In this degree, you'll explore the core areas of psychology, including biological, clinical, cognitive, developmental, and social, while gaining the skills to design, conduct, analyse, and write up experiments, working both independently and as part of a team on research.
Turn your passion for psychology into a career - even if your first degree was in another subject.
Our MSc Psychology (Conversion) course gives you the foundation you need to enter the world of psychology. You’ll learn to critically evaluate research, understand and explain behaviour, and communicate psychological insights effectively, while gaining a solid grounding in all core areas of the discipline.
These skills open doors to professional pathways such as clinical, educational, health, occupational, or forensic psychology, and are highly valued in fields like human resources, market research, policy, and health and social care. Whatever your ambitions, this course is a powerful springboard for your future.
You’ll study in Durham, a beautiful, historic city known for its safety and welcoming atmosphere. Our department is research-intensive, with over 70 academics and a global reputation - ranked among the Top 100 psychology departments worldwide (QS). We combine cutting-edge research with teaching, so you’ll learn the essentials and the latest developments in areas such as Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience, Developmental Science, and Quantitative Social Psychology. These specialisms also offer opportunities for further postgraduate study.
With Durham ranked in the UK’s top three for graduate prospects (The Times, 2026), this conversion course is your gateway to a rewarding career in psychology and other roles where understanding people matters.
An application for accreditation has been submitted to the British Psychological Society for this course, meaning upon completion of the programme, you will be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the society.
You will study three core modules culminating in a Research Project and Preregistered Report.
Course structure
Year 1 modules
Core modules:
Psychological Research Methods
provides you with an introduction to the methods, design and core statistics commonly used across psychology, as well as developing your confidence in using statistical techniques and communicating the results.
Essentials of Psychology
provides a grounding across cognitive, biological, developmental, social, differential, and clinical psychology.
Psychological Literacy
equips you with essential academic and professional skills. You'll develop communication, critical evaluation, digital literacy, and collaborative problem-solving abilities for Psychology.
Research Project and Preregistered Report
is the culmination of your studies and involves conducting an empirical research project, a qualitative investigation, and planning a research project in depth. You'll develop skills in research and ethics.
We use varying methods of teaching to equip you with different skills in different modules. For example, in our Psychological Literacy module, you'll have a mix of lectures to inform you about how to use the literature and tutorials to develop your skills through discussion and small group work on the literature. Our Essentials of Psychology module is lecture-based, delivering material for you to explore and learn. In other modules, you'll work using a mix of group-based, practical and computer-based learning.
Assessment
You will encounter a mix of different assessment types. Predominantly, you will be assessed with coursework (an empirical project, research proposals, essays, research reports, case studies, etc.), with a third of your final grade being based on examinations.
Entry requirements
We require a 2:1 Bachelor (Honours) degree or international equivalent.
Applicants are also expected to have some mathematical knowledge for the programme, therefore having studied a relevant mathematics/quantitative module at university level or a minimum of GCSE Mathematics with grade B/5 or international equivalent is a prerequisite for prospective candidates.
International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.
Home students who do not meet our direct entry requirements, may be eligible for our Foundation Programme which offers multidisciplinary programmes to prepare you for a range of specified degree programmes.
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase and are expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only.
Our Masters qualifications provide the essential skills and understanding to progress to research at a higher academic level or to launch a professional career.
Our students enter the workplace with knowledge relevant to careers in psychology but also with the transferable skills in analysis and problem-solving that are valued by employers.
Such skills are highly sought after in a range of professions and our postgraduates have progressed to roles that include consultants, advisors, human resources professionals, talent managers, business analysts, market researchers, public relations professionals, marketeers, administrators, managers, civil servants, coaches, trainers and teachers.
In addition, the broad nature of the Department means that some of our postgraduates also qualify for careers in clinical and healthcare settings.
Department information
Psychology
Our Department provides world class teaching and research into understanding the mind and human behaviours. We investigate the processes that bring about the thoughts, feelings and motivations that lie behind our actions.
The Department of Psychology provides a world-class teaching and research environment for postgraduates who are interested in understanding more about the thoughts, feelings and motivations that lie behind actions and human behaviours and the processes that trigger them.
Our academic team are leading experts in their specialisms and provide outstanding supervision for postgraduate learning and research in key areas of psychology including Developmental Science, Cognitive Neuroscience and Quantitative Social Psychology.
Our range of taught Masters qualifications offer the opportunity to focus on a specific aspect of psychology be it biological, cognitive, social, developmental or neuroscience-related and to learn key approaches to the discipline including statistical training. For those who are interested in pursuing their own research interests we offer the MA/MSc by Research which offers a direct route to the PhD.
All postgraduate taught courses include a postgraduate dissertation in a chosen subject, supported by a member of staff with expertise in that area. Students also have access to state-of-the art technical, clinical and experimental facilities to support learning and research.
In the Department, we are proud to have passionate and committed teachers, who love their subjects and want to share that passion. We encourage collaborative working on new ideas so that together we can make new discoveries about human behaviour.
Facilities
The Department of Psychology is located on the main Mountjoy site, close to many academic departments and University services, and is within walking distance of Durham’s historic centre, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Facilities in the Department are outstanding. They provide state-of-the-art support for postgraduate work in understanding mind and behaviour through high precision experimental methods and ecologically valid controlled environments.
Apply
Find out more:
Apply for a postgraduate course (including PGCE International) via our online portal.
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