement, and the perception of visual art
- the interaction between perceptual processes and other aspects of cognition, as revealed by the methods of cognitive neuroscience, especially multi-sensory interactions including synaesthesia, the cognitive deficits associated with neurological disorders, and the role of attention and working memory in oculomotor control, and
- animal vocal communication and cognition, where we have particular expertise in using playback experiments to tackle questions about communication and cognitive abilities in large terrestrial mammals (elephants, red deer, lions) and non-passerine birds (gulls and owls).
We have expertise in the use of specialised technology including acoustic playback, eye tracking, speech analysis and brain imaging. The Clinical Sciences Imaging Centre houses a 1.5T Siemens MRI scanner and PET/CT, and is used particularly by a number of members of this group.
The Human Psychophysiology Laboratory is extensively used by this group and includes EEG/ERP equipment, TMS, and eye-trackers.
Dr Chris Bird Cognitive processes through comparing the performance of brain-damaged adults with neurologically healthy controls.
Professor Zoltan Dienes How people acquire knowledge they are not aware of having, computational modelling of such learning.
Professor Alan Garnham Language comprehension, particularly inference; sentence processing; reasoning; mental models theory.
Dr Graham Hole Face recognition, age perception from faces, perceptual aspects of driving (especially ‘looked but failed to see’ accidents).
Dr Ryota Kanai Neural processes and computational principles underlying subjective conscious experiences and qualia, the anatomical and functional neural basis of perceptual and cognitive phenomena.
Dr Beena Khurana Visual cognition, the role of attention in motion perception, processing of human faces.
Dr Karen McComb Mammal communication and cognition, functional questions about animal communication and the nature of animal minds.
Dr Romi Nijhawan Compensation of neural delays in perception and action, flash-lag effect in vision and action.
Professor Jane Oakhill Mental models theory of text comprehension and reasoning, and children’s text comprehension.
Dr David Reby Vocal communication, sexual communication, crossmodal abilities in non-human animals.
Dr Jamie Ward Human cognitive neuroscience using neuropsychology, fMRI, TMS and EEG. Visit Synaesthesia research.
- Developmental and Clinical Psychology
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The Development and Clinical Psychology research group has a common aim of advancing theoretical approaches to human development and clinical psychology, often through studying applied questions. Approaches include observational and experimental studies, longitudinal analyses of child development, comparative perspectives, dynamic systems, neural network modelling, and experimental clinical psychopathology. We work closely with clinicians and educationalists, and with typical and special child populations.
Research focuses on six broad themes:
- social development, family and peer relations
- using technology to study and support peer collaboration and cognitive change
- emotional adjustment across the lifespan
- the aetiology of emotional disorders
- gesture and communication, and
- word learning and early cognitive development.
We have several focused labs: Child Anxiety Theory and Treatment (CATT) Lab, Children and Technology (ChaT) Lab, Sussex Family Research Lab, and Word and Object Reasoning Development (WORD) Lab.
The group is well-supported with lab facilities, including testing rooms for audio-visual recording, software for video editing and analyses, questionnaire scanning facilities, environments for conducting controlled experimental psychopathology studies, and specialised spaces for conducting a range of studies from habituation to clinical interviews. The group has good links with local daycare, schools and colleges.
Professor Robin Banerjee Social and emotional development of pupils, self-conscious cognition and emotion, self-presentational behaviour.
Dr Kate Cavanagh Cognitive biases and reasoning processes in the emotional disorders, increasing access to psychological therapies.
Professor Graham Davey Experimental psychopathology and anxiety disorders, the causes of perseverative psychopathologies.
Professor Andy Field The role of childhood experience in fear acquisition, parenting and child anxiety.
Dr Anna Franklin The development of colour perception and cognition, broader issues in cognitive and developmental science.
Dr Jessica Horst Cognitive development in children under the age of five; language acquisition, infant and toddler categorisation.
Dr David Leavens Non-verbal communication by apes and humans, joint attention, mother-infant interaction, evolution of language.
Dr Bonamy Oliver Child behaviour, using longitudinal, behavioural genetic designs to better understand family and other environmental influences on behavioural outcomes.
Dr Alison Pike Antecedents and consequences of variation in family relationship quality, including marital, parent-child and sibling.
Dr Nicola Yuill Typical and atypical social cognitive development, autism; technology to support children; children’s language development.
- Social and Applied Psychology
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The Social and Applied Psychology research group has interests in five broad areas:
- behaviour change: intervention, design and evaluation
- health psychology
- identity, culture and well-being
- intergroup relations and collective behaviour
- pro-social and moral engagement.
The group has good facilities for laboratory-based research involving video recording of individual and group behaviour, and for conducting online experiments. Links also exist with local schools and hospitals for conducting field research.
Dr Rod Bond Group processes, particularly social influence and reaction to deviants; subjective well-being.
Professor Rupert Brown Intergroup relations: prejudice and prejudice reduction, acculturation processes, hate crime, collective guilt.
Dr Richard de Visser Young people’s health behaviour, sexual health and sexual behaviour, gender and health-related behaviour.
Dr Helga Dittmar Social and psychological dimensions of material goods, compulsive buying; sociocultural influences on body image.
Dr John Drury Crowd behaviour, empowerment and positive psychological change, crowding/density, celebration and ‘atmosphere’.
Dr Tom Farsides Factors that facilitate (duty or empathy) or inhibit (moral phobia or selfishness) positive other-concern.
Professor Peter Harris Cognitive, emotional and behavioural response to risk, especially health risks.
Dr Donna Jessop Impact of personally relevant health-risk information on behaviour change, fear appeals.
Dr Karen Long Inter- and intragroup relations, social identity theory, social and personal identity as sources of self-esteem.
Dr Paul Sparks Attitude theory applied to environmental and health issues: normative influences and self-identity, decision-making.
Dr Viv Vignoles Self and identity, motivational processes and culture and context influences on identity construction; life transitions.
For more detailed information, visit the School of Psychology.
Careers and profiles
Some of our graduates have gone on to further study at doctoral level and many now work as psychology lecturers at universities around the world. Others have gone on to careers as researchers, project controllers and project managers in businesses and academic institutions.
For more information, visit Careers and alumni.
School and contacts
School of Psychology
The School of Psychology is one of the largest centres for the study of psychology in the UK, with an academic community of nearly 900 people working in a rich and supportive learning environment.
Professor Rupert Brown, Course Director,
School of Psychology,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9QH, UK
T +44 (0)1273 877443
E r.brown@sussex.ac.uk
School of Psychology
Discover Postgraduate Study information sessions
You’re welcome to attend one of our Discover Postgraduate Study information sessions. These are held in the spring and summer terms and enable you to find out more about postgraduate study and the opportunities Sussex has to offer.
Visit Discover Postgraduate study to book your place.
Other ways to visit Sussex
We run weekly guided campus tours every Wednesday afternoon, year round. Book a place online at Visit us and Open Days.
You are also welcome to visit the University independently without any pre-arrangement.